Vintage Chicago Tribune: Hot dogs! Pizza! Popcorn! Lemonade ... - Chicago Tribune

Kasper
Home

Be careful, Chicago, this newsletter could make you very hungry.

We're taking a look back at how a variety of local foods came to be known as Chicago greats. You know, the bites, beverages and restaurants you crave, whether it's a weeknight or a special occasion to be shared with out-of-town guests.

Advertisement

From snacks to full meals to desserts to drinks — each one was perfected here.

[ Critics' Choice Food Awards: From pizza to pho, our picks for the best in Chicago dining for 2023 ]

Through the decades, the Tribune has explored these culinary wonders and shared them with you.

Advertisement

But now we need your help to determine Chicagoland's favorite food picks for this year. Voting has begun in the 2023 Readers' Choice Food Awards and will continue through March 31.

There are five finalists in each category — and 10 for Best New Restaurant.

So, tell us which are your favorite foods. Who knows — they, too, could join these Chicago classics.

[ Readers' Choice Food Awards 2023: Vote for your favorite restaurants, bars and more ]

Become a Tribune subscriber: it's just $12 for a 1-year digital subscription. Follow us on Instagram: @vintagetribune. And, catch me Monday mornings on WLS-AM's "The Steve Cochran Show" for a look at "This week in Chicago history."

Thanks for reading!

— Kori Rumore, visual reporter

Chicago history | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today's eNewspaper edition

Leon's Bar-B-Que was a huge attraction at the second Taste of Chicago in 1981. The Tribune wrote, "Leon Finney's ribs are spicy just hot enough and mighty tempting to look at."

Leon's Bar-B-Que was a huge attraction at the second Taste of Chicago in 1981. The Tribune wrote, "Leon Finney's ribs are spicy just hot enough and mighty tempting to look at." (Anne Cusack / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago has a robust barbecue tradition, particularly for a northern city, Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger discovered. Read more here.

Advertisement

Dave's Red Hots founder Dave Kaplan, standing second from right, is surrounded by his sons, their wives and his wife Ida Kaplan, seated center, at a family wedding in January 1939 in Chicago.

Dave's Red Hots founder Dave Kaplan, standing second from right, is surrounded by his sons, their wives and his wife Ida Kaplan, seated center, at a family wedding in January 1939 in Chicago. (Family photo)

The full story has now been unearthed with help from the living descendants of not one, but two families, including an 88-year-old who once ate a hot dog five days a week and returned recently to the same booths he polished as a boy. Read more here.

The popcorn man found ready customers as he paused to vend his wares at Skiles Junior High School at Greenwood and McDaniel Streets in Evanston in June 1962.

The popcorn man found ready customers as he paused to vend his wares at Skiles Junior High School at Greenwood and McDaniel Streets in Evanston in June 1962. (Evanston Photographic Service)

Since at least the 1870s, Chicago has been a hotbed of popcorn innovation. Part of that has to do with Chicago's role as a transportation hub for grain in the Midwest. But the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens certainly helped. Read more here.

The iconic neon sign at Roeser's Bakery in Humboldt Park on Jan. 19, 2023.

The iconic neon sign at Roeser's Bakery in Humboldt Park on Jan. 19, 2023. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Since 1911, one family of bakers has survived through four generations by changing with the neighborhood and maintaining a strong connection to the community. Oh, and by making a heck of a butter loaf. Read more here.

The chicken pot pie, based on Mrs. Hering's 1890 recipe, at the Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street.

The chicken pot pie, based on Mrs. Hering's 1890 recipe, at the Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Earlier this year, Tribune food critic Louisa Chu went in search of the real woman behind what may be the oldest known restaurant recipe in the city, dating to 1890. Despite help from researchers, genealogists and historians, Hering's identity remained a mystery. Some wondered if she even existed. Read more here.

WLS-TV's Pat Collins and chef Julia Child receive a lesson on the "virtues of a cheeseburger" at the Billy Goat by owner Sam Sianis.

WLS-TV's Pat Collins and chef Julia Child receive a lesson on the "virtues of a cheeseburger" at the Billy Goat by owner Sam Sianis. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

While located at 1855 W. Madison St., the Billy Goat Tavern didn't have a grill. It was only after moving to 430 N. Michigan Ave. that it started serving food. Read more here.

The neon sign that once hung outside of the Orange Garden restaurant at 1942 W. Irving Park Rd. in Chicago April 28, 2022.

The neon sign that once hung outside of the Orange Garden restaurant at 1942 W. Irving Park Rd. in Chicago April 28, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The business, perhaps best known for Chinese American classics including egg foo young and Chicago-style peanut butter egg rolls, opened in the late 1920s. Read more here.

