{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"All In Good Taste ","title":"Hot Dogs, Trash Talk & Chicago History | The Wiener’s Circle All In Good Taste","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2521,"description":"Welcome to The Wiener’s Circle, one of Chicago’s most legendary,  and unapologetically unfiltered,  restaurants.\nFor decades, this Lincoln Park hot dog stand has been known for its char-grilled Chicago dogs, late-night crowds, legendary verbal abuse, outrageous marquee signs and one-of-a-kind staff. But behind the insults and chaos is something much harder to manufacture: a restaurant built around personality, loyalty, community and genuine hospitality.\nOn this episode of All in Good Taste, Aidan goes behind the counter with longtime Wiener’s Circle icon Poke and owner Ari to uncover how a neighborhood hot dog stand became a piece of Chicago culture.\nPoke shares what it’s been like spending nearly four decades at The Wiener’s Circle, from her first shifts behind the register to managing generations of employees, customers and unforgettable late-night moments. Ari explains how growing up just blocks from the restaurant eventually led him to become one of its owners,  and why one of his biggest lessons was realizing that some things at The Wiener’s Circle simply shouldn’t be changed.\nT\nhey get into the unwritten rules of roasting customers, why ketchup on a Chicago hot dog can get you in trouble, how the team knows when a joke has gone too far, and why the restaurant’s trademark trash talk is rooted in affection rather than hostility.\nThe conversation also explores what traditional restaurants can learn from The Wiener’s Circle: talk to people like people, let your staff have personality and stop trying to manufacture hospitality through scripts.\nAri breaks down why he measures the restaurant’s success in more than dollars, describing a business that “pays with laughter,” gives back to its staff and community, and has evolved into something closer to a performance venue and cultural institution than a traditional hot dog stand.\nAnd then there are the stories.\nFrom Oprah and Ed Sheeran to Jeff Tweedy, Rick Bayless, Marshmello and plenty of other unexpected guests,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/dks1W8n4e0xincgb6UDOxe3uq5vLkXr-d0Rw9oYYLKk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iY2U3/Mzk5Yjk5YWUxMzM0/ZTFhMTY4MjU5NmY0/YzNhMS5KUEc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}