The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History with Geoffrey Baer

Join Geoffrey Baer as he eats his way through Chicago's rich history.

[@DanteeArias1]

We need an updated version of this show! Most of these places are no longer here and a new generation of eateries needs to be shared.

[@shakiradair4890]

I can’t agree more

[@mikecee3058]

SouthSide Shooters? Liberal Wasteland? Home of the Ungrateful Dead?

[@jasonallen3678]

Yeah that would be nice.

[@moravamanagement]

It's about the HISTORY of Chicago foods, not where to eat in Chicago today.

[@frederickculpepper1261]

T try VM no K K is is up us hv q

[@edbaranowski1958]

I am forever grateful for the Brachs candy company. That's where my mom and dad worked and met.

[@darlenehoward2340]

When they were talking about the Italian restaurants, I had a blast from my past... they mentioned how during prohibition the Italian restaurants would serve their homemade wines to their customers in coffee cups. My husband & I ran an Italian restaurant years ago for an elderly Italian couple who had built it from the ground up, brick by brick. They'd been there for 50 years, but it was getting to be too much work for them, so they hired us to run it. My husband was a chef, & ran the back of the house. I ran the front & did hostess duties. Well, one time we went a whole week serving cocktails out of coffee cups because the owner forgot to send in their liquor license renewal. Not having a current license is a big no-no in the state of Pennsylvania. It could get you a large fine, & possibly get you shut down for a period of time. Thankfully, most of our customers were regulars, & loved coming there, so no one said a word. We didn't get turned in, the renewal was sent in, & all was well. People had a ball, sipping their Martinis & Manhattens from a cup & saucer. They said it made them feel like they were getting away with being naughty, lol. I'd forgotten all about it until it was mentioned in the video. Great memories.😊

[@TheBaritoneCrooner]

Great program! Word of warning, do NOT watch while hungry! 😆

[@mztweety1374]

Too late....I’m about to go make some mashed potatoes and Italian meatballs....maybe do something with the pork chops for lunch tomorrow 🤦🏾🤷🏾‍♀️🤌🏾

[@Cat-ik1wo]

Too late

[@BeliaLastes]

Yup I just did in 2024😂😂

[@edzeppelin]

Jeffrey, love your work. . Regarding the Chicago "Italian" Beef sandwich. You failed to mention the giardiniere! Typically offered in mild and spicy, it is so good! And what about the beef/sausage combo! Wet, with spicy giardiniere! Portillo's! A place in Portland, OR called Michael's does correct combos, as well as Chicago Style Vienna Beef Chicago Dogs- NO KETCHUP!

[@sherribrtn]

I lived in Chicago from 1983 to 1992 in various places around the Near North Side... beginning between Division and North Ave between the Lake and Wells. Then moved to a 3 bedroom apartment around 3900 Broadway... My two roommates were sisters; one worked at a Steakhouse off of Michigan Ave and the other worked at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder... across the street from the warehouse where the St. Valentine's Day Massacre took place. I still crave their deep dish pizza! This video made me so nostalgic!

[@chiefvirgobleu6744]

Please, continue to keep these videos coming. You're a scholar my guy👍🏿

[@chiefvirgobleu6744]

@@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549 But your mother is...

[@klausrain111]

I lived in Chicago for ten years starting in '76. Then I moved to Texas. The Mexican food in Chicago was much better than in Texas.

[@boogitybear2283]

I agree! That’s crazy that you are so correct!

[@kaydeezy04]

Now try Cali.

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

Just before I moved to California in 1977, I had my first taste of a Mexican style taco, carne asada, on a corn tortilla with onions and cilantro. Mom made "white people " tacos. Premade hard she'll tortillas with ground beef, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Not what I would now call real Mexican food. Besides, Mexico food here is more Tax Mex. Mexico has several different states and many variations. I like the Mexican food here in Cali.😅

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

​. I'm spoiled. I have daughter in laws from Mexico, Mexicali and Iguala. I learned from the families how to make excellent dishes AND I can make tamales. 🎉🎉

[@bossfan49]

I love that the Lebanese guy had an immaculate Chicago accent. 😅

[@tyguy2936]

Whoever is uploading these is doing God's work!

