August 12, 2026
Iltaco Pizza Puffs: Chicago's Deep-Fried Icon That Never Went Away
How a Chicago Italian-American company turned a folded, deep-fried pizza turnover into a hot dog stand staple that still sells by the millions.
Read itTHE COUNTER
Stories, guides and arguments about Chicago food — straight from the people packing the boxes.
August 11, 2026
Vitner's Chips: A Chicago Snack Story From 1926 to the Corner Store
How a family bakery on Chicago's West Side turned into the snack brand that fed generations of lunchrooms, corner stores and tailgates.
Read itAugust 10, 2026
RC Cola and Pizza: Chicago's Unofficial House Combo
How a scrappy underdog cola from the South ended up on every checkered tablecloth in Chicago, sitting next to a square-cut tavern pie.
Read itAugust 10, 2026
Giordano's: The Stuffed Pizza Dynasty That Started in a Chicago Basement
How two brothers from Torino turned a family recipe for Italian Easter pie into the Chicago stuffed pizza empire known as Giordano's.
Read itAugust 6, 2026
Sweet Home Chicago: The Candies That Were Born Here
Lemonhead, Cracker Jack, Boston Baked Beans, Chuckles, Tootsie Roll and more — the story of how Chicago became the candy capital of America.
Read itAugust 6, 2026
Tavern Style: The Thin, Square-Cut Pizza Chicago Actually Eats
Deep dish gets the postcards, but tavern-style cracker thin, party cut, eaten off a metal tray is the pizza Chicago grew up on. Here is the history and the pies worth stocking.
Read itAugust 6, 2026
Every Way to Eat an Italian Beef: Wet, Dipped, Dry, Hot and Sweet
Wet, dipped, dry, hot, sweet, cheesy, combo — a Chicagoan's guide to ordering (and building) the perfect Italian beef sandwich at home.
Read itAugust 6, 2026
The Best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago: A Local’s Guide to the Heavyweights
Deep dish is not a gimmick. It is a Chicago institution built on cornmeal crusts, mozzarella walls and sauce on top. Here are the pies worth the fork and the wait.
Read itAugust 4, 2026
Vitner's: The Crunch Heard Across Chicago's History
From a West Side kitchen in 1926 to corner stores and Cubs games, Vitner's turned Chicago into a popcorn-and-chips town.
Read itAugust 4, 2026
Tom Tom Tamales: Chicago's Paper-Wrapped Tradition Since 1937
Since 1937, these paper-wrapped cornmeal-and-beef rolls have been the quiet staple of Chicago hot dog stands — here is the story behind the snack and how to eat it like a local.
Read itAugust 3, 2026
How We Ship Chicago Food Cold — And Keep It That Way
Dry ice, insulated liners and a Monday truck: what happens between our cooler and your front porch.
Read itJuly 31, 2026
Deep Dish vs. Tavern Thin: The Real Chicago Argument
Tourists order deep dish. Chicagoans order tavern thin. Both are right, and here is when to reach for each.
Read itJuly 26, 2026
Why Chicago Giardiniera Belongs on Everything
Hot, oily, crunchy and unapologetic — a short guide to the condiment Chicago built its sandwiches around.
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