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 for Bakers Square for more than 20 years! They talk about their memories with Bakers Square, the most popular pies around the holidays, “Free Pie” Wednesdays at their locations in Palatine, Woodridge, and Chicago, and much more!

Learn more at bakerssquare.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram!

• Cecilia Starbeck and Federico Martinez from Bakers Square, and the amazing pies they brought. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• We can’t tell if Bob Kessler and Marlene Wells are fighting over this pie, or sharing it. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• No, Jon Hansen did not eat this entire French Silk pie. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• David Hochberg and Bakers Square’s newest “Candy” pie. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio

For more updates on all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 our Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast! Almost a year after his dad, Chuck, came on the podcast, Luke Newman joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff in-studio to talk about his family’s business, what it was like growing up being a part of it, what the Puckered Pickle company has to offer, the never-ending moment that pickles seem to be having these days, fun recipes and much more! Kevin, Michael and Luke also talked about the new Chicago’s Very Own Eats food tournament that will be coming in September. Listen to below for all the details!

Learn more about Puckered Pickle and their great products at PuckeredPickle.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram. And check out their segment on WGN-TV’s Chicago’s Best on YouTube!

For more updates on all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 Kevin Powell and Michael Piff and catch up on all the fun things he has going on. They talk about the business, which Jonathan started with his wife’s help in 2009. They discuss the different tours that are offered, and Michael’s experience he had on the tour with his dad and brother. Jonathan walks us through his recent appearance on Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ and how it came together, as well as the annual tour he does with WGN-TV’s Pat Tomasulo and Food Network’s Jeff Mauro for Pat’s Laugh Your Face Off fundraiser. They also talked about some of the new places that Jonathan has tried, and even teased the next Chicago’s Very Own Eats Tournament coming in September! Listen to the full conversation below:

And thank you to Jonathan for bringing our team at WGN Radio delicious pizzas from Robert’s, Peanut Park, and Pizano’s! Learn more at ChicagoPizzaTours.com and follow them on Instagram at chicagopizzatours.

For updates and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 is back on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast, joining Kevin and Michael in-studio at WGN Radio to talk about the Italian Village’s new espresso bar on the ground floor, Café Pisolino! Named after the Italian word for “Little Nap”, Café Pisolino invites guests to pause, whether for a morning espresso, a midday reset, or something in between. They discuss how the Cafe came together, the comfortable atmosphere that the space provides, being located in The Loop, the menu and having fun with seasonal items, and much more!

You can visit Café Pisolino on the ground floor at 71 W. Monroe Street in Chicago. Follow them on Instagram at CafePisolino_Chi and learn more at www.cafepisolino-chicago.com!

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, and Old Town Pour House.

Chief Marketing Officer Angela Zoiss joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on Chicago’s Very Own Eats, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company, to talk about Bottleneck’s history, how they’ve grown across the country, what you can expect at one of their restaurants, the new Old Town Pour House location opening in The Loop, the Naperville location’s 10th anniversary, and much more!

Angela was also gracious enough to bring some amazing eats for our WGN Radio staff from Sweetwater Tavern. Swipe through to see what we had the pleasure of enjoying for lunch.

• Mini Chicago Dogs from Sweetwater Tavern in Chicago. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Blackened Chicken Caesar Wrap from Sweetwater Tavern in Chicago. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• The Sweetwater Burger and fries from Sweetwater Tavern in Chicago. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• The Bang Bang Shrimp from Sweetwater Tavern in Chicago. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• We had to show you these mini Chicago dogs again because they’re that good. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Pretzel Bites from Sweetwater Tavern in Chicago. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• WGN Radio’s John Williams enjoying the spread provided by Bottleneck Management and Sweetwater Tavern. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio

For updates and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 some of the most sought after in the entire greater Chicagoland area. Darrin joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company, to talk about his story, everything that goes into his making his famous burgers, how he loves promoting and telling the stories of other Chicago area restaurants and breweries, how you can hire him for your own events, where you can find him next, and much more! LISTEN below:

Swipe through to see photos from Darrin’s visit to WGN Radio and some of his amazing burgers below:

