Chicago is a center of culture, comedy, history, and some of the best made podcasts.
Whether your craving something sensational to eat, in search of something to make you laugh til you cry, or just intrigued by what the windy city has to offer, there’s a Chicago based podcast calling your name. Here are our picks.
This American Life
One of the most popular podcasts of all time, This American Life, calls WBEZ Chicago home. Week by week, host Ira Glass navigates new themes, and three perfectly crafted stories tailored to that. It’s beyond a great podcast, it’s exceptional journalism. You can listen here.
Curious City
Another gem out of WBEZ is Curious City, “an ongoing news experiment… its mission is to include the public in editorial decision-making, make journalism more transparent and strengthen multimedia coverage about Chicago, the surrounding region and its people (past or present).” Recent episodes explore wide-ranging topics from backyard livestock to the Chicago dating scene to the psychology behind sidewalk grates in Chicago.
All You Got To Holler
If you’re interested in exploring all of the art and architecture Chicago has to offer, All You Got To Holler should be your podcast. Hosted by design editor of Newcity Ben Schulman and architecture journalist Zach Mortice, this podcast explores the history of design, architecture, urbanism, and pop culture in Chicago, with frequent guest artists, designers, architects, and otherwise. Start with Episode 1: Chicago Plays Itself.
Hello from the Magic Tavern
Chicago is a city famous for its comedy, the birthplace to Second City. Hello from the Magic Tavern is the silly brainchild of some fantastic Chicago comedians including host Arnie Niekamp. The show exists in the fictional Foon, in an alternative dimension from Chicago, where a wizard, shapeshifter, and various other creatures reside, and talk about any number of things inside the titular magic tavern. Many of the guest creatures include the best of Chicago’s improv scene, find the episodes here.
The Feed
Not to be listened to on an empty stomach, Chicago Chef/Restaurateur Rick Bayless and James Beard Award winning food journalist Steve Dolinsky talk food, drinks, trends, and more in the entertaining and appetizing The Feed. Every episode includes an Ingredient Challenge that involves Rick asking a chef into his test kitchen to try their hands at making something any person could easily prepare using a featured ingredient and five others, in under 15 minutes. While the show has a strong Chicago base, they go all over the world in search of great food.