The winner of the 2026 Chicagoland’s Best Hot Dogs Tournament is…

It’s been a fun year for our Chicago’s Very Own Eats Tournaments. In March, we expanded our Pizza Madness into two divisions: Mom & Pops and Local Chains, and featured 160 pizza businesses in the process. In June, we had our first Hot Dogs tournament, with Rand Red Hots coming out on top of one […]

If you grew up in the Chicago area, then you know how important Bakers Square pies have always been to family gatherings and the holidays. That is certainly the case for Chicago’s Very Own Eats hosts Kevin Powell and Michael Piff, who are joined by Bakers Square/Village Inn Palatine GM Cecilia Starbeck. who has worked […]

The Puckered Pickle Company has been a full-service source for crunchy and delicious pickles, gourmet pickle relishes and tasty gourmet toppings, like Giardiniera and Muffalata, for more than 25 years, both locally in the greater Chicago area and across the country. They have also sponsored WGN Radio’s best burgers and hot dogs tournaments, and support […]

Whether you’re visiting the area from out of town or have lived here all your life, taking one of Jonathan Porters’ Chicago Pizza Tours is by far one of the best ways to experience Chicago. Jonathan returned to the Chicago Very Own Eats podcast, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company, to talk pizza with hosts […]

Italian Village has been an institution in Chicago for nearly a century (established in 1927). Fourth-generation co-owner Giovanna Capitanini and her brother, Jonathan, took over the family business a couple years ago, and you can learn all about it from Kevin Powell and Michael Piff’s conversation with them at the restaurant back in 2024. Giovanna […]

Bottleneck Management was founded in 2001 by two college friends, Jason Akemann and Nathan Hilding, when they opened their first restaurant, Trace, in Wrigleyville. Since then, they’ve grown into a multi-brand hospitality company, with restaurants across the Chicago area, including Sweetwater Tavern & Grille on Michigan Ave, South Branch on the Chicago River, City Works, […]

Darrin Klapprodt always had a dream of opening his own burger place. During the pandemic, Darrin took the steps make his dream a reality by perfecting his smashburger recipe, hosting “burger throwdowns” at local breweries, and started to serve up burgers at his own pop-ups. Fast forward to today, and Darrin’s “Biker Dude Burgers” are […]

Before Starbucks and other chains made it more popular, Cooperage Coffee’s Eric Kobus was making cold-pressed coffee, aka cold brew, and has been selling it to coffee lovers in the greater DuPage County area since 2013. They have built a loyal following at the Wheaton French Market, where they serve cold brew and rotating flavors […]

Taking your family to a Cubs or White Sox game, while always a lot of fun, can be expensive and not always easy with young kids. In Schaumburg, the Boomers strive for a major league experience at an affordable price and comfortable time. Boomers EVP/GM Michael Larson and VP of food & beverage Ryan Dominick […]

After 3 weeks and 45,000 votes, we finally have a the winner of our inaugural Chicagoland’s Best Hot Dogs Tournament, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company. Jon Hansen (in for John Williams) was joined by Chicago’s Very Own Eats Podcast co-host/bracketologist Michael Piff and Luke Newman from The Puckered Pickle Company to make the announcement […]