Taking matters into my own hands

A few weeks ago we discovered that Brickstore Pub in Decatur has rock-your-face soft pretzels. But, sadly, Brickstore isn't super close to home, so we decided to explore closer options. We went to Five Seasons on the west side to see if the "5" shaped soft pretzel rumor was true. Our server said it was true, but that they were all out. Then we tried another pub that had pretzels on the menu, ordered some, and received some grayish pretzels that were probably frozen for a year.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

(Who knew that the secret to great soft pretzels is to poach them for 30 seconds in a bath of boiling water and baking soda? Find the recipe here.)

Photos courtesy of Elise Ziegenbein Gourmet Pretzels and Pub Fare, LLC