Most of the iconic hot dog places in Chicago were a bit far out from the Magnificent Mile, which is where I was staying in Chicago. But, on one of the days, we traveled a good bit north to see the Lincoln Park Zoo and check out Wrigley Field. Fortunately, The Wieners Circle was along the way.

This hotdog stop is known for its char-grilled hotdogs (or char-dogs) and questionable late-night antics. I ordered a Vienna Red Hot (steamed) with the works - hot dog on a warm poppyseed bun, topped with mustard, onions, relish, dill pickle spears, tomato slices, sport peppers and celery salt. This was more of a snack for us, so we just ordered one and split it.

I loved it. I love these hotdogs! I feel like a traitor to the WV hotdogs, but these are just so complex and fresh, and oddly delicious, despite everything in my brain saying it wouldn't be. A crisp pickle, a good quality hotdog, and the celery salt -- and the poppyseed bun -- just kill it. So good.


Grade: A

Photo by Sher Yip - Taco Americano: Chargrilled chicken, Korean BBQ, brown sugar-encrusted bacon, sesame aioli & scallions on flour tortilla

The famous jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese that took Morgantown by storm - winning the local macaroni & cheese cook-off and selling out at the food truck - is now a permanent fixture at a Bridgeport restaurant.

Cody Thrasher, who owns and operates Morgantown food truck Hash Browns & New Grounds, is expanding to a brick-and-mortar restaurant: Cody's. While the food truck will continue to be in operation, Thrasher is devoting a lot of attention and energy to his namesake restaurant that will have a seasonally rotating menu - something food truck devotees have come to know and love.

Cody's, located at White Oaks next to McFly Outdoors, held its grand opening Monday. It's so new, it doesn't even have the sign out front yet. Fortunately, Kayla, Lisa and I saw a bevy of diners inside enjoying delicious plates, so we walked in and made ourselves at home. And who did we see first? None other than local food photographer celebrity Sher Yip.

Photo by Sher Yip - Thai street pork belly: Crispy street-style pork belly, sweet Panang curry, Thai basil & lemongrass on jasmine rice

The inside is small - seating at just about 55 people - and very modern. I dig the cloth light fixtures, brick wall and bright, vibrant art work. A large bar area has wooden accents and was full of people when we arrived.

The menu they're starting with has a few favorites from the food truck - like the jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese. I put in an order for that (because mmm), as well as an order of the Japanese pork buns - savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickle onion, purple Asian slaw and sesame aioli on a soft steam bun.

Gnocchi mac & cheese: Gnocchi topped in a jalapeno cheese sauce with grilled pepperoni

We waited a bit for our appetizers to come out, but once the jalapeno mac & cheese arrived in front of me, time stood still. This dish is just smart, spicy, and perfect. A thick, soft dumpling covered in cheese, with some nice spicy hunks of pepperoni and a sweet drizzle make for a delicious flavor explosion.

Photo by Sher Yip - Japanese pork bun: Savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickled onion, purple Asian slaw & sesame aioli on soft steam bun

Shortly thereafter, our main dishes came out. The Japanese pork bun featured savory Japanese braised pork, sweet pickled onion, purple Asian slaw and sesame aioli on a soft steam bun. These were pretty large portions - I was expecting two bite-size portions. These were two half sandwiches, and the flavor was phenomenal. Nice crunch and sweetness and savory. The key here is getting a perfect piece of pork belly - and this one was pretty good. The aioli? Perfectly decadent.

Photo by Sher Yip - Honey Sriracha Fries: Hand-cut fries topped with a honey Sriracha drizzle and crispy fried garlic

Photo by Sher Yip - Three little pigs: Thick-cut ham, brown sugar bacon, mortadella, aged white American, provolone, shredded lettuce & oil and vinegar on fresh baked bread

House salad - baby kale, romaine, celery, sunflower seeds & cranberries with a champagne vinaigrette

Sher shared some photos from his meals, but I didn't get to taste those ones. But they sure as hell look tasty. Considering it was opening day, there were very few hiccups. And, time and time again, Cody has shown that he knows flavor and knows how make really tasty, weird, awesome stuff. I'm super happy to see what he's grown into, and I can't wait to come back and check out how the menu evolves.

