Chicago Bites started over dinner, which should come as no surprise, right?

Podcast technology had just arrived, and we wanted to be a part of this hot, new internet trend. Trouble was, we didn’t want to talk about tech or marketing — the only examples of podcasts in 2005. Time dragged on, and we found ourselves spending a lot of time in restaurants to discuss the possibilities and noodling on topics.

Once it became obvious that our restaurant habit would grow into more than a meal, we began plotting our podcast. We decided to call our show Chicago Bites because the name cracked us up. It still does.

Improv Kitchen

Building an Appetite

We launched on February 13, 2006 with a review of the long shuttered Improv Kitchen. Between the crappy USB microphone, lack of editing, point-and-shoot photography, and Movable Type-driven site, it was pretty clear we had no idea what we were doing. Our lack of any culinary experience, restaurant review skills, or connections in the Chicago restaurant scene didn’t help. But we didn’t let that stop us!

We kept recording and became more and more determined to become the voice of Chicago’s restaurant scene. And slowly, after four years, that’s what happened. People recognized us in public, waiters remembered us, and the accolades rolled in from local press and fellow bloggers. We posted our last show in March, 2010 about the long-gone Balsan Restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The sleek interior of Balsan.

Staying Hungry

We shifted away from podcasts because the pressure of constantly eating, managing a site, and producing a weekly show became too much to handle. However, we wanted to remain a vital part of the dining scene. We expanded to cover media events, food festivals, and worked to get the insights of chefs and owners. We even accepted press credentials — I still remember giggling about my first Chicago Gourmet press badge.

At the same time, we began to build our audience through social media, and turned the focus onto our audience and their interests. We dined with fans, rounded up opinions in Twitter Round-ups, and even held the first Chicago Cupcake Crawl.

Our awesome fans and the fantastic bounty of food and drink in Chicago kept Chicago Bites going through early 2017. We finally we hit pause on the site after more than 1,000 posts, 3,000 images, and 159 podcasts. However, Chicago Bites continues to be active through Twitter and Instagram. We hope you’ll follow us there while we decide on our next culinary adventure!

The post About Chicago Bites: The Podcast Years & Beyond appeared first on Chicago Bites.

Great for dinner, Endgrain also had serious doughnut game

18 North
Adesso
Ai Japanese Restaurant and Lounge
A Mano
Arco de Cuchilleros
Balsan
Blue 13
Beans & Bagels
Bistro 110
Bistro Thai Sura
Bonsoiree
Branch 27
Browntrout
Cafe 28
Cafe Bernard
Cafe Laguardia
Carnegie Deli (NYC)
Castel Gandolfo
Charlie Trotter’s
Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand
Chickpea
C-House

Green Zebra made fantastic fried green tomatoes!

City Dough
City Provisions
Crêpes à Latte
Crofton on Wells
Custom House
Cyrano’s Bistro
Deleece
De Cero Taqueria
del Toro
Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop
Dorado Restaurant
Elate
Embeya
Endgrain
Eve
Fianco
Fiddlehead Cafe
Frog n Snail
Graham Elliot
Grahamwich
Graze
Great Lake Pizza
Green Zebra

A Chicago icon for 40 years

Henri
Hot Doug’s
Iggy’s 3
Il Mulino
Improv Kitchen
Jack Rabbit
Jia’s
Kabocha
Karyn’s Cooked
Kith and Kin
La Creperie
La Madia
Los Moles
Los Nopales
Laughing Bird
Mado
Marigold
Marina Cafe
Markethouse
Marquette Inn
May Street Market
Mitchell’s
Mizu Yakitori & Sushi Lounge
Moto
Nightwood

Frooshi was a highlight at Orange

One Sixty Blue
Ono Hawaiian Foods (Hawaii)
Opera Chicago
Orange Chicago
Otom
Patty Burger
Perennial
Phoebe’s Cupcakes
Pierogi Factory
Prairie Fire
Province
Red Light
Ria
Republic Pan-Asian Restaurant & Lounge
Rustik
Smash Cake
Sopo Lounge & Grill
Spa Cafe
Steve’s Deli

Grilled Loch Duart salmon over freekah from Zealous

Table 52
Taco Chino
Takashi
Tallulah
Tank Sushi
Tannourin Bakery
Terragusto
TÊTE Charcuterie
Thalia Spice
Tizi Melloul
Trader Vic’s
Trattoria Trullo
Tru
Tweet
Veerasway
Venus Greek-Cypriot Cuisine
Veritas (NYC)
Viand
Wally & Agador’s
West Town Tavern
Zealous

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