Photo Essay

The White Palace Grill has been serving regulars for decades, even as its South Loop neighborhood has changed around it. The diner will appear in the final season of The Bear, further cementing its iconic status.

Pequod’s Pizza has been named the best pizza in America on Yelp and appeared on The Bear, and continues to draw both tourists and locals for its pan pizza, a subcategory of deep dish.

The annual Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana celebrates the Eastern European heritage of Northwest Indiana both lovingly and irreverently, with costumed characters and plenty of dumplings.

Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen is a beloved Chicago institution, serving massive corned beef and pastrami sandwiches alongside pickles, thick potato pancakes, and golden matzo ball soup for nine decades now.

The Original Rainbow Cone has been delighting customers with their namesake, five-flavor ice cream treat for 98 years at their iconic original location in Beverly on the far South Side of Chicago. 

Photographer Kathleen Hinkel visited The Wiener's Circle in May to capture the food, customers, and, of course, the colorful language of the employees steering the ship. 

Photographer Kathleen Hinkel visited Delightful Pastries on Lawrence Avenue in Jefferson Park to get a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful preparation that goes into creating thousands of pączki in the days leading up to Lent. 

For Pan Artesanal in Logan Square, the time leading up to Día de los Muertos is one of the busiest season of the year, as they sell some 2,500 pieces of pan de muerto in numerous varieties.

The act of making kimchi, called kimjang, is recognized as an "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO because it brings communities togethers and ties them to the natural world's rhythms.

Early every morning, the skilled bakers of Chicago’s Chiu Quon Bakery prep dough, cook fillings, shape breads, steam and bake buns, and carry out all the other myriad steps required to prepare the over 100 different baked goods and foods made and offered daily at the bakery.

Over the decades, Mario’s has become a community gathering place, serving as a celebratory stop after graduations and sports wins, or just as an annual family tradition.