Thuringer (rostbratwurst)

Reminded by a post in the Kankakee BBQ topic about the Peotone Bierstube, is there anyone in town that sells either fresh or prepared Thuringer rostbratwursts as pictured in this image. I was a little bit disappointed to find out that Thuringer seems to mean something else here than the Thuringer sausages I encountered in Germany. It's been awhile since I've had Hot Doug's version, but I seem to recall his Thuringer being a smoked sausage of some type, which the Thuringer I'm talking about is an unsmoked pork and beef sausage; flavored with garlic, marjoram, and caraway (among other spices); and usually (though not always) stuffed into sheep casings instead of pork casings.

Do any of the German places here offer this type of Thuringer, or (actually, even better), any place where one could buy it fresh?

Binko --

You might try Schmeisser's. They have a wide-ranging menu of home-made sausages.

Schmeisser's Homemade Sausage
7649 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles
Tel: (847) 967-8995

You might also try Lincoln Quality Meat Market, which I believe is German.

www.lincolnqualitymeatmarket.com/

If you want sausage, and a nice drive in the country, head west on North Avenue, through Geneva, to Route 47, then a mile south to Elburn, IL and Randy Ream's Elburn Market. He is a master charcutrier and/or a he!l of a sausagemaker. The walls of his store are completely covered with framed awards from sausage-making competitions, mostly relating to his bratwurst. He makes is plain, smoked, and with cheddar. He makes an excellent smoked Thuringer, just as good as the ones they used to serve for lunch in the Men's Grill of the Berghoff Restaurant.

Make sure there's a lot of room in your freezer, take a cooler, and make an expedition of it. He also carries a wonderful selection of top-quality meats. There's a good restaurant just across the street which does a really good sausage-and-bisciut breakfast. You could also try the Knucklehead's Bar and Grill just around the corner from Randy's, which has a great juicy burger and beers on tap.

Going out I-88 is not a good option, since there's no exit from westbound I-88 to Route 47. You could get out and go north on Randall Road to North Ave., then west to Rt. 47. Elburn is just 47 miles due west from the Loop.