A delicious Italian beef from Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the story of the Italian beef sandwich (and how it’s hard to get a good one outside of Chicagoland) with Los Angeles Times food columnist and Oak Park native Lucas Kwan Peterson, chats about the semi-independence of the Chicago City Council with Geoffrey Cubbage of the Better Government Association, and talks to Jonny Untch about being a local musician and educator. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Sandwiches rule!

Mike Stephen explores how restaurants are turning to sandwiches to survive with Nick Kindelsperger of the Chicago Tribune, learns about the City of Chicago budget process with City Bureau reporting residents Kelly Garcia and Corli Jay, and discovers the Secret History of local R&B band The Lovelites. And in the OTL Wrap Party segment, Mike and Producer Collin reflect on the show and ponder an OTL paywall experience. The local pandemic tunez come from Motel Breakfast. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page or RSS feed.

Mike Stephen interviews Chicago Mobile Makers founder Maya Bird-Murphy outside of the future Mobile Maker Van.

Mike Stephen drops by an old post office van in Humboldt Park to chat with the founder of Chicago Mobile Makers, learns about an event at The Plant raising awareness about food consumption, and previews the Kite Fest happening at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  And we have a special guest in the OTL Wrap Party: Sister-In-Sound Ashelyanne Krigbaum, producer of Rightnowish, on KQED 88.5 FM in San Francisco!  This week’s local music is brought to us by Fuzzy Poser. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.