Bob Schwartz has worked for the Vienna Beef Company for decades. He's compiled some of the best stories about the birth of Chicago's beloved hot dog, including backstories on just about every notable joint in the city. I talked to him over a dog (with everything) at the legendary Max's in Chicago's Loop.

Chicago's Parthenon celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with the release of a new cookbook. The birthplace of flaming saganaki ("opaa!") and spit-fired gyros has plenty to be proud of. I spoke with author Camille Stagg at the legendary Greektown restaurant about local Greek history and some of the classic recipes. If you're in Chicago this weekend, be sure to check out the Greek Festival going on all weekend, up and down Halsted St. in Greektown.

A wave of churrascos - Brazilian-style beef emporiums - has swept the U.S. In Chicago alone, there is Fogo de Chao, Brazazz and Texas de Brazil, with another - Zed 451 - offering a more American approach. We visit the original, Fogo de Chao, to see what it's all about.

Jamaican Independence Day is this week (Aug. 6) and to celebrate, locals tend to feast on their national dish - not Jerk chicken or pork mind you, but rather, ackee & saltfish. A recent trip to the island nation showed me how this unique combination comes together.

Hi folks. After publishing podcasts for nearly a year straight, I'm taking today off. But I wanted to share a picture from a recent Persian feast my friend cooked up for us. These cucumber-yogurt-almond salads were tremendous. Enjoy!

I just spent 48 hours hitting 10 restaurants in the nation's capital. I'll break down each one, and tell you about some of the highlights, all in less than 10 minutes. You may need to bring some Pepto or a Tums, depending on the relative strength of your stomach.

Oak Park, IL - home to icons Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright, is now also home to a greatly expanded Marion Street Cheese Market. Owner Eric Larson gave me a walk-through on the eve of the highly-anticipated opening.

This one-of-a-kind farm grows specialty produce for some of the finest restaurants in the country. They're holding their annual fundraiser, a Food & Wine Celebration, at their farm in Milan, OH (about an hour from Cleveland) on July 19th. I visited the farm recently, and filed this report. For more info on the event: http://veggieu.org/assets/misc/fwc2008.htm

Tony and Cathy Mantuano are the forces behind the 4-star Spiaggia in Chicago, but they just released a new book, "Wine Bar Food," which focuses on their love of small plates paired expertly with Mediterranean wines. One of the big (and pleasant) surprises in this book is the fact they didn't just stick to their comfort zone of Italy. They also branched out to Greece and Spain, and added some really tasty recipes.

Katie Das had a simple dream: to make the best caramels. She and her husband now produce an assortment of delicious caramels from their tiny business near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, which are gaining distribution - including Whole Foods. I visited the plant recently to taste for myself.