Penny Zimmerman-Wills

Three months ago, Mark Anderson and Rob Deaton opened the Wienerdog, a business dedicated to that quintessential summertime meal: the all-beef hot dog. The two were working at a local Applebee’s, when they came to the realization that what this city really needed was a good hot dog. “There just weren’t any good hot dogs […]

Within a four-block stretch of South Grand Avenue are three spots serving up some of the best home cooking in town. You won’t find all-encompassing menus, breakfast burritos, or special action figures with kids meals, but you will get plenty of warm, inviting food along with good conversation. Just like Mom’s. The Walleye Stop is […]

Michigan celebrates cherries. Wisconsin loves cheese. In Illinois, it’s all about corn. Next week 11,000 ears of corn will be consumed during the 30th annual Chatham Sweet Corn Festival, which runs July 17 through 19. The event, held in Community Park on Main Street, is a fund-raiser for the Chatham Jaycees manned by about 200 […]

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” –Henry James One thing Josephine Datz misses about her native South Africa is a good cup of tea. “In the afternoon around 4 p.m., it’s tea time in my mind,” she says. “It’s the thing to […]

No meal says the Fourth of July quite like a picnic. Spreading out a well-worn blanket on a patch of green grass and dining on cold fried chicken is as much of a time-honored tradition as fireworks and cherry pie. As the season for the ultimate in outdoor dining jumps into high gear next holiday […]

“Would you like to try some pecans this morning?” “Six pecans a day will lower stress.” “Pecans will keep for two years or more in the freezer.” These comments–cheerily addressed to strolling shoppers at the downtown farmer’s market–are the calling cards of Karen and Norma Voss, sisters-in-law who sport matching pink cotton shirts. Behind a […]

Key lime pie was born on a string of rocky islands, where the sounds of waves mingle with the rustle of palm fronds. With its sweet-and-sour flavor, the pie captures the magical mixtures of the tropics–and if you’re 1,500 miles away from the Florida Keys, a bite of key lime pie can bring you a […]

It’s a frigid January day, but inside Big Mike’s Prize Winning Chili the air is warm and filled with the aroma of spices. Owner Mike Butchek is behind the stove, stirring a large pot of his secret recipe, taking an occasional break to sit down and chat with customers and enjoy a cigarette. The place […]

When I was growing up, as soon as school was out for the summer, my mother and I would head for our neighbor’s farm to pick strawberries in the early morning hours. I remember scouting for the reddest, juiciest berries, like prize jewels hidden among the dainty white flowers and green leaves of the plants. […]