What’s Your Favorite Food or Drink You Tried in 2012?

Tell us where you ate the item and why it’s a must try in the comment section.

Why order a hot dog when you can have a fowler? From movie-inspired sandwiches to Chili Bombs at an Evanston hot dog shop. North Shore Foodie Finds has trekked to some interesting eateries in search of the strange and delicious.  We want to know, what are some of your favorite food or drinks you tried in 2012? Tell us in the comment section below. To get your brains churning and possibly your bellies rumbling, here’s a look at what North Shore Foodie Finds devoured in 2012: 

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Comings & Goings

Ward Eight Serves Its First Cocktails On Howard

Cocktail bar Ward Eight held a soft opening last weekend, with a grand opening planned Dec. 12. Other business news includes a new women's boutique and two businesses celebrating one year in operation.

Ward Eight Already Open, Serving Cocktails The cocktail lounge at 629 Howard St. began serving patrons last weekend, and a grand opening is planned for Dec. 12, according to co-owner Anne Carlson. Carlson says the business will be open during regular hours Wednesday through Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Carlson is opening the restaurant along with co-owner Cody Modeer, both of whom worked for In Fine Spirits in Andersonville. Some of their recent concotions include the Blood & Sand, which dates to 1922, (incorporating Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth and orange juice) and the new invention A Sunshine Fix (blueberry tea-infused Journeyman gin, ginger syrup, lemon juice, soda water and bitters). Along with cocktails…

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North Shore Foodie Finds

'Chili Bombs' At Wiener and Still Champion

This week, Foodie Finds treks to Evanston, where one local hot dog shop sells chili bombs, balls of chili deep-fried in homemade cornbread and served with cheese. Order them off the 'secret menu.'

Take a handful of Cincinnati-style chili, tuck it into a fat wad of homemade cornbread dough, deep-fry the cornbread-chili ball and serve it with cheese sauce. That’s how you make a Chili Bomb.  Offered on the “secret menu” at Wiener and Still Champion in Evanston, the Chili Bombs are just one example of owner and chef Gus Paschalis’ unusual and gut-busting inventions. He’s also known for making deep-fried gravy, country-fried bacon and a hamburger that’s stuffed with chili and cheese before being dunked in the deep-fryer. Is there anything Paschalis wouldn’t put in boiling oil? “There’s not a lot that doesn’t turn out good in a deep fryer,” he admits.  Paschalis says he got the idea for the Chili Bombs while watching an employee use a …

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Which Evanston Restaurants Are Worth The Drive?

The Chicago Reader's list of Best Suburban Chicago Restaurants features three local spots.

The alternative weekly paper the Chicago Reader released a list of suburban restaurants that are worth making a trek. Several Evanston restaurants make the grade: Our town takes three of the 12 spots listed in the North/Northwest Suburb eatery category, tying with Glenview for the most mentions. Check out the above videos to relive the menu magic of these staples.  Meanwhile, though the list covers some great Evanston grub, we at Patch want to know: What eateries would you have included? Submit your answers in the comments below, or make a suggestion on our Facebook page.

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Want Some Fried Gravy on Your Burger? You're in Luck

Wiener and Still Champion is serving a patty of fried gravy on its faux poutine burger.

When Gus Paschlis took over Wiener and Still Champion seven years ago, he wanted to make his mark by offering some unique items along with the standard fare of hot dogs, Polish sausages and burgers. That evolved into a penchant for frying things that aren’t normally fried. Over the years, he’s served country-fried bacon, country-fried gyro meat and fried pickle chips. His latest creation: a patty of fried gravy to top your hamburger. “We fry everything, so it was the next logical step,” said Paschlis from behind the counter of his Dempster Street restaurant. He won’t divulge how he does it (“It’s proprietary,”) but will say that the chicken gravy is coated in seasoned flour before hitting the fryer. The result is a patty of crunchy coating…

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Deadcatbounce

8:35 am on Saturday, February 25, 2012

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About Town

Shoveling Up A Complaint

Why can't sidewalks be cleared sooner by local businesses after a snowfall?

On a morning like Sunday, it would have been so nice to lay around, enjoying a hot cup of coffee and a sleepy household. We'd spent Saturday celebrating Christmas with extended family eating, laughing and exchanging presents.  It was lovely, but now we were all feeling tired quite lazy. … But shoveling had to be done.   Evanston received over six inches of snow overnight, and it just kept on coming.  My husband and I split up the shoveling work.  He took the front of the house, and I took the back porch.  By the time I'd cleared my tiny portion, I was exhausted.  How had I become so out of shape?  I'm sure my lack of exercise had NOTHING to do with it.  Was the snow just particularly heavy?  My "holiday waistline" wanted desperately to …

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About Town

The Evanston 100

How would you spend $100 in Evanston?

For this, my 100th post about issues Around Town, I'd like to know how YOU, the readers, would spend a cool $100 anywhere in Evanston. Don't think too much.  Would you spend it all in one place?  Donate it to your favorite cause?  Mix it up and sample a smattering of your favorites? At this exact moment, many of my choices are based on my ravenous hunger level.  If the money was just for me, I'd spend it like this:   $10 for a little something at Perennials on Central Street, where I can always find the perfect gift for someone. $10 to get fries, dipping sauces and drinks for myself and a friend at Wiener and Still Champion. $10 for a movie ticket a Century Theaters.  $10 for  candy to go with the movie at Century Theaters. $15 for my …

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