Oct 17, 2025 - Food and Drink

WTTW's new "Chicago Stories" dish on food and more

Monica Eng

Bruce Karlin in a blue apron holding two trays, one with a hot dog and fries, the other with a sandwich, coleslaw, and dip, inside a colorful diner with yellow Vienna Beef signs. — Owner Bruce Karlin holds the loaded Chicago hot dog (left) and the Italian Beef sandwich at Bruce's Chicago Grille & Dog House. Photo: Courtesy of ZUMA PressInc/Alamy

I'm hungry — hungry for you to catch the 8pm Friday premiere of "Iconic Foods," the latest in WTTW's "Chicago Stories" series and my first effort as a TV co-writer.

The big picture: This juicy one-hour documentary marks the fourth of five debuting this season on topics including legendary local blizzards, the Tylenol murders, Rod Blagojevich and Marshall Field's.

Dig in: The "Iconic Foods" installment dishes up stories on some of the biggest trends in Chicago food over more than 150 years and the people who made it.

The show walks viewers through everything from 19th-century meals along the Chicago River and racy chop suey houses to our homegrown cafeteria culture and high cuisine from Charlie Trotter.
Expect a lot of oysters, hot dogs, Italian beef, pizza and steak along the way.

Who's talking: Chefs Rick Bayless, Carrie Nahabedian, Paul Fehribach and even yours truly.

What's next: The final show in the series, telling the story of Marshall Field's, premieres at 8pm Oct. 24 on WTTW.

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WTTW's new "Chicago Stories" dish on food and more

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