Recent Episodes

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

Inbal Baum

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennett Jacobstein

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

More in this City

Charmin & Antoine Members are the founders of Chicago Under-the-Radar Food Tours, the city’s first Citywide Food & Neighborhood Walking Tour company that goes beyond the touristy areas to help visitors and locals experience the true spirit of Chicago’s neighborhoods and local cuisine. Their wedding took place in Franschhoek, a town in South Africa’s Western Cape Wineland Region, which is rightfully known as one of the best food capitals of the world. It was their culinary and cultural experiences in South Africa that inspired them to start a food tour business in their own city.

What neighborhoods should people visit when they come to your city?

Nicknamed the ‘city of neighborhoods’ for very good reasons, Chicago is divided into 77 well-defined community areas, with one or more not so well defined neighborhoods in each. Each neighborhood has its own unique vibe and some have ethnic enclaves with expats from all over the world, many of which have opened their own restaurants making it possible to eat your way around the world in one day. Chicago has a neighborhood for every type of foodie traveler, making it hard to narrow it down to just a few recommendations.

For the foodie who appreciates quaint streets and long beer lists in a relaxed environment, we recommend Northside Lincoln Square. Roughly 10 miles from downtown and easily accessible, Lincoln Square is Chicago’s Germantown. We feature Germantown on one of our unFood Tours, and our knowledgeable tour guides are happy to recommend restaurants in the area for you to visit after the tour.

We absolutely love our neighborhood, the West Loop, and it is where we launched our very first food tour! While the West Loop is not so under the radar these days, it has only recently exploded and has some of the best restaurants in the city. If you are a foodie traveler who prefers to stay near the downtown core and still eat among locals at some of the best locally owned restaurants, West Loop is a foodies’ paradise less than 2 miles from the downtown core. Beyond that, you would be hard pressed to find a restaurant with less than stellar service and delicious food, so you can’t go wrong here.

About 7 miles southwest of downtown sits Little Village which is also worthy of a visit, particularly if you are a foodie who loves authentic Mexican cuisine, as the area has very strong Mexican cultural roots. The neighborhood is also decorated with some of the most vibrant public street art you’ll ever see. You will not only eat good authentic Mexican food, but also encounter friendly people, and find unique places to shop when you visit Little Village.

Much further south is lovely Beverly, which is our recommendation for the active foodie looking for a quiet and scenic neighborhood to walk around in that shows how sprawling this city is. Nicknamed the Beverly Hills of Chicago, the 15-mile trek from downtown is well worth it to see the city’s only Castle. We are pretty sure many of our visitors miss seeing the tree-lined streets and stately homes this area has to offer. In addition to being arguably the most scenic area in the city, Beverly also happens to be home to some really good eats and a local brew pub. Look out for our unFood Tour of Beverly coming soon, and be sure to bring your camera!

Are there any events foodies should plan their trip to your city around?

Are you kidding me? Of course! You can find fun things to do and great food to eat any day of the year in Chicago, but there are annual events that foodies will definitely appreciate. The Cinco de Mayo Festival in Little Village is a fantastic way to learn more about Mexican culture, enjoy live music, and sample a variety of authentic Mexican cuisine. We are putting together a Tacos & Tequila pop up Food Tour for those who want to add even more food and fun to their Cinco de Mayo celebration! The Cinco de Mayo festival is the (unofficial) kickoff to our summer festival season.

From May through October there are many festivals throughout the city. I must admit this one is not at all under the radar, but I would be remiss not to mention the Taste of Chicago, which is the World’s largest food festival, and the largest festival in Chicago! The Taste (as us locals call it) is held for five days in July at Grant Park – known as Chicago’s front lawn – and is a great way to enjoy views of Lake Michigan and the City’s skyline while taking a self-guided food tour. A neighborhood version of the Taste of Chicago is West Loop’s Taste of Randolph Street where you can enjoy live music and hang with the locals while tasting your way along the City’s ‘Restaurant Row’. Fairly new to the scene is James Beard Eats Week in April where nearly 100 restaurants offer a week of off the menu specials. You can also enjoy 3-4 course Prix Fixe meal deals starting from $22 per person for lunch, and $33 for dinner during our Restaurant Week in January.

What can people expect on your food tours?

