Ashok Selvam discovered Italian beef after finding crumpled up bags from Al's Beef stuffed behind his dad's car seat. He's written about Chicago for three decades and drank enough Malort to win a James Beard media award in 2025.
Summer is around the corner and that means soft-serve season. But restaurants around the country are serving up more than nostalgia, including soft-serve margaritas.
Do the owners of Jeppson’s Malört fear jumping the shark? Not really — but they would like to be invited back to the James Beard Awards Gala after fearing they burned a bridge eight years ago.
Gary, Indiana, isn’t known for its restaurants, so what would “The Bear” want to do with this city just a short drive away from Downtown Chicago? Ashok Selvam investigates — and eats a coney dog.