Cody’s is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, lunch hours are the same, but dinner will be 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Billy Goat Tavern is a restaurant that gained fame through a Saturday Night Live sketch:

The Olympia Cafe was a fictional greasy spoon featured in a recurring Saturday Night Live sketch. The staff, led by John Belushi as Pete Dionasopolis, were Greeks. As various guest stars discovered, only three items on the long menu could actually be ordered successfully: the cheeseburger (pronounced "cheeburger" by Belushi), chips (pronounced "cheep"), and Pepsi. Attempts to order Coke were invariably met with the retort, "No Coke! Pepsi!" Likewise, those who ordered french fries got the response, "No fries! Cheeps!" 

According to Don Novello, who penned the first Olympia Cafe sketch, the diner was based on the Billy Goat Tavern on Lower North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which is still operating (and part of a small chain). 

Olympia is a Greek town after which many restaurants were named. John Belushi's father owned a cafe called the "Olympia" in the 1960s. During the 1970s, there was a real-life Olympia Cafe on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which was very similar to the diner in the sketch. (Wikipedia)

We set off to visit the original location and get some cheeburgers. The location is like in this underground lower section of Chicago that kinda blew my mind. And, the actual restaurant is even lower, as you have to take stairs down into it.

It was pretty frantic in here, as they're cycling through the line very quickly and just making burgers upon burgers. I asked for a cheeseburger; he said "double"? So I said sure. I got a drink, and they handed me my sandwich. At the end of the counter was ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles. I topped mine and found an empty seat.

It's very crowded, and someone dropped a glass as we were eating, and the noise ricocheted throughout this basement restaurant. It just added to this sort of very busy, chaotic scene. I felt my stress level increase while waiting here.

OK, but how was the burger? It was fine. I think if you're a huge SNL fan or super familiar with this skit, it probably has more appeal. The burger itself wasn't super notable, but I did enjoy the grilled bread and how cheese blanketed the burger (burger wasn't too large, so nice cheese-to-meat ratio). Overall, not bad.

Grade: B

Deep dish pizza? Check. Chicago-style hot dogs? Check. Next: Italian Beef.

Al's #1 Italian Beef is recognizably THE place for Italian beef in Chicago, so we walked a few blocks away to get our mitts on a sandwich. I ordered an Italian Beef regular with cheese. You can get it wet (additional gravy), dipped (even more juicy), or dry (no gravy). I didn't realize they had sweet peppers, so I said no peppers. Bummer. We also got a thing of fries.

Typically, this isn't the kinda thing I go for. I'm not a carnivore, so I wasn't expecting this to be my favorite. But, the flavor of the gravy (don't think Italian gravy or mashed potato gravy, think juice) was complex - cinnamon? curry? - something, that really gave it a little extra something. I do wish I would've had the peppers to help break it up with some sweetness. The fries were really good. Very crisp and delicious. Tony had the Italian beef at Portillos and remains convinced it was superior. I was pleasantly surprised, though it's not something I think I'd seek out again.

Grade: B

For some reason, I'm a fan of going up to the top of really tall buildings and looking out and see everything else down below. We first went to the top of Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower), which was once the tallest building building in the world and currently sits at 12th in the world. It is the second tallest in the country (behind One World Trade Center) and the tallest in Chicago. Very touristy, long waits, but a cool experience where you can step out onto a ledge and see the rest of the city below you.

And, we went to The John Hancock Center, which is is the eighth tallest building in the United States. But, we took a different route this time. The building actually has a restaurant on its 95th floor and a lounge on the 96th. If you go up to the top observatory deck, it's $20. But, if you got to the lounge, it's just a few floors below, and there's no cover. You do, of course, have to pay for a pricy drink, but I'd rather sit and hang out with a drink than cram with a bunch of people for $20.

There was no wait, and we made our way up to the lounge very quickly. But the demand for window seats is high, so we waited a few minutes so we could be seated at one. They are very strict about letting people crowd the windows or switch tables. So, be kind to the doorman, wait your turn and get ready to have a drink overlooking all of Chicago.

I ordered a Skyscraper for $16, which had Bacardi rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and a pineapple wedge. It was ... not great. It tasted watered down, very watered down. BUT, you're paying for the view. And we happened to be seated in a corner, so we could see views every which way. That was pretty cool. Oh, and the women's bathroom? The BEST view!

Grade: B