People can expect to experience Chicago’s local vibe while sampling 5-7 delicious tastings at some of the City’s best locally owned restaurants that don’t get nearly the amount of hype they deserve. We understand the desire to try Chicago staples, but we want to show visitors that there is much more to our culinary scene than deep dish pizza and hotdogs. Having said that, we are happy to point you in the right direction to try those too. Since Chicago is so big and we offer tours throughout the city, local Chicagoans enjoy our tours as well. Unlike most food tour companies, our group food tours max out at 12 seats, so people will have a more personalized experience. We’ve been on food tours where we felt herded along and unable to engage with our guide, and we don’t want anyone to experience that on our tours. Also, most of our stops include a seat at the table so there are breaks between the walking and an opportunity to relax and actually be served. Last but certainly not least, people can expect excellent service at the restaurants they visit and from our tour guides. Our local guides know the city well and are passionate about sharing the rich history, culture, and architecture of the area as well as share fun food facts.

Do you see any new food trends in your city?

Yes, all the time! Food markets and food halls with multiple vendors are growing in popularity. Our favorite is the French Market, a European market and food hall combined. It has more than 30 locally owned food stalls to choose from for a quick lunch or dinner on the way home, and grocery items to conveniently grab on your way home from work to make dinner at home. Some of my favorites there are Saigon Sisters, Delightful Pastries, Pastoral, and Black Dog Gelato. While this market has been around for awhile, the city has 6 others, and a new one is in the works for later this year. We feature the French Market in our West Loop Food Tour.

Communal dining isn’t necessarily a new concept here, but it continues to grow in popularity, which tells us that diners are receptive to dining with strangers and like the social interaction. We love this because our food tours are about bringing people together! Whether you are a visitor or local Chicagoan, we want you to eat well, enjoy yourself, and feel part of a community.

We’ve also noticed a growing appreciation for more authentic ethnic food. To help meet this desire, our food tours include stops at restaurants owned and operated by people from various regions around the world! Our Around The World Food Tour includes 8-10 food and beverage samplings representing all 5 regions of the world. We travel as often as we can in order to have a better idea of what the traditional food is in various countries. Our most recent trip was to Mexico (been to a few cities in MX, actually). This time while we were there we ate traditional Yucatecan food in Merida, like delicious cochinita pibil, and we found the best tacos al pastor we’ve ever had at a random food cart on the streets of Playa del Carmen. We are excited to showcase the most authentic Mexican street food in Chicago on our Little Village Food Tours starting this May. Our next trip is Cuba, which just may inspire a new food tour or pop up event! Stay tuned…

Chicago. The Windy City. The City of Broad Shoulders. Whatever you’d like to call it, I just call it home. It is a city known for its skyline, architecture, and especially the food. The dining culture in Chicago is unique due to a variety of factors, but I plan on highlighting the cultural diversity that contributes greatly to the food scene throughout our great metropolis. Although there are numerous communities scattered throughout Chicago, I only have room for five ethnic groups, so get ready for some great Italian, Polish, Chinese, German, and Mexican dishes.
 
 

1. Al’s Beef

When most people think of Italian food, they think of pasta or pizza, but how about beef? Italian beef is a Chicago invention that originated in the Little Italy neighborhood on the Near West Side on Taylor Street. Like many great dishes, it was born out of necessity in hard times. During the Great Depression, Italian families had to make the most out of the cheap cuts of beef they were able to afford. Therefore, they first soaked it in spiced broth to soften up the tough pieces of meat, and then they cut it into razor thin pieces to be eaten on a roll. Thus the Italian beef sandwich was born.
 
Today, there are many Italian beef sandwiches throughout Chicago and the Chicagoland area, but Al’s Beef on Taylor Street is the original sandwich stand starting all the way back in 1938. It has been featured on the Today show, Man Vs. Food, the History Channel, and even Good Morning America as one of the best sandwiches and restaurants in America. Al’s Beef may have a big reputation, but it is an extremely simple establishment. It’s a modestly sized building with a small parking lot alongside it. Upon walking in, you’ll be greeted with a simple menu that includes not only Italian beef sandwiches but also other Chicago specialties like Chicago Polish sausage, Chicago style hot dogs, and Italian sausage. I always go for the Italian beef sandwich since that is Al’s specialty, and it’s prepared the same way they did back in 1938.
 
You can order it depending on what kind of toppings you like: plain, sweet (grilled mild green peppers), hot (giardiniera or pickled vegetables), or cheese for an extra charge. Once you’ve picked your topping, then you have the option of how much of the seasoned beef broth you’d like on your sandwich. It ranges from dry (obviously with none) to wet (a little bit on top of the sandwich) to dipped (the authentic Chicago experience with the whole sandwich dipped in the broth). Once you have your sandwich, you can either order a soda or water to drink. Not much selection here, folks.
 
