Cheap Date Show

We’re back at the microphones for a good cause!  Join us as we talk to Meghan Freebeck of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Community Shelter about their Taste of Fall event! The event takes place on Friday, October 26 and everyone is invited for an evening of great food, great music, and and auction that helps a [...]

Cheap Date presents another Discover Woodfield show! It’s time for our annual preview of Chefs’ Fest 2011, presented each year by the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau! ; The event will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at Arlington Park, and as always, it’s going to be a great event! Listen to Joe’s interview [...]

It’s time for another Cheap Date Show, and we’re excited to bring you the details of Peggy Kinnane’s 10th Anniversary Music Festival, which is being held in downtown Arlington Heights on March 17-18-19, 2011! Join us for our interview with Derek Hanley, owner of Peggy’s, to hear all the detail of this exciting event! Details [...]

 We’re pleased to be back and even more pleased to bring you the tale of an Arlington Heights favorite that has returned! Listen to our review of Biggby Coffee and our interview with owner Tim Mickelson.  We’re sure you’ll enjoy this one! We love hearing from you– if you’d like to tell us about your [...]

Enjoy this episode of Discover Woodfield! Listen to our preview of Chefs’ Fest 2010, presented by the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau! The event will be held on May 11, 2010 at Arlington Park Racecourse, and it promises to be a great time for all! On this show, Joe interviews Dave Parulo, the Bureau’s Director [...]

Welcome back to the Cheap Date Show! This time around we’re visiting with some officers of the Chicago Beer Society, and we talk about this year’s Twelfth Annual Chicagoland Brewpub Shootout, one of our favorite events of the year. Keep that feedback coming! Write us at cheapdateshow@gmail.com  You can also follow us on Twitter where [...]

We’re back to wish you a happy and healthy Holiday Season!! Joining us this time around is Joe’s daughter Becca, who shares her thoughts on two of her favorite spots around the Chicago suburbs: Charles Romano’s in Des Plaines, and Chef Ping in Rolling Meadows. We also mention our beer-expert friend Chris’ recent trip to [...]

It’s our annual Chef’s Fest show! Join us for this year’s event at the Arlington International Racecourse, where we sampled many of the offerings from the 60 exhibitors who were present! Special guests Liz and Bob and Becca and Emma joined us for the festivities. We’re presenting this as a Discover Woodfield show—if you’d like [...]

Happy Holidays! We’re back with an all-new show for you to enjoy… This time, we visit a brand-new addition to downtown Arlington Heights: Grand Station Restaurant and Cocktails! Listen in as we talk about the restaurant’s expansive drink and food menu. Drop us a line at cheapdateshow@gmail.com if you’d like to share your thoughts about [...]

The one question we get asked more than any other is, “What are your very favorite places?” On this episode, you get those answers! Join us as we talk about our favorites among the 100+ restaurants and events we’ve reviewed on Cheap Date since we started doing this show. If you’re not hungry after hearing [...]

Tonight we visit one of our very favorite restaurants of all time: Peggy Kinnane’s Irish Restaurant and Pub in Arlington Heights. And it’s about time, too… we certainly go there enough. So pull up a bar stool, pour a Harp, and enjoy the comfort of an authentic Irish pub right here in our own town. [...]

Summer ’08 is here in our hemisphere, and it’s time to get out there for some Cheap Date goodness! Join us on the patio for a glass of Zolo Torrontes, this week’s restaurant review, and some recommendations for upcoming events… First off, we share our thoughts about Gumrai Thai, a relatively new restaurant in downtown [...]

In Vino Veritas, as they say. No, this is not an excuse for us to drink and ‘cast, it’s a recap of our visit to Southwestern Michigan’s Harbor Country where we sampled some great wine and enjoyed some wonderful food over a beautiful spring weekend. Come along with us as we tell you about the [...]

