Chicago is home to a plateful of iconic foods. But more than anything else, Chicago is known for its hot dogs and its pizza. WTTW News explains.

Come Fat Tuesday every year, “Paczki Day” is celebrated across Chicago and the Midwest, and the doughnuts are recognized as a symbol of Polish culture and pride.

Despite the lack of a formal arrangement, emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and provided to WTTW News show members of the city’s staff collaborating for months on the app’s development and promotion. The unusual arrangement means municipal employees worked, while on the taxpayer’s dime, on a privately held product not subject to any formal agreement with the city of Aurora.

The Food Safety Act passed out of the Senate Public Health Committee this week. It would ban the use of four chemicals in Illinois foods: brominated vegetable oil, red dye No. 3, potassium bromate and propylparaben.

Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. In Chicago, restaurants don’t need to have restrooms for customers unless they serve liquor.

The move comes nearly 35 years after the dye known as Red 3 was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.

Do you remember those buttery lunchroom cookies? The simple shortbread snack was a staple in hundreds of Chicago public schools; they sold for just a couple of cents for years.

WTTW News visited a few of the city’s bars and restaurants to see which NA, or non-alcoholic, options are being offered. Here’s some of what we found.

With New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, people are already planning how to step into 2025 with their best foot forward. In Latino cultures that could mean practicing traditions like eating 12 grapes under a table, wearing white or light-colored clothing or deep cleaning.

From light shows to theater, themed bars and dance spectacles, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this holiday season. We’ve rounded up some of the season’s highlights in Chicago and the suburbs.

Brothers Andy and Fredy Granados opened Grano Panadería and Café in Back of the Yards. The shop combines traditional Mexican flavors with their first-generation Chicago roots.

The Pennsylvania-based beer company, founded in 1829 and touted as the oldest brewery in America, made the announcement as part of the company’s broader efforts to expand in the Midwest.

With more than 600 episodes and 2 million weekly viewers, “America’s Test Kitchen” has become a household staple. The show has been on public television since 2001 with the aim of putting home cooks at ease by focusing on their needs.

European food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway.com is selling Grubhub for $650 million, a fraction of the billions it spent to buy the U.S. platform just three years ago.

Get ready for fun with this guide to neighborhood street fests, art shows, outdoor concerts and cultural celebrations of all sizes across Chicago and the suburbs.

Nearly 85% of voters on Tuesday voted to give businesses the ability to sell booze in that area, according to unofficial results.