And just a bit further up Milwaukee from Goodi's is Pita Inn. Great baba ganoush, shwarma, falafel, and a lunch special the will fill you up for less than $7.

You're thinking of Edwardo's Pesto Pizza.

My favorite for cannoli is Allegretti's in Norridge. They fill them while you wait.

http://www.allegrettisbakery.com

Allegretti's Bakery
7717 W. Lawrence Avenue
Norridge, IL 60706
ph: 708.453.4412

Try Devon Avenue Meats inside Morningfield's in Park Ridge, at Devon and Cumberland. Tell them Chef Karen sent you.

All the Caputo's stores carry 6-1. At Dominick's they can usually be found not in the tomato sauce/pasta aisle, but in the ethnic foods aisle.

That was Jojo's.

The one further south on Harlem, near the Harlem-Irving Plaza, was the Ground Round.

Mexique is my favorite new restaurant of 2008. I've had dinner there 4-5 times and each time was wonderful. The chef is creative, yet the dishes are quite accessible. The appetizer trio of sopes is not to be missed, and he does great things with lamb.

There is Jockey Wok 'n' Roll, tucked into Hoffman Plaza on Roselle Road, just north of Higgins in Schaumburg. They have cart service on the weekends. Not nearly as good as Shui Wah or Phoenix in Chinatown, nor Furama in the Argyle neighborhood, but if you're in the NW suburbs, it's as good as it gets.

I've been using the same 12" All-Clad stainless steel skillet for 10 years. In my experience:
* Never put them (or good knives) in the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent is too harsh, and will leave a film.
* Use the deglazing method for stubborn, stuck-on stuff
* Make a paste of kosher salt and water to remove any stains that remain
* Don't use steel wool or any metallic scrubbers when cleaning
* Residential stoves don't got hot enough to ruin one of these pans. I use mine over high heat to sear meats all the time
* While not quite indestructible, one way to ruin the pan is to warp it by not letting it cool before putting it in the sink and running cold water on it.

It's a nice, small neighborhood Italian place. My favorite dish there is the Italian Sausage & Mushroom Risotto.

Jerry's in Niles is on Milwaukee Avenue, just south of Oakton.

My favorite is Las Caszuelas on Elston, just north of Lawrence. Great specials, and a wonderful mole that I crave. They also pour the best margarita I've had in Chicago.

Of the Chinese bakeries on Argyle, Chiu Quon is the best. Their BBQ Pork buns (either baked or steamed) and excellent. They have a lot of varieties of stuffed buns, all less than $1. And, try their huge almond cookies. Each is about the size of a frisbee.