Advertisement

Kosher beef salami from Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. hangs on a rack in the deli at Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen on June 25, 2022.

Kosher beef salami from Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. hangs on a rack in the deli at Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen on June 25, 2022. (Max Abrams/for the Chicago Tribune)

As Hanukkah celebrations were underway last December, the Tribune visited eight Jewish restaurants across Chicagoland that are resilient as they are delicious. Read more here.

Buritt Bulloch cuts donuts out of dough on March 6, 2018, at Old Fashioned Donuts in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago.

Buritt Bulloch cuts donuts out of dough on March 6, 2018, at Old Fashioned Donuts in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

The first families of Black food culture in Chicago not only dominate the South Side with lines out their doors, they also cross cultural boundaries, luring people hungry for their barbecue, fried chicken, mild sauce, apple fritters and sweet steak sandwiches. Read more here.

Customers wait on their orders at Mario's Italian Lemonade on Taylor St. in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood on Sept. 16, 2021.

Customers wait on their orders at Mario's Italian Lemonade on Taylor St. in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood on Sept. 16, 2021. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The menu of Italian ice has grown over 67 years, but you'll still find the original flavor, which transforms liquid lemonade into its final, silky frozen form, with lemon rind and occasional seeds in your cup. Read more here.

Empty bottles of Malort are lined up on a shelf above the bar at Christina's Place in Chicago in 2014.

Empty bottles of Malort are lined up on a shelf above the bar at Christina's Place in Chicago in 2014. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago-made Malort, for better or worse, maintains the essence of grapefruit meets gasoline. Read more here.

Lou Malnati, right, serves his father Rudy Malnati, proprietor of the Pizzeria Uno, the 2 millionth pizza his two restaurants have turned out in 23 years of business June 16, 1966, in Chicago

Lou Malnati, right, serves his father Rudy Malnati, proprietor of the Pizzeria Uno, the 2 millionth pizza his two restaurants have turned out in 23 years of business June 16, 1966, in Chicago (Chicago Tribune archive)

Vintage Chicago Tribune

Weekly

The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future.

There is almost no documentation about who invented the dish, and without it, legend has taken over. Read more here.

The Chicago favorite Atomic Cake in 2017.

The Chicago favorite Atomic Cake in 2017. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Who truly invented the Atomic Cake and why it stayed on the South Side remain a mystery, even to the Bakers Dozen, a local group from the oldest family bakeries who consider themselves friends and not competitors. Read more here.

Advertisement

Victor Love and his mother Josephine "Mother" Wade at Josephine's in Chicago on Feb. 7, 2022. At left is s photo of Josephine Wade and her husband Rupert Smith taken in 2001.

Victor Love and his mother Josephine "Mother" Wade at Josephine's in Chicago on Feb. 7, 2022. At left is s photo of Josephine Wade and her husband Rupert Smith taken in 2001. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Josephine's has not only remained open, it has a history that dates back 60 years. Her business has far exceeded the life spans of closed iconic soul food restaurants Army & Lou's, Izola's, Edna's, Soul Queen and Gladys' Luncheonette. Read more here.

R.J. Grunt's brunch salad bar has 40 items, including guacamole, caviar, herring, bananas in coconut cream, chunky cottage cheese and vegetable salad on March 23, 1975.

R.J. Grunt's brunch salad bar has 40 items, including guacamole, caviar, herring, bananas in coconut cream, chunky cottage cheese and vegetable salad on March 23, 1975. (Edward Feeney / Chicago Tribune)

The Pump Room. Ed Debevic's. Everest. Studio Paris. Lettuce Entertain You restaurants have found themselves woven into the history of Chicago and the fond memories of countless diners. Read more here.

Chicago's Marion Todd, left, and Marge Kraus were ambassadors during National Hot Dog Month in July 1957 and toured the nation to promote the beloved frankfurter. Here, they posed with a plate of 60 hot dogs, which at the time represented what the average American ate in a year. Their lovely hats were accented with a band of hot dogs smothered with mustard.

Chicago's Marion Todd, left, and Marge Kraus were ambassadors during National Hot Dog Month in July 1957 and toured the nation to promote the beloved frankfurter. Here, they posed with a plate of 60 hot dogs, which at the time represented what the average American ate in a year. Their lovely hats were accented with a band of hot dogs smothered with mustard. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Though the Chicago-style hot dog is arguably the greatest hot dog in the country, for most of the 20th century, Tribune reporters and recipe writers mostly acted deeply embarrassed about the dish. Read more here.

Join our Chicagoland history Facebook group and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.



from What to Cook https://ift.tt/j0HEvU8
google-playkhamsatmostaqltradent