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Risi also makes ketchup-flavored "fries" (picture a thinner version of a cheese doodle) that I became absolutely obsessed with when I was living in Barcelona. they didn't taste anything like actual ketchup--probably because, in my experience, European countries tend to produce ketchup that's way sweeter than the US Heniz standard--but they were delicious nevertheless.

...dammit, now I want some.

there was a dark, sad time in my life when I didn't enjoy spicy foods or beer--I could handle the occasional "Fire Sauce" packet from Taco Bell or Coors Light, but was unable to appreciate actual heat or beer flavor.

then one day my then-boyfriend (now husband) insisted that we put hot sauce on the pizza we had ordered for the evening, & picked up a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada to accompany it. (for Chicago/Hyde Park readers, the pizza in question was Cholie's, with the "hot sos" I'm pretty sure they make in-house.) & while the Louisiana-like spiciness was too much for me at first, I found that the beer cooled my mouth down considerably. likewise the beer flavor, while initially overpowering for me, soon tasted delicious when contrasted with the spice of the pizza.

...by the end of the meal, I'd been converted to both spicy foods & beer, & I've never looked back. seven years later, my palate has gotten a lot more sophisticated (habañeros! IPAs!), but I can still appreciate any pizza-hot sauce-beer combination that's put in front of me.

so in addition to the above tips, I definitely recommend this method for anyone who's looking to broaden their taste horizons. :)

man, you don't go to Three Floyds for the pizza; you go for the BEER! the fact that they have a decent, tasty menu is just icing on the cake. :)

psh, y'all are just haters. Imo's is DELICIOUS, hands down. that's all that matters. sure, if you're going there hoping for Chicago-style deep-dish or an NYC-style floppy slice or any other kind of non-Imo's "authentic" pizza, then you're going to be disappointed. but to say it's not good is like saying that sliders aren't tasty because they're not Black Label ground chuck on a potato roll.

if you appreciate the creamy mouthfeel of melted processed cheese, & like the idea of a pizza that you can eat like a snack, then Imo's is for you (& NB that provel cheese is NOT Velveeta -- it's more akin to a white American cheese, & is far less sketchy in its component parts than Imo's detractors like to claim: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provel_cheese).

opinions vary, but my personal fave Imo's topping combo is ground beef, green pepper, & onion...kind of like a pizza philly cheesesteak thing. & for what it's worth, most of the franchises I've encountered have had incredibly friendly & gracious staff -- including one of the city locations that delivered a pizza to an out-of-the way bar at around 10:30 on New Year's Eve 2008. (also, their toasted ravioli is pretty excellent as well.)

...sorry; I'm originally from St. Louis, & Imo's hate hits a nerve... :)

I'm personally partial to the johnnycakes with butter & hot sauce -- it's depressing that Dixie Kitchen isn't gonna be around in Hyde Park anymore, but at least there's still an outpost in Evanston (for the time being, anyway...).

Rosati's (or at least, the one on Broadway & Argyle) lists gyro meat as a pizza topping, & I've been able to request it from places that served both, even if they don't have it officially on the menu. it's delicious, but a total grease bomb -- I have to make it a once-every-two-years type of experience.

when I was in Spain, menus always listed "American hamburgers" as having a fried egg on top. which is delicious, don't get me wrong, but is definitely not the archetypal American hamburger preparation. even at the Tony Roma's in Malaga (it was literally the only place in town that wasn't closed due to a local holiday -- don't judge me), they had multiple burger preparations on the menu, but the one named "American" had a fried egg. go figure.

I also once ate a "burger" there that was some kind of beef/lamb patty with manchego cheese on a baguette. certainly something that would spark great nomenclature debates on AHT, but it was fantastic!

wow, I grew up in St. Louis & never knew that Bissinger's was local -- I just assumed it was on par with Godiva or any other fancy mall chocolate store.

if you're looking for palatable, inexpensive rum, the Puerto Rican brand Don Q is really good for mixing -- much better than Bacardi. & it wasn't widely available in the mainland US until fairly recently, so it has the added bonus of surprising people who haven't heard of it before.

according to Consumerist, the real product doesn't quiiiiiiite live up to the advertising (shocking, I know): http://consumerist.com/5152896/papa-johns-love-pizza-is-a-lie

Steak'n'Shake is truly an institution. I've converted many non-midwesterners to believers in its deliciousness (not to mention that said deliciousness is available 24 hours!). for me, the best dishes are the Patty/Chicken/Frisco Melt & the Chili Mac Supreme. I'm not a huge fans of the fries on their own, but the cheese fries (made with only the fakest liquid cheese sauce) are amazing with ketchup. if I ever move out of the heartland I'm not sure what I'll do with myself.

@Junie -- that line made me laugh out loud; surely even someone who didn't share the sentiment would appreciate the reference? it was a pretty apt parallel

also, I was surprised that there weren't any Wolfgang Puck stocks in this test, since he seems to pervade the Chicago stock market (heh, see what I did there?). I don't really have any experience with the the other brands mentioned; does anyone else know how those measure up to the ones that were tested?

@NotAmerican -- oh my god, I STILL get that stupid jingle stuck in my head from time to time! I have no idea why my brain has held onto it for this long.

& @rdrnr44 -- your mention of Butter Buds reminded me of another essential '90s "food" -- "I Can't Believe It's Not Buhhhhhhter...Spraaaaaaay." (said in best Fabio impersonation). maybe you should have a bottle of that lying around if your guests can be trusted not to start using it as a weapon after a few Pop-Rock-rimmed cocktails. :)