I like a junior whopper now and then for the same reason, like the mix of veggies and the patty which tastes fresh to me.

If you are already in Geneva, the Spice House is just a few blocks from the Galena Garlic Company kitty corner to the Metra train station. It opens at 11 on Sundays.

Wow! Does that look good!

Butter sits out on our counter everyday except in hot wether when it gets moved to the kitchen table. On the counter attracted ants from the nearby window once. Cure was to move to the other side of the room and on the table.

Loved it but Red Hot and Blue is long long gone from this area. Replaced by Indian.

We have had Smashburger in Northern Illinois for a few years now. We tried it several times but decided it's way to salty for our taste. There is a Chicago area min chain called Tom and Eddies that is much better, better options and a much better physical layout.

http://www.tomandeddies.com/index.php

You have never been in a security control room, cameras and their playback are extremely clear and accurate. The media and news only shows us a grainy version because they don't want us to know how well we can be watched.

Cat Cora hasn't appeared on ICA since season 9, Marc Forgione and Geoffrey Zarkarian been named IC's since then. We are in Season 11 now.

Why is Nigella obscure?

Yes, in a private club I was invited to recently with my boss (boss male me female) The club member got the menu with prices. No money was exchanged, just a signature of the member. Forty five plus years ago I experienced this in a very ritzy NYC restaurant. I was a very young lady dining with a older male colleague and this was kind of a given in that era that the man would pay.

I prefer Thai to Chinese, crisper without the grease at the place I go to plus fresh veggies!

I'll second Ivy, I had the Cuban sandwich and it was spot on. My partner is vegetarian and had an excellent pumpkin ravioli. Great service, elegant setting for lunch.

Friend of mine teaches at a University and one of the required classes is Lunch Etiquette during the last year before graduation. I worked during the 70's and 80's in a construction based field. Back then booze was an important part of the culture.Our office had a fully stocked bar and if you wanted something during the work day, no problem. Drinking lunches were the norm.

Once we open a jar of popcorn we store the remainder in the freezer. Unopened jars go in the pantry, bagged popcorn goes immediately into the freezer. Been doing this for 35+ years. WE love popcorn and it's sometimes our dinner.

The places Jeff went to in Chicago were the kind you order at a window so no tipping required. I don't remember if he tipped at Ann Sather, the first place he went to, because he only had pastries.

I used to frequent Walter Payton's back in the day when Walter himself would be there many nights and the food was excellent. After Walter passed his partner struggled for years with various issues including disputes with the City of Aurora. The place was a ghost of what it was and when the Payton family ended their relationship and pulled Walter's name and memorabilia from the place, it was a death knell. The Two Brother's people have really stepped up and it is nothing like the old in any way.

Two Brothers Roundhouse, formerly Walter Payton's Roundhouse, is about 3 blocks away on Rte. 25 (Broadway) has a wide variety plus a really interesting old building.

http://www.twobrothersroundhouse.com/

Carrabba's is in 32 states, hardly small regional.

I am a big fan of Portillo's and I know their packaged goods are exactly like you would get in their restaurants however for home and for snacks I love II Primo's gardinera. It is perfect.

Richard, Fabio and Spike show up everywhere, it would be nice to see some of the others

The guy is driving from Michigan.

Big fan of Blake's too. Green chile cheese burger!

I like eating the tails but if the shrimp are in a pasta dish, I remove them.

Portillo's does an amazing job of serving food quickly, no matter how many people are in line. Portillo's Italian beefs are the best but they have great burgers, fries, onion rings and fish. My partner is vegetarian and loves their veggie sandwich which is roasted peppers, onions and such and loves their salads (sans meat). Portillo's locations varies, some come with ribs, some with more Italian fare. It's a great place to go for a great quick meal!

Agree. Blame him for everything.

I love Portillo's for what it is but there is no comparison to the others. Hit Portillo's for a great lunch.

We have stayed at Bluefin Bay in Lutsen several times and have really enjoyed it. Great lake views. The restaurants are open to the public and range from fine dining to pub grub. It's real easy to stay in one place and then travel up and down the North Shore. We've never stayed at Naniboujou Lodge but we have had several nice lunches there and have spent hours just sitting along the shore there.

I have not seen anyone on any cooking show ever wear gloves.

Years ago I crashed for a few days with a group of friends who were all waitstaff, cooks, bartenders and sharing a large rented house. People were always coming and going due to shifts and were required to always put their allotted fee toward rent/upkeep in a coffee can and every month their landlord received one or two cans as need be of small change to pay he rent. It worked for them.

When Paul was on Chopped he made a big deal about making sure his skin looked just right in certain camera angles. That's real important. He was very arrogant about how much better he was than his competition.