Na na na na, Nana's!

Nana's is a classic. My in-laws ate here when they first moved to Streamwood 31 years ago. And The Original Nana's Hot Dogs is still there at 1102 E. Irving Park Rd. in Streamwood, serving up some of the quickest and tastiest hot dogs and fries around. (And yes, you want the ORIGINAL Nana's...don't let any other Nana fool you...)

The decor isn't much to look at; a high counter, a few tables and booths about, all worn and needing a fresh coat of paint. When the weather is nicer they have a few tables & umbrellas outside. BUT, you aren't here for the decor. You want a dog! You want it fast! And you want it cheap!

All the dogs come with fries, literally. The dog is covered in fries and then wrapped up tightly in deli paper. This can be a tad messy so don't even think about trying to eat one of these in the car. The fries are fresh and you can watch them put the potatoes in the special do-hickey to cut them up.

They have other traditional dog-joint fare on the menu like pizza puffs, beefs and the like. They even have those yummy Mexican bottled sodas and GREEN RIVER soda at the fountain. And if you like their fun retro logo you can even buy a

t-shirt :-)

Check them out on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Original-Nanas-Hot-Dogs/151913324835793

Breaking the chains -- Anyway's, Bloomingdale

There's a stretch of Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale that has all of the big chain restaurants -- TGI Friday's, Chili's, Applebee's, Olive Garden, and multiple fast-food places. I'm not a fan of chains like these. They have their place, but I'd SO much rather eat at a locally owned or even regional establishment.

Tucked in between these mega-chains is a restaurant with a whopping two locations: Anyway's Restaurant (304 W. Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale).

Just a note: the random apostrophe bothers me. But not enough to not go there.

The interior is very nice, with rich, warm wood, a couple of fireplaces and comfy seating. And lots of flat-panel TVs for whatever game is on.

The menu is pretty varied for this sort of place and it can be hard to decide, but so far I've had a turkey-havarti melt (a seasonal special) and their macaroni and cheese. We're also dedicated nacho lovers, so we had to order those as an appetizer.

The nachos were solid, good enough to get them again. Tons of cheese (some of it not-quite melted), a little skimpy on the refried beans, decent guacamole, good salsa, plenty of ground beef.

My sandwich was very good; the bread was quite good, the pesto mayo and havarti delicious. The fries were solid. The macaroni & cheese comes with bacon, tomato, onion and a garlic-crumb crust plus a rich cheesy sauce around cavatappi. Awesome. Better than mine, and I make pretty dang good mac & cheese.

Service was friendly and competent, no problems there. The husband has also enjoyed his food and I am sure we will continue coming back -- and avoiding the chains, chains, chains.