[@chiefvirgobleu6744]

I feel so fortunate to be born and raised on the Westside of the most influential, beautiful, diverse city...Chicago! #ChicagoIs4Winners💪🏿

[@jasonallen3678]

I agree and now I understand why we have so much cheap food and that was because most of the vendors knew what it meant to be poor..

[@chiefvirgobleu6744]

@@jasonallen3678 Indeed

[@paulazemeckis7835]

Me tooo... Morgan Park. House built in 1883! Loved it!

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

AGO!!! Re: The Greek food segment - Anyone old enough from Chicago remember NICK's that was on Wabash (around the corner from the original Columbia College)???!!! Nick's saved many a artists and college student lives with their huge menus, delicious (for the time) and super cheap foods. I can't be the only one that went to/remembers Nick's Greek Dinner...

[@user-wz1ch9hs1x]

I am getting so hungry, watching this!!

[@jenniferferguson1517]

I grew to love Greek food when i lived in chicago, i miss it!

[@shindoo2]

Ex Pat here in Western Rural Montana, miss the food.

[@c0riinthehouse]

I absolutely love this show. Thank you so much for sharing this history ❤

[@CesarDelgado-fu2nd]

Np 😊😊

[@brucehutchinson9527]

No mention of Fannie Mae !! I and my family my parents were raised on this. Which eventually moved to Wisconsin went away I believe in the late 60s. Closest equivalent now is See's Candy.

[@asullivan4047]

Vaguely remember that candy 🍬.

[@paulakpacente]

We moved away from the Chicagoland area 28+ years ago, and still miss the FOOD! Fortunately, I'm a gourmet cook with 55+ years of experience, and can duplicate most of the Chicago foods.

[@bordaz1]

In that case, I'll have a breaded steak with marinara, a side of mostaccioli, and a slice of atomic cake for dessert!

[@bryanaviles1836]

Can you teach me please!!! I’m in lake county lol

[@rosean374]

I was so impressed when i visited a family friend in North Carolina and her mum who had been a Chicago native fixed us a deep dish pizza. It was awesome!

[@BeliaLastes]

I lived in Waukegan, Illinois back in 1990 when my ex-husband was in the Navy and we ate at this Greek restaurant in Chicago and as soon as I saw that guy saying OPA (or however you spell the word) on this video I saw the restaurant inside and I'm thinking 🤔 I've been in that restaurant before and the food there was really good, the Moussaka was out of this world, the stuffed grape leaves, the spinach and feta cheese pastries and the baklava was a feast to remember we also had the flaming cheese as well. This video seemed from the late 80's to early 90's and probably most of these places and people are long gone ( May they RIP 🙏🏼🫓🥖🥯🥩🍔🌭🥪🥨🍟🍕🫔🌮🌯🥙🧆🥘🍝🫕🥗🍲🍛🍜🦪🦞🍣🍤🥡🍚🥟🍙🥠🍨🥮🍦🥧🍰🍮🧁🍭🍬🍫🍩🍪🍿🍺🍻🍹🍸🍶😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jasonallen3678]

What a wonderful documentary video

[@jreid2171]

WTTW great show! Looking forward to an update as well!!

[@oregonpatriot1570]

Back in the '70s I lived on the south side of Chicago for 13 months. To this day I still make Chicago dogs, gyros, and Polish dogs regularly. Unfortunately I can't find Old Style Beer in Portland.

