This year, Tracy told Steve about her other love: Snow crab.
In the city, food reporter Steve Dolinsky's two defacto crab spots are Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, as well as Shaw's, which also has a location in suburban Schaumburg.
Most people out there will just drive the extra 15 minutes up to Wheeling to wait in line at Bob Chinn's. However, a lot of people don't realize that Chinn's nephew has a crab-centric restaurant in west suburban Lisle, where they've been flying in Dungeness, King and Tracy's favorite, Snow crab, for the past 14 years.
When Tracy told Steve about her love of all things crab, he knew they would find safe haven in Lisle at Chinn's 34th Street Fishery.
"Alaskan King crab legs, Alaskan Snow crab legs, Alaskan Dungeness crab, Florida Stone crab, all of the different kinds of crabs that are popular now, we have here on a regular basis, whenever it's in season," said Stanly Chinn, co-owner of Chinn's 34th St. Fishery.
Given Tracy's single-minded affinity toward grilled cheese, her passion for Snow crab came as somewhat of a surprise.
"But I didn't start liking the crab until, well I guess, my husband. He knows that all I ate was grilled cheese, and he was kind of getting sick, or I think watching me eat grilled cheese. So, he made me try crab legs, and ever since then, I've been obsessed with crab," said Tracy.
"I cannot speak. There are no words to describe how good this crab is," she said while eating at the Chinn's Chinn's 34th St. Fishery.
Steve pointed out the plate of pasta on the table, showered with some tender pieces of Snow crab, but Tracy was focused on the legs.
"Can I tell you, I have a record. I have record for eating snow legs," she said. "I set a record, a personal record. I ate 50 snow crab legs once."
"On dare or legitimately?" Steve asked.
"It was an all-you-can-eat snow crab leg thing," Tracy said.
Tracy rarely dips the crab legs in butter, and prefers the Snow crab over Dungeness, although she's been known to reach for the King.
In case you were wondering, Chinn's 34th Street Fishery also carries the same Mai Tai cocktails and garlic-butter-smothered rolls like the restaurant in Wheeling.
Chinn's 34th Street Fishery
3011 Ogden Ave.
Lisle, Ill.
630-637-1777