When it comes to actually consuming the meal, Al’s Beef is interesting in the sense that there are no traditional tables to sit at. Instead, there are only chest high counters that go around the inside of the establishment. Therefore, you must master the Italian stance. What this consists of is putting your forearms on the edge of the counter and moving your feet back about two feet. This provides stability and avoids getting any of the sandwich on your clothes. If you have room, I’d recommend walking across Taylor Street to Mario’s Italian Lemonade for dessert to taste another relic of Italian American pride in Chicago. So, if you want a one of a kind piece of Chicago Italian culture for a great price, check out Al’s Beef.

RELATED: Check Out These Top Five Places to Eat Around Wrigley Field

2. Podhalanka

I stumbled upon an intriguing infographic that showed the top language, excluding English and Spanish, in all 50 states in the United States. Illinois’ third biggest language and ethnic group is people of Polish descent. At one time, there were more Polish people in Chicago than the Polish capital of Warsaw. While this is no longer true, Polish cuisine and culture is extremely strong throughout the city. I am one of the millions of people of Polish descent in Chicago, so I only felt it necessary to highlight a restaurant representing this community.

While there are tons of Polish restaurants I’ve tried around my grandparents’ neighborhood surrounding Midway Airport, I’d like to tell you more about a hidden gem on the North Side called Podhalanka. It is located in the Polonia Triangle, considered the oldest and most prominent of Chicago’s Polish enclaves. Therefore, Podhalanka is the real deal when it comes to no-frills Polish food for a great price. If you’ve never tried Polish food, this would be the most authentic you could get without hopping on a plane and landing in Krakow. This restaurant may have never been on the Food Channel or on Good Morning America, and frankly, Podhalanka doesn’t really care. They just care about providing scrumptious food with plenty of love to their customers.

While the inside and outside of the restaurant might lack of cutting edge design, it more than makes up for it through the food that is spectacular and the overall atmosphere. Podhalanka is filled with plenty of local flavor as the walls are festooned with various artifacts of Polish culture, and the bar is often occupied by old timers taking down some soup with a beer. The wait staff is also colorful as they are gruffer than your average American waiter, but they aren’t mean spirited.

Looking over the menu, they have a variety of soups, salads, and meat dishes. The wait staff might also just tell you what to get if you’re overwhelmed with the selection of foreign dishes. I’d highly recommend the Kotlet Schabowy which is a breaded pork cutlet that is huge and has a perfect, golden-brown bread crumb crust around a tender piece of pork.

Another great dish would be the żurek or sour rye soup. It’s not as gross as it sounds. Rather it’s more like a creamy soup filled with large chunks of hearty Polish kielbasa and a slightly sour aftertaste to offer a little zing with every spoonful. I had for my entree the Sztuka Miesa W Sosie Chrzanowym or boiled beef with horseradish sauce when I visited Podhalanka, and if you like cleaning out your sinuses while chowing down on a stick-to-your-ribs type of meal, I’d highly recommend it. So if you’re looking for a great Polish diner with giant plates for tiny prices, checkout Podhalanka.

3. Cemitas Puebla

The Mexican community in Chicago has steadily been growing in the past couple of decades, and now one can find tacos, burritos, and quesadillas in restaurantes throughout the ciudad (city, for those of you who don’t habla espanol). However, there is one Mexican restaurant in a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood, Humboldt Park, that really took me by surprise. I’m talking about Cemitas Puebla.

I originally saw it on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and I vowed that I had to visit it after seeing these mouthwatering sandwiches being made. They’ve also been featured on the local ABC News Chicago branch’s “Hungry Hound” segment and PBS.

So why choose Cemita Puebla over all the other Mexican taquerias in Chicago? Because they offer a unique dish from Puebla, Mexico that I have not seen anywhere else in the country. There is only street parking for this establishment, so make sure to get there before the lunch crowd rushes in. The outside of the restaurant is simple and advertises their appearance on the Food Network, and the inside operates on a typical line up and “Can I take your order?” system. The clientele are mostly families and locals from nearby businesses.

Their menu has a range of different cemitas along with other Mexican staples like tacos, burritos, and chalupas. However, I went for the signature cemita atomica or “atomic cemita” along with a cup of agua de jamaica or “hibiscus water”, a popular drink throughout Latin America that is kind of like sweet, red Kool-aid. The cemita I ordered consisted of a grilled, sesame topped bun piled high with breaded pork, roasted pork, and plain ham along with queso fresco, fresh avocado, and two complimentary bottles of mild and spicy tomatillo sauce on the side. I was living in hog heaven south of the border with this pig-tacular sandwich. It is a great place for lunch or dinner that is a bit out of the way, but it is a piece of Mexico that isn’t often represented in the Chicago culinary landscape.

4. The Berghoff

I chose the Berghoff since it is a pillar of Chicago’s ethnic and culinary background. Germans have resided in Chicago since the 1800s. Although their presence isn’t as large as it once was, the German community’s identity still remains strong especially during Oktoberfest when everyone is a little German to celebrate the harvest and that delicious beer that Deutchland makes.