[@frankkolton1780]

I moved away from there many years ago. I've always loved to cooked and learned how to make genuine Italian beef (I got the recipe from my buddy's dad who owned a beef/hotdog stand on the Northwest side), how to make the fresh lamb and beef mixture to cook up for gyros, I make my own fresh polish sausage from scratch, Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza, and also genuine cracker crust (Chicago tavern style) pizza dough recipes. I found the closest brands of hot dogs to Vienna Beef hotdogs are either Klements Chicago Brand hotdogs or Costco (Kirkland Signature) Beef hot dogs, both are made from bull meat just like the Vienna brand dogs are. Nathan's and Hebrew National beef dogs are too salty and don't have the right texture or taste. Now if I could only find poppy seed hotdog buns in my neck of the woods... For many years, just about every bar in Chicago had an Old Style sign in their windows.

[@swannoir7949]

Can you find Pabst where you're at? That's always the best!

[@oregonpatriot1570]

Probably. It's a nationwide brand.

[@LolitaStClair]

Chicago have the Best Hot Dogs!

[@vincentmancini6279]

Maxwell Street is NOT a few blocks from Sears Tower!

[@Estenberg]

Excellent Documentary Geoffrey.

[@artanisknarf]

Can we get a higher than 240p upload of this?

[@phyllishamilton165]

You need to update this video -- because of course the Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and broke the curse at last!!! Also, as others have said, the restaurants need to be updated!

[@josefinaguerra7836]

I live on Devon St and I used to go to this please to eat Beef Samosas yummy 😋 I went to so many places every were 💝 just thinking about it I want to go back 🥺 But is too cold 🥶 for me 🥺

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still -motion photography pictures 📷. Enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Special thanks to veteran cooks/ chefs sharing personal information/Knowledge pertaining to the culinary arts. Making this presentation more authentic and possible -!!!😉. Viewing this presentation from the comfort of my computer room. Along the " Space Coast "🚀 of Florida 🐊🐊🐊. Working up a voracious appetite -!!! 😋. Wishing viewers a safe/healthy/prosperous (2024)🌈🎉😉.

[@user-mf9nm2rp2f]

Interessante lavoro sull'immigrazione e il collante che offre la cucina. Bellissimo documentario grazie

[@rosean374]

Very interesting and informative. Note to self. Dont watch food videos when hungry.😥

[@gailrumph6980]

I will be visiting Illinois fall 2022.

[@troy9er]

That was excellent. Grew up in the Chicago suburbs. My family immigrated to Chicago (Bensenville Il.) from Germany, in the late 1700’s got a call from the city of Chicago a few years back(20+ years ago) they wanted to know where I wanted my dead relatives buried! I said I think they are already buried. LOL!!! Well the O Hare expansion was going through an old German cemetery and the remains needed to be moved. I had them moved by the rest of the family. They are now in Elm Lawn with the rest of us.

[@jchow5966]

Terrific video!!!!!! ☮️💟

[@flygirlfly]

Yes! Love my Italian beef! Sweet & hot w/provolone and dipped. Secret: best beef by the gallon -- Serellis Italian grocery on North Ave.

[@gailrumph6980]

I love watching the culinary arts food tour here in the Illinois areas. I am visiting Chicago and Peoria Illinois areas in God Jesus due season.

[@mikehughes4969]

You will never eat better anywhere in the world then you will in Chicago.

[@karynsylve1369]

I beg to differ.....It's New Orleans

[@mikehughes4969]

@@karynsylve1369 You're entitled to your opinion. You're wrong, but you're entitled to your opinion.

[@jasonallen3678]

And Cheap too, which overpriced New Orleans compare to..

[@jasonallen3678]

@Karyn Sylve Lol N.O is one dimensional(Sea food and other straps)and and extremely expensive nowadays and you act like you didn't watch this video ,because it clearly showed you that Chicago has a extremely diverse culinary culture of good cheap food,while N.O people just have Soul and Sea food everywhere 🤷‍♂️

[@pulidobl]

Amen

[@Timetoeat_313]

Great video!

[@mztweety1374]

Church scenes always have made me hungry. Lol

[@mztweety1374]

We need more smorgasbords in American. That other place ain’t cutting it

[@tundrawomansays694]

OMG, Weight Watchers doesn’t stand a chance in Chi-town! What a wonderful tribute to a great city!