Lisa has returned, and everything is back to normal. Well, sorta. This time around we enjoy an amazing breakfast at the L&L Snack Shop in Des Plaines, Illinois. Listen to the show for all the delicious, not-exactly-lo-cal details! L&L Snack Shop is at 456 E Northwest Highway in Des Plaines, 847 803-6767. We also follow [...]

This week’s show is actually two podcasts in one, kind of like what they used to say on the old Certs commercial. First, you’ll join us for the most recent episode of Discover Woodfield! as we visit the 15th Annual Original Chef’s Fest at the Arlington International Racecourse. This is our Third Annual visit to [...]

We’re on the road this week, so join us as we talk about the great time we had at Club Lucky in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Don’t forget to send in your entry to the Cheap Date Contest– there’s still time! Just tell us about your favorite Cheap Date– whatever it is, wherever it is— and [...]

Chocolate, peppers, and… bacon?? Tune in to hear about the fabulous Easter candy we scored from Vosges Haut Chocolat and Anderson’s Candy Shop, both of which are internet-ready sources for chocolate goodness. We also talk a bit about our first anniversary and the pizza at Chicago’s legendary Lou Malnati’s, which is also available through the [...]

It’s not what you think– but it is another fabulous episode of the Cheap Date Show! We talk about our experience watching a taping of NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” and then we share our dining adventure at Thai Urban Kitchen in Chicago. Listen carefully to Lisa’s description of the tofu. We also review [...]

That’s “A Nonstop Parade of Deliciously Seasoned Meats,” yo. Join us as we visit Texas de Brazil in Schaumburg, where Lisa had her very first experience with a churrascaria. Mmmmm… meeeaat. Joe talks about his visit to Palo Alto and offers some thoughts on Evvia Estiatorio and La Bodeguita del Medio, two really cool places [...]

We talk about our fun evening with Jen and Alan from the Dinkycast and the famous Barely. We went to The Lamplighter Inn in Palatine, followed by a visit to Durty Nellie’s where we saw Given 2 Fly, a great Pearl Jam tribute band. We also hear from Listener Chris with his guest review, and [...]

Laissez les bontemps roulez, as they say in New Orleans this time of year! Join us for a delicious Louisiana-style dinner at Gumbo a Go-Go in Palatine, Illinois, and get really hungry just by listening… We also provide a biscuits’n’gravy update, a recap of the Chicago Beer Society’s Brewpub Shootout 2008, some local restaurant news, [...]

Welcome to the latest Cheap Date Show — we’re glad to have you here! Learn why Joe won the Coolest Dad of 2008 Award: we’ll give you a hint: it involves a Sky Box and tens of thousands of screaming teenagers. You’ll also hear our thoughts on theme and incidental music, along with a request [...]

It’s the first Cheap Date Show of 2008, and believe you me (whatever that means) it’s fully packed! After discussing our holidays and our annual visit to Buffalo Joe’s in Evanston, we take you for a wonderful Louisiana dinner at Chicago’s very own Heaven on Seven. We follow that up with a (return) visit to [...]

All the best of the holiday season to you from us at the Cheap Date Show! This episode is a little out-of-the-ordinary, as we talk about holiday traditions: food, movies, and family. We talk about A Christmas Carol, and in particular the film versions as well as The Goodman Theatre’s 30th annual production of the [...]

The holidays are here, so hoop-de-do. Join us for a warm drink (or two) and settle in for another episode of Cheap Date! This time around, we visit Hungry?, a new restaurant in Rolling Meadows. Listen to our review to see what we thought of this new entry to the dining utopia that is the [...]

Join us for another Cheap Date Video cast! This time, we share a few minutes at the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Arlington Heights’ North School Park. Enjoy! This episode’s running time: 5:00

Welcome to another action-packed episode of the Cheap Date show! This week we review ToPa Tavern and Grill in Elk Grove Village, where Joe enjoyed a Gumballhead American Pale Wheat Ale and Lisa had the famous 312 Urban Wheat Ale. And we haven’t even started on the food yet. Listen to the show for complete [...]