What makes the Berghoff so unique is that it is a purely Chicago institution that opened in 1898 as a men’s only saloon that served free corned beef with the purchase of a stein of beer. Their beer sales were severely affected during the era of Prohibition, but when the ban was repealed in 1933, the City of Chicago issued the Berghoff liquor license number 1.

This tradition continues even today along with still being run by the Berhoff family in the form of the great-granddaughter of the Berghoff’s founder, Herman Berghoff. While they maintain many of their traditions, the menu has expanded to feature more contemporary favorites, including gluten-free dishes, which are side by side with typical German meals.

The interior is amazing with the rich, dark wood carvings and stained glass windows. It is a slightly more formal place, so I’d recommend not walking in with torn jeans or tank tops. They also do group events in their cafe and even cater for parties if you want to host a large party.

When I was there, I got and highly recommend the seasonal ox joint with pumpkin gnocchi. It was large, hearty, and had fall-off the bone meat. I haven’t tried their other plates, but if you’re a beer lover, they have a wide range of lagers, pilsners, and seasonals to quench your thirst. I’d also suggest visiting this German restaurant for their Oktoberfest celebration that is one of the best in Chicago. For the kids, The Berghoff makes their own root beer which became popular at The Berghoff during Prohibition, and there are other non-alcoholic drinks for those who would rather not imbibe while dining. So if you’re looking to raise a stein of beer with a friend or go out with a special someone while sampling some Old World fare, I’d highly recommend The Berghoff.

RELATED: What Foods You Should Try During Your Trip to Chicago

5. Three Happiness

Chinese food is a cuisine of fusion and variety due the presence of numerous ethnic groups within the country along with traders from other lands over centuries bringing their own ingredients from their homelands to the Middle Kingdom. In the United States, we are used to the American Chinese classics like orange chicken, sweet and sour pork, and various fried rices. These dishes have their roots in Cantonese cuisine since most of the Chinese immigrants who emigrated to the USA during 1800s came from this southern region of China. However, there is much more to Chinese food than just fried meats covered in sweet sauce and cookies containing often cryptic fortunes.

I’d like to talk more about the Chinese tradition of dim sum which can be found throughout Chicago’s Chinatown. Although it is not as big as San Francisco’s Chinatown, Chicago’s Chinatown is the second oldest in America after Chinese laborers fled violent clashes with white settlers on the West Coast. It has plenty of great sights to enjoy like the Chinatown mural, the square, and the Chinese New Year celebrations. However, I’d like to highlight Three Happiness as a great restaurant for both traditional American Chinese fare and delicious dim sum.

There are two Three Happineses: the original next to the Chinatown gate or the new one next to the Chicago fire department. I’ll be talking about the new Three Happiness. I’ve been going there since I was little, and they have plenty of space for big parties or just a table for two. It gets pretty loud inside during peak hours, so it wouldn’t be the best spot for a romantic, candlelit dinner.

When it comes to the typical American Chinese dishes, I’d recommend their shrimp fried rice since it isn’t very greasy and the shrimp are plentiful and large. Their sweet and sour pork is great too because of the slightly spicy kick to the thick sauce that coats every piece.

I also would suggest trying dim sum which is like Chinese tapas where you have to order a few small dishes and then share them with everyone. How it works is that you’re given a list with pictures of the small plates, and you check off what you want. The server then takes it, and your plates come out to you in waves. Out of all the dim sum plates I’ve tried I’d recommend the sesame buns which are small pieces of fried, rice dough coated in sesame seeds. Inside there is a slight dab of red bean paste that isn’t overwhelming like how other places do these sesame balls. I’d also get the pork bao which are fluffy, white buns that are steamed and filled with barbecue pork. Watch out for these because they are addictive!

The last dim sum plate I’d recommend are the chicken feet just because they are not for the faint of heart and quite unique. While there isn’t a lot of meat on these poultry tootsies, it is entertaining to eat them while trying to strip the meat off the cartilage while savoring the sweet, orange marinade. Brush up on those chopstick skills! (seriously though, they have forks). So, if you want to taste a bit of authentic Chinese culture and take a walk on the wild side beyond Panda Express, check out Three Happiness and Chicago’s Chinatown.

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About Mark Temenak

Mark Temenak has been traveling the world since in utero and trying unique and fantastic foods since forever. He started blogging about his food and travel adventures in 2011, and you can read his restaurant reviews and travel entries at Mastication Monologues.

Read Quote of Ellen Harman’s answer to Food: If I visit your country, what is that one dish which I should not miss? on Quora