Abigail Cox

Treasure hunting gets a lot more interesting when you have both indoor aisles and outdoor tables to explore.…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 15

Smoke has more than one personality in Joliet. Around the city, barbecue can mean saucy rib tips piled…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 15

A trip for one skein of yarn can easily stretch into an afternoon at My Sister Knits in…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 15

Few things beat walking up to a buffet with an empty plate and absolutely no reason to choose…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 15

A platter of golden fried chicken can make an old highway detour feel like the smartest decision of…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 15

A neighborhood Italian dinner gets a serious culinary upgrade at Osteria Alberico in Englewood. The restaurant brings the…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

The smell of smoke does most of the advertising at Hank’s Smoked Briskets in Indianapolis. This unassuming takeout…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

The sound of fish hitting hot oil is a pretty good promise that dinner is headed in the…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

The Yampa River does not feel like background scenery when you are dining at Aurum Steamboat—it becomes part…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

Some Indiana towns seem to run on porch conversations, leisurely lunches, and afternoons that never need much of…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

Choosing a cupcake gets complicated fast at Jennivee’s Bakery and Cafe in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. With more than…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

The combination of sizzling schnitzel, warm pretzels, and a cold German lager can make Colorado feel surprisingly close…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

Heavy bars and old jail cells are not exactly standard hotel amenities, but that is what makes a…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 14

Chicago looks completely different when you explore it from the water’s edge. The Chicago Riverwalk stretches through the…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

A packed parking lot outside a restaurant you almost drove past is usually a promising sign. Across Indiana,…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

Mac and cheese is supposed to play backup at a barbecue joint, but nobody seems to have told…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

Saturday morning feels full of possibility when everyone piles into the car with somewhere new on the map.…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

Floor-to-ceiling shelves have a way of making time disappear at Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Fort Wayne. This beloved…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

Colorado can still surprise people who have spent a lifetime exploring it. Beyond the familiar ski towns, national…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

The Mississippi seems to set the pace in Nauvoo, where wide river views and quiet streets make hurrying…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

Tall prairie grasses rolling beneath an enormous Indiana sky give Prophetstown State Park a look that feels almost…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 13

A quick browse can become an afternoon-long treasure hunt at Colorado Antique Gallery in Littleton. The sprawling space…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

Coming face-to-face with a dinosaur skeleton has a way of making millions of years suddenly feel much closer.…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

A giant peach looming beside the highway is usually a good sign that the drive is about to…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

A two-Michelin-star pedigree and a limited run give Denver diners two compelling reasons to pay attention to SHEEP.…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

A glass case lined with glossy truffles has a way of making an ordinary afternoon feel suddenly celebratory.…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

Dinner behind bars sounds considerably more appealing when leaving is entirely up to you. At Boone County Jail…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

A tired trail dog sprawled beneath the patio table can be a pretty good sign of a Colorado…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12

Smoke reaches your nose before a rack of ribs ever reaches the table at 17th Street Barbecue in…

By Abigail Cox · Sep 12