[@boataxe4605]

The joke about Maxwell St was that if your hubcaps were stolen you could go there the next day and buy them back.

[@margaretstokely9016]

In Montreal PQ Canada the Chicago dog is called "Steamie All Dressed"

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

Mom worked for Mars and we lived right across the street on Oak Park Blvd. In the 1960's. Surprised Mars wasnt mentioned outside of one word, Snickers. Im thinking Snickers was the bame of a horse.

[@DavidKim408]

Mary Phagan Spring of '22 !!!

[@suz0000]

What about the Swedes? My ancestors were part of the large Swedish immigrants that settled in Chicago?

[@Variety1985]

❤

[@musicsimply9197]

Big Ups

[@anonviewerciv]

Local flavor. (4:00) 21:21 Food processing center. 41:21 Flaming cheese.

[@Cat-ik1wo]

I know what a stettle is. I have Jewish friends. I am surprised how much I have picked up, learned and understand.

[@winnietheshrew2957]

Correct spelling: Shtetl or shtetel.

[@gRosh08]

Chicagoua The Wild Ramp

[@judithgrace9850]

Grits,butterball turkey bacon, Mac and cheese from scratch, mustard greens, cornbread,Louisiana hot sauce etc,

[@Jude74]

Wow, pretty old . 2008.

[@CJinsoo]

@57:00 on the Berghoff, perhaps the most hyped and underwhelming place in Chicago. I remember waiting in line like amusement park, and the food being mediocre at best. However, Brauhaus-OUTSTANDING!

[@johnbecker2151]

universal candies at 55th and western. Greek dippers all handmade.

[@mmmbbq]

Is this a 3rd generation Betamax tape recorded on a cloudy day somewhere in Rockford? C'mon WTTW, break out the master tape.

[@tvviewer4500]

@52:10 Workers are dipping mass produced pretzels and Oreo cookies (no joke) as he says "these are not machined, these are hand crafted.... That is not what hand crafted is.

[@mattsullivan7363]

Taj was built by Tatars.

[@tomfromeriej4611]

Why is the video quality so bad, like a copy of a copy!??It is not me, ive een watching these WTTW Chicago vids for 2 days and it is just this one

[@wahkyna]

Yes now it's called "Maxwell Street "... no one likes to refer to it by it's more locally known name, "JewTown". Chicago has always been and still remains very segregated by neighborhood.

[@jasonallen3678]

And literally gave the European and then Asian immigrants all the banks loans to detriment of the African American community..

[@tubaljohn1]

Rice and onions. What a meal savage.

[@urbanurchin5930]

A little bit of a stretch for Dairy Queen......Geoffrey states that the first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet - which is not exactly Chicago. i guess he is just trying to squeeze in as many brands as he can..........I think Dairy Queen is now based out of Minneapolis.

[@jasonallen3678]

Chicago transplants built Joliet anyway,so yall basically are still Chicago,but you make it seem like you don't want to be associated with Chicago, when Chicagoans are the one's who shouldn't want to be associated with that run down sad excuse of a city 🤷‍♂️..

[@swannoir7949]

There one by me. Probably should visit it before it closes up shop. Only one in the area.

[@laughingatjeffisencouraged1975]

Uuuuu

[@friendsoftheamazonjungle]

That soul food, is the same as Polish food. They call it slave food. Well, we Slavs, are the reason the word "slave" made it into the English dictionary. We were the original slaves, way before America even existed, hence seeing the food being exactly the same as our Polish food, it's possible the food traveled from early slavery of the Roman Empire to later African slavery 🤔🤔🤔 greetings from the Northern Peruvian Amazon Jungle 🌴🌴🌴

[@mztweety1374]

“Americans like to over do pretty much everything” Preach girl!

