Eli M. Schulman is a legend in Chicago. Over his 50-year career, he built a reputation not only for outstanding food, but also for his generous hospitality. In fact, a sign hung in the window of his first restaurant had read: “If you are hungry and have no money we will feed you for free.” Today, Eli’s continues to serve the Chicago community, one cheesecake at a time—or rather, if you’re around for the yearly Taste of Chicago festival, one 1,500-pound (!) cheesecake at a time. Each Eli’s cheesecake is slow baked with the finest local ingredients for the best flavor and texture, then topped with hand-decorated designs. Turning out over 20,000 daily, Eli’s is not only a local favorite, but a national one as well.