mlarue

I can't believe these goofs insist on trying to protect me from myself. The trans-fat police. But I guess it's easier to do that than to find funding for the schools or some of the other incidentals that they haven't found the will to tackle.

That's a tough question to answer and I expect you'll get a number of suggestions. Freshly baked artisan breads are always a priority. You don't need to bake them yourselves. Get them daily from Fulton Street Baking Company and/or Red Hen Bread and you'll have happy customers. Fresh and frozen sausages, ravioli of various types; a variety of fresh and frozen sauces (pomodoro, tomato cream, white cream, both red and white clam, etc.). Super-fresh and very high quality produce items are tough to keep in stock, but it would separate an operation from all of the other Italian specialty stores that carry many of the high-quality but ubiquitous cheese, sausage and antipasti that most better delis carry. You could do some research by shopping in north suburban Highwood. Visit Pastaficio -- particularly on a Saturday around noon. On Saturday you can buy some of their pre-made items from their steam table and sample their quality. Also shop Poeta's Food Market and Bacio's Deli for more ideas.

While I generally agree with Ronnie, I'd place Mr. Beef as king with Johnnie's as a close number two. The difference, in my opinion, is more noticable if you order the sandwich extra juicy. Mr. Beef may use a bit more aromatic spice (oregano?) in its gravy.

"...possibly a steakhouse..." Would they call it Steak N Bake?

I didn't see the show, but if the show featured Sauteed Ramp in Orange Oil or Ramp Cappuccino, the host would have been Marcel Biro Restaurant and Wine Bar in Milwaukee (http://www.birointernationale.com/dine). I'm guessing this may be correct based on a web search.

The good news: Froggy's has not changed much in the past year or so. The bad news: Froggy's has not changed much in the past year or so. The good outweighs the bad in that the food is still excellent and the service almost always good. But a bit more variety in the offering and a decor-freshening would make a good thing even better. Businesses (even restaurants) are Darwinian: Evolve or die.