[@christophereichten9005]

Love it or Leave It

[@robertstack2144]

I get very hungry watching these types of shows.....WITH NO RECIPES. NOT GOOD

[@judithgrace9850]

Check youtube

[@topthrilldragster20]

bagpipes and klits arent irish either, they are scottish

[@shereeholliday7463]

I'm self motivated Rose'. Yesss My Nigga, I'm number 1. The haters wanna see a person fail, of course they do, don't be ridiculous. But they gone be waiting, cuz when you rollin wit me, you rollin wit a P.I.M.P! That's my theme song when I'm in the streets, in heavy rotation. Thank you for the encouragement and the motivation. It means a lot to me coming from you Rick Ross, The Boss 😘🥂❤😉

[@WebsInYourHead]

You just can't beat Chicago for restaurants. if you like to eat, don't move to Texas. Choices here are barbecue and unauthentic Mexican. It is painful watching a show like this. I am so hungry. I'm packing to up. PS, it is boring here too.

[@JR-playlists]

Too much MSG in the city restaurants 2/3rds salt 1/3rd mono sodium glutamate. It's bad for our health, ask the chief not to use it.

[@NovaVortex193]

"Move the line, move the line buddy" Rude 🙄

[@khunopie9159]

If I kiss pita bread that fell on the floor can I get covid?

[@Noway673]

U mean to tell me the name Chicago got it's name from Native American Indian food😮.Sounds like the real Americans before the name was given to this states before so called discovery from Christopher Columbus who was Italian saw Indians on the lands.So he discovered Indians.Thats like Russian discovers Africa and see dark skinned people on it.History Don't lie, only people do.

[@Superator69]

Shitcongo

[@mynorthshore]

The re-done Berghoffs stinks. Don't get me started.

[@amyliss7567]

Okras No no

[@tubaljohn1]

People in Chicago don't eat Middle Eastern food. Why is this on the video? 18th and Michigan is black, and they eat at Harold's Chicken.

[@bundevsawhney7578]

Who's "people in Chicago" to you? 70 percent of the city isn't black, and there's cab driver joints and such scattered all over. In fact a lot of the customers are Somalis who are black themselves

[@tubaljohn1]

@@bundevsawhney7578 I'm people in Chicago. I work all over the city. You don't know what you are talking about. Somali cab drives aren't stopping for food. I've lived here 50yrs and seen 2 Halal food places. Have you ever been to 18th and Michigan?

[@bundevsawhney7578]

@@tubaljohn1 they say it was an Arab area like 100 years ago lmao, you don't think the city has gone through some ethnic changes? Englewood and Garfield Park were full of Germans back then. You're also hilariously wrong saying Somali cab drivers don't stop for food - I can name at least three joints specifically catered to that demographic off the top of my head.

[@bundevsawhney7578]

@@tubaljohn1 do you ever go north? I'm not talking rich places like Lakeview - I'm talking Devon avenue, Albany Park, some spots where Cabrini used to be, Edgewater and more. Tons of middle easterners/north Africans/Somalis all over

[@PCBoardRepair]

240 max res...what a joke

[@1.--_--.1]

All these restaurants except the black ones have Hispanic cooks lol

[@kaliguy47]

A "Native American" saying it has Buffalo in it, says how inaccurate this bs is. They are Bison!! Buffalo are in Africa. Cant watch this-

[@frankkolton1780]

Chill out. While they're scientifically classified as two separate species from the bovidae family, the two names have been used interchangeably in North America for over a couple hundred years and is accepted informally. I hope you don't get too upset over buffalo nickels, the Buffalo Bills' logo, Buffalo Bill Cody, and "where the deer and the buffalo roam..."

[@leeatterberry1453]

That's real cool I just worry about getting shot

[@jasonallen3678]

Because you have 😺 in you're DNA that's all 🤷‍♂️

[@deborahcallicotte6284]

????. You can get SHOT in any city...or suburb

[@cheechp3209]

Outdated asf

[@dougwebb6193]

I've been there several times and I'm not impressed mediocre food overpriced crime everywhere Chicago simply it has been destroyed!

[@daronfeast]

I am forever grateful for the Brachs candy company. That's where my mom and dad worked and met.