Yeah, I got your griping right here. Join us for a round of performance art worth complaining about, thanks to The Complaints Choir of Chicago, who appeared at The Empty Bottle last weekend. Then it’s off to Irazu Costa Rican Restaurant, where we had a wonderful dinner featuring the tastes of the Caribbean. We follow [...]

Welcome to the latest episode of Cheap Date! This time out, we visit Periyali Greek Taverna in Des Plaines for a wonderful family meal. We also spend some time talking about Halloween and lots of other stuff, too. Here is the link to listener Chris’ recap of his two weeks in Europe drinking LOTS of [...]

Here it is, folks– a videocast of our adventures in making apple butter. We hope you enjoy it! Comments, questions, and great thoughts are always welcome at dish@cheapdateshow.com! This episode’s running time: 14:39.

It’s an episode that’s full of apple goodness. You couldn’t BE more autumnal if you tried. Lisa shares her cobbler recipe, which can be found here. And her baked apple recipe is here. Then it’s a recap of Crazy Apple Butter Daze at Lisa’s parents’ house in the fields of Indiana. This week’s Cheap Date [...]

Time for another Cheap Date, Guys and Gals… Joe talks about the “Highway McFifty,” a drink he invented, and the variations thereof. And if that wasn’t enough sugar for you, we taste-test the brand-new Snickers Dark candy bar. Then it’s off to Bogie’s Ale House in Mt Prospect for– what else?– pizza and beer! Oh, [...]

It’s an evening of great Italian food and wine on this Cheap Date Show! We take in a visit to Quartinoin Chicago. Then we recap our BBQ excursion with an email from Shelly, and then Joe shares his favorite pancake recipe (originally by Ryan D’Agostino in Esquire magazine). Here it is: Wallet Pancakes • 1 [...]

We couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up the summer than with barbecue and ice cream. Could you? Our first stop is at The Texan Barbecue in Algonquin, followed by a trip further west to The Huntley Dairy Mart. Needless to say, we weren’t very hungry by the time we were through with [...]

A word of caution: this week’s Cheap Date is not at all cheap. We received a very generous wedding gift from a friend of ours, which led us to an incredible meal at Chicago’s Les Nomades. We can’t say enough wonderful things about this experience, so you’ll have to listen to the show for all [...]

We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get to it. Condiment or food? You be the judge. It’s a new listener poll. Charlie’s Ale House on Navy Pier in Chicago was the venue for our meetup with fellow podcaster Shelly and her husband, The Fabulous Frank. Good food, good conversation, and a [...]

It’s a Cheap Date full of beer and ballpark fun! Join us as we head over to Goose Island Brewpub near Wrigley Field for lunch before a Cubs-Astros game! Listener CB also offers his Guest Review of Barnelli’s, which can be found attached to Portillo’s Restuarants all over the Chicago area. We love your emails [...]

In this week’s bonus Cheap Date episode, Emma and Becka join us for a backyard campout and some talk about our vacation week. Our Cheap Date this week is at Big Sammy’s Hotdogs in Elk Grove Village, where you can get a good, honest, dog and a Pizza Puff. You’ll also hear a little about [...]

Welcome to another fun-filled Cheap Date show! This week, we talk about Lisa’s new Sangria recipe, followed by an update on the Arlington Heights Frontier Days Festival and American English, an awesome Beatles tribute band. Our dining adventure this week is Hackney’s on Harms in Glenview, Illinois. Delicious! Thanks for downloading the show! Be sure [...]

This week, we take you along on our annual trip to Galena, Illinois. (We told you that if you do something twice, it’s a tradition. Well…) We stayed at the Belle Aire Mansion and dined at Backstreet. We also sampled lots of goodies at Galena Canning Company. Mmmmm. We have a special bonus for you, [...]

We take a culinary journey this time around: it’s a flight to Mexico with a layover in Thailand. Or something like that. El Sombrero in Mt Prospect and The Thai House in Hoffman Estates are our two stops this episode. And they were both delicious. Send you comments and other great thoughts to dish@cheapdateshow.com. This [...]