• WGN Radio’s Kevin Powell with Biker Dude Burgers’ Darrin Klapprodt. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Behold! One of Biker Dude Burgers’ amazing smashburgers. Photo from Darrin Klapprodt / Biker Dude Burgers
• WGN Radio’s Michael Piff with with Biker Dude Burgers’ Darrin Klapprodt. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Another glorious sight, aka one of Biker Dude Burgers’ amazing smashburgers. Photo from Darrin Klapprodt / Biker Dude Burgers
• WGN Radio’s Bob Kessler with Biker Dude Burgers’ Darrin Klapprodt. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• The award winning Biker Dude Burgers Team! Photo from Darrin Klapprodt / Biker Dude Burgers

Follow and see where Biker Dude Burgers will be next on Instagram and Facebook. Check out the amazing places Darrin visits on his YouTube channel.

For updates and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 of iced draft lattes, and will deliver it your door with a subscription on CooperageCoffee.com. Eric joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company, to talk about how Cooperage began, the consistency and quality you get with their cold brew, what he loves about Farmers markets, what kinds of cold brew and iced lattes that they offer, trends in the coffee industry, growing their footprint and much more!

Follow Cooperage Coffee on Facebook and Instagram, and visit their website to learn more about them on CooperageCoffee.com.

• Cooperage Coffee director Eric Kobus at the WGN Radio studios. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Eric Kobus from Cooperage Coffee meeting John Williams during his midday show on WGN Radio. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio

For updates and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

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 joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on Chicago’s Very Own Eats, sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company, to talk about the ball club, running a baseball organization, the promotional nights to plan for, and yes, the food (this is a food podcast anyway). This was also a fun trip down memory lane for Michael Piff, as he was their stadium emcee for their first two seasons (2012-13). Listen to the conversation below:

Michael and Ryan also brought their friend and Boomers mascot, Coop, to WGN Radio. And Coop brought some amazing eats from Wintrust Field with them. Swipe through to see who Coop met and what he brought with!

• Schaumburg Boomers mascot Coop with the WGN Radio news team. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Coop, The Boomer, with John Williams. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• The amazing spread from The Schaumburg Boomers. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Funnel Cake Fries? Funnel Cake Fries. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Coop and a tray of Italian Beef. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Coop with WGN Radio Producer/Sports Anchor Jack Heinrich. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• Coop with WGN Radio’s Operations Manager Ashley Bihun. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio
• A Michael Piff “Team Photo” with Coop and Ryan Dominick from the Schaumburg Boomers. Photo by Michael Piff / WGN Radio

See the Schaumburg Boomers’ upcoming schedule and promo nights (including their July 3rd fireworks + drone shows, Jurassic Night, Back to the Future Night, and more) at boomersbaseball.com. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!

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 and call the winner. LISTEN below to find out who won between Rand Red Hots and Cozzi Corner!

Congrats to Rand Red Hots for winning our first Chicagolands Hot Dog Tournament! And congrats to Cozzi Corner for the great run they made to reach the championship. Last but not least, thank you to everyone that voted and made this one of our biggest WGN Radio food tournaments yet!

See the rest of the round-by-round results on the 2026 Hot Dogs Tournament page. And follow The Puckered Pickle Company on Facebook and Instagram!

For more updates and all things Chicago food, subscribe to Chicago’s Very Own Eats on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. All episodes are available on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats podcast page at WGNRadio.com.

After losing her job during the pandemic, Shawn Johnson found a hobby and a passion in making toffee. She turned that passion into a business, and now Shawn is winning awards with her in-demand Crafian Artisanal Toffee. Shawn joined Kevin Powell and Michael Piff on the Chicago’s Very Own Eats Podcast to talk more about her story, how she comes up with the fun and unique flavors, the markets and events that you can find her at, and how the Chicago Blackhawks’ Support West program is helping her grow her business! Listen below:

Kevin and Michael also gave an update on the Chicagoland’s Best Hot Dogs Tournament, now in the Championship round and sponsored by The Puckered Pickle Company.

You can learn more and see Crafian’s amazing toffee options (and what to pair them with) at Crafian.co. And you can follow Crafian on Instagram to stay updated on what they are doing!