Chicago has its deep-dish pizza, Philly has its cheesesteak, and DeKalb?
Beer nuggets.
Join the Under Rocks crew, plus special guests, as we explore the rich, tangy history of the little lump of pizza dough that could — and did — and still does — warm the hearts and fill the stomachs of generations of DeKalb residents and Northern Illinois University students.
In this episode, we get the beer nugget's origin story from Joe Walsh, who claims his J.P. Hannagan's employees not only invented the fried pizza dough bits dipped in marinara, but came up with their unforgettable name (which he registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1985).
We visit Pizza Villa, the only beer nugget pioneer still standing, and spend a few minutes with the very busy C.J. Finn.
And we gather a panel of expert nugget eaters in WNIJ's Studio A to taste the magic from five local restaurants: Pizza Pros, Ski's, Fatty's, Pizza Villa, and Dough Brothers.
Thanks to guest judges Brian Chennell, Grace and Staci Hoste, and Austin Cliffe.
Drop us a message at rocks@niu.edu and let us know who makes your favorite beer nuggets. While you're at it, drop us some story ideas about what's weird, interesting, or just deserves a little more attention in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
Under Rocks is produced at WNIJ, on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
