Fazzi's

Fazzi's is a restaurant in Collinsville, IL that serves Greek, Italian and American food. I especially love the Greek food. There are not a lot of restaurants in the area that serve Greek good, so Fazzi's is a treat! I love the Saganaki (fried cheese); you gotta love cheese that is set on fire! The gyros, spinach pie, and mousaka are also really good. A couple of my friends really love the chicken piccata. Many good things to choose from on the menu!

Go here to visit their website and see their menu: http://www.fazzis.com/

Olive Garden

This famous Italian restaurant has yummy salad, garlic breadsticks and pasta! Even though Olive Garden has done away with a couple items I used to really enjoy such as the Italian Nachos and Cannelloni, there is still plenty of great stuff to choose from. One fav is the Ravioli di Portobello (pictured above). Lasagna is also great. And the desserts, especially the Tiramisu are pretty incredible too!

http://www.olivegarden.com/

Taco Fresco

My friend Cassie told me awhile back I had to try Taco Fresco. This is a chain in the Chicago area, and I finally got to visit a location in the Chicago 'burbs. I was impressed! Great tasting food with very fresh ingredients. The burrito was great as was the enchilada and tamale. And I love how they have a salsa bar. You can select what salsas you want to put on your food. Can't wait to go back!
http://www.tacofresco.com/

Cyrano's

This awesome restaurant, located in Webster Groves, MO is known for their fabulous desserts. It is hard to choose what dessert to get as everything on the menu sounds wonderful! The Cherries Jubilee is really good. It's pretty awesome to have them come to your table to make it--you see them set it on fire and everything. Pretty cool. They have various martinis at Cyrano's including Chocolate martinis and Tiramisu tinis. They also have some fun warm alcoholic beverages. Great stuff to eat and drink and a nice cozy atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!
http://cyranos.com/

Red Robin

Red Robin is known for their gourmet burgers. Yes, they are a little pricey, but they are so good! I like the variety they have. Some of my favorite burgers include the Santa Fe Burger which has poblano pepper, guacamole, sauteed onions, and crisp tortilla strips, the Banzai Burger which is marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple, and the Bleu Ribbon Burger which has a tangy steak sauce and Bleu cheese crumbles and is served with onion straws. I keep wanting to try the 5 Alarm Burger. Good stuff!

http://www.redrobin.com/

Steak n Shake

I dig the burgers at Steak n Shake, and the Frisco Melt is my favorite thing to order. I also really like the shakes. My favorite is when they offer the White Chocolate shake (usually in the winter). The Coffee Mocha and Dark Chocolate shakes are good too.
http://www.steaknshake.com/default-home.asp

Arby's

I think Arby's is a great fast food place! The roast beef sandwiches and potato cakes dripping with Arby sauce and Horsey sauce, are awesome. And I think they have one of the best chicken salad sandwiches around. The Reuben's are good too. And I love the Jamocha shakes.

Monical's Pizza

I consider this some of the best pizza ever! I always get the thin crust, and it is so excellent; my favs are pepperoni and sausage and mushroom. There are locations in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois, though I think Springfield is as far south in IL that they go (unfortunately). Typically I've gone to one of the Bloomington, IL locations when passing through while traveling between So. IL and Chicago.

The salad and breadsticks are really good here too!

Check out Monical's: http://www.monicals.com/

Bakers Square

This is another place I like to go to when I'm up in northern IL. When I was little this place used to be called Poppin' Fresh. Then somewhere along the way, it became Bakers Square and in addition to all the delicious pies, they offered a variety of food including sandwiches, salads, soups, burgers, chicken dishes, steak, pasta, and breakfast items. I've enjoyed many of the sandwiches. And I still think they have the best pies. French Silk used to be my favorite. I still love that, but branched out and now also enjoy Caramel Pecan Silk Supreme, Caramel Apple a la Mode, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Coconut Cream, Hot Fudge Brownie a la Mode, Oreo Cookie, and seasonal pies like Candy Cane at Christmas time and Key Lime in the summer. It is always a treat to get one of these fabulous pies. Wish there were Bakers Squares in So. IL!

Check out the food and pie menus: http://www.bakerssquarerestaurants.com/

Pizza World

Pizza World has locations in southern Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Iowa and Georgia. It is probably my favorite pizza chain located in So. IL. Though I love to get pepperoni or sausage and onion, I also like many of their specialty pizzas like the California Spin-Dip which has an Alfredo sauce, spinach, and artichoke hearts or the Spicy Thai pizza. it is fun to get a bunch of the specialty pizzas and try them all! The calzones are also tasty.

