Humble Beginnings
Chicago Bites started over dinner, which should come as no surprise, right?
Podcast technology had just arrived, and we wanted to be a part of this hot, new internet trend. Trouble was, we didn’t want to talk about tech or marketing — the only examples of podcasts in 2005. Time dragged on, and we found ourselves spending a lot of time in restaurants to discuss the possibilities and noodling on topics.
Once it became obvious that our restaurant habit would grow into more than a meal, we began plotting our podcast. We decided to call our show Chicago Bites because the name cracked us up. It still does.
Improv Kitchen
Building an Appetite
We launched on February 13, 2006 with a review of the long shuttered Improv Kitchen. Between the crappy USB microphone, lack of editing, point-and-shoot photography, and Movable Type-driven site, it was pretty clear we had no idea what we were doing. Our lack of any culinary experience, restaurant review skills, or connections in the Chicago restaurant scene didn’t help. But we didn’t let that stop us!
We kept recording and became more and more determined to become the voice of Chicago’s restaurant scene. And slowly, after four years, that’s what happened. People recognized us in public, waiters remembered us, and the accolades rolled in from local press and fellow bloggers. We posted our last show in March, 2010 about the long-gone Balsan Restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
The sleek interior of Balsan.
Staying Hungry
We shifted away from podcasts because the pressure of constantly eating, managing a site, and producing a weekly show became too much to handle. However, we wanted to remain a vital part of the dining scene. We expanded to cover media events, food festivals, and worked to get the insights of chefs and owners. We even accepted press credentials — I still remember giggling about my first Chicago Gourmet press badge.
At the same time, we began to build our audience through social media, and turned the focus onto our audience and their interests. We dined with fans, rounded up opinions in Twitter Round-ups, and even held the first Chicago Cupcake Crawl.
Our awesome fans and the fantastic bounty of food and drink in Chicago kept Chicago Bites going through early 2017. We finally we hit pause on the site after more than 1,000 posts, 3,000 images, and 159 podcasts. However, Chicago Bites continues to be active through Twitter and Instagram. We hope you’ll follow us there while we decide on our next culinary adventure!