Stories by David Hammond

Gyros may have traveled from Istanbul to Athens, but its American soul belongs to Chicago. And it’s much more than just a sandwich. 

Chicago’s own Matt Schulien took magic from the street corner to an actual bar in the twentieth century, and the tradition continues in some spots today. 

Giuseppe and Ann Marie Quercia met while Ann Marie was picking up pizzas from Freddy's and Giuseppe was working. Decades later, they still run it together with warm hospitality, creating lifelong memories and relationships with customers.

For an Italian American, a trip to the family-owned, decades-old Caputo’s grocery store during the holidays is a sensory and nostalgic experience.

Turkish breakfast features a teeming cornucopia of delights, from baked goods to olives to cheeses and eggs. A Thousand Tales in Mount Prospect offers one example.

While the Chicago area has a huge Polish community, many non-Poles only know Polish food via pierogi and pączki U Gazdy in Wood Dale serves more regional fare such as the blood sausage kiszka and "hunter's stew" bigos. 

In a new book, Chicago author and beer journalist Josh Noel chronicles the rise of Malört, Chicago's loathed and loved liquor.

Food writer David Hammond explores the many fathers of Italian beef, and the sometimes contentious origin stories of other original Chicago foods like deep dish and hot dogs.