Buffalo Wild Wings

I have been to Buffalo Wild Wings a few times now. I dig all the different sauces you can get. I think my favorite is the Parmesan Garlic. I want to try all of them eventually, including the really really spicy ones. I love how they have a scale in the menu showing which sauces are on the milder side, which are medium, and which are really hot. The buffalo chips and onion rings are also very good here.
http://www.buffalowildwings.com/

Uno Chicago Grill

This place has an extensive menu, but it seems like every time I have the opportunity to go there, it seems I can't resist getting the deep dish pizza. The Numero Uno Pizza is awesome. It's "a ‘works’ pizza with sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms and our unique chunky tomato sauce. Topped with mozzarella and grated Romano." There are lots of Uno locations in the US. Good stuff.

http://www.unos.com/index.html

The Great American Bagel

This is my favorite bagel place. I usually try get to The Great American Bagel when I am in the burbs of Chicago. They have quite a large selection of types of bagels and types of cream cheese, and also have a nice variety of sandwiches and soup. My favorite thing to get there is a cheddar onion bagel toasted with scallion cream cheese. You can check out the menu on their website.
http://thegreatamericanbagel.com/

Rainforest Cafe

As is obvious by the restaurant's name, the atmosphere at Rainforest Cafe is that of a rainforest. There is mist, there are waterfalls and robotic animals. There are large aquariums in many of the restaurants. Automated water sprinklers and synchronized lights set to specific patterns are also featured. A simulated thunderstorm occurs every thirty minutes, utilizing simulated rain as well as flashing lights and high-powered subwoofers for lightning and thunder.

The food is delicious. Some of my favorite things are the quesadillas that are made with pita bread and the pizza with BBQ sauce.

There are various locations throughout the US (I have been to the Chicago, IL, Schaumburg, IL, Bloomington, MN, and Orlando, FL locations) and also some in other countries as well. This is such a fun place to dine at for the food and atmosphere.
http://www.rainforestcafe.com/

Hala Kahiki

Hala Kahiki is located in River Grove, IL, and is a great place to enjoy tropical drinks in an exotic atmosphere. I went to this place several times when I attended Concordia, River Forest, and a few times after that. I love the atmosphere there, and have enjoyed the various drinks I've tried like a Chocolate Pina Colada (Kahuna) or a Chocolate shake with rum and strawberry (Princess Kaiulani). Good stuff! I really want to get back there again. Check out their drink menu at their website:

http://www.hala-kahiki.com/index.htm

Beggars Pizza

Though this place has various appetizers, pasta dishes, and different kinds of pizza, I usually always get the same thing--deep dish pizza with pepperoni, onion, mushroom, and garlic. It is so delicious. I usually go to Beggars with my friends Gene and Jean when I am up in northern IL (there are various locations in the suburbs there). Jeannie likes the same kind of pizza as I do, so it works out well! It's hard to get good deep dish pizza in southern IL, so I love going to Beggars when I'm up north.
http://www.beggarspizza.com/

McDonald's

I have always preferred McDonald's to Burger King and other similar burger joints. Though I don't recommend a steady diet of McDonald's (which will lead to obesity), there are many delicious foods, and having some of these things once in awhile is a treat. McDonald's fries are the best. I love the cheeseburgers, Big Macs, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets. For breakfast Egg McMuffins are great or any of the sandwiches on biscuits. The iced coffee drinks they have now are pretty good (and a lot cheaper than Starbucks), and Shamrock shakes they have around St. Patrick's Day (and apparently offer even beyond that now), are tasty. There are just so many things I like there! I still get Happy Meals sometimes which is good for portion control, plus you get a toy. The one thing I really don't like from McDonald's is the McRib sandwich. I got one years ago, and it was lousy, and I've never been able to bring myself to have another one since, though so many people love them!

St. Louis Bread Company (Panera Bread)

Though this restaurant goes by Panera in most places, it is still St. Louis Bread Co. down in the St. Louis area since that's where the main headquarters is. I originally started going to this place for bagels and lattes (they used to have an awesome House Latte). But I started trying various sandwiches there and loved them, and they also have great soup and salads. My favorite thing to do is to get the Pick 2 (you can pick from soup, salad, and sandwich). I usually get the Broccoli Cheddar Soup and the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. Good stuff!
http://www.panerabread.com/

IHOP (International House of Pancakes)

I remember going to IHOP as a kid and loving how they had all the different syrups on the table. Though I am not a huge breakfast person, I do enjoy IHOP once in awhile. I usually like to get something sweet there like the French crepes (4 crepes with orange sauce) or stuffed French Toast or pancakes with all the different syrups or a Belgian Waffle. Lots of delicious stuff to choose from there.
http://www.ihop.com/

Lola

Lola is located in Cleveland, Ohio. The owner/executive chef is Michael Symon who was named The Next Iron Chef in 2007 and was listed as one of the ten best chefs in America. In my opinion, this place lives up to the hype. Nice atmosphere at Lola, friendly service, and outstanding food. The beef cheek pierogi (wild mushrooms, horseradish crème fraiche) appetizer was excellent. The duck was incredible. And the desserts too were wonderful, especially the “6 a.m. Special” which is French toast, maple-bacon ice cream, and caramelized apple. Good stuff. I look forward to going back someday.

http://www.lolabistro.com/