Chicago: Hospitality, Hot Dogs, and Pizza With Donnie Madia

The Dave Chang Show

The Ringer

Food, Society & Culture, Arts

4.8 • 8.7K Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2025

⏱️ 109 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dave has an open and vulnerable conversation with a legendary Chicago restaurateur, Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality, who is passionate about Chicago, hospitality, and his style. To prepare for such a Chicago legend, Dave makes a true Chicago hot dog. After his interview, Dave answers a hot-dog-themed Ask Dave, and he finishes by trying a new recipe for tavern-style pizza ... with unusual results. Learn more about Donnie Madia: https://www.oneoffhospitality.com/donnie Learn more about One Off Hospitality: https://www.oneoffhospitality.com Check out Dave’s Welcome Conference Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4kJY3nAvh0 Listen to our episode on The Bear S1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hUOyL6WaSIbeKF25rIPWI?si=xzk5EBVPR_ue4EvbDvQLMw Listen to our episode on The Bear S2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/59pVhs4GLIbrtezVy9wenP?si=sHAD4SWBSjW1oIznGEriCQ Listen to our episode on The Bear S3: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FFvpo3oooNQ0vSRyz4yxP?si=kz7IRuUPSNuIG_hvKIOhyg Listen to our episode on The Bear S4 Pt. 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/00Wwi1e4cTH7sAYmXjeN7q?si=gzGPs3N4QhS3np9_hH6coA Learn more about Mr. Beef: https://www.theoriginalmrbeef.com Learn more about Le Bouchon: https://www.lebouchonofchicago.com Learn more about Chez Panisse: https://www.chezpanisse.com Learn more about Avec: https://www.avecrestaurant.com Learn more about Big Star: https://www.bigstarchicago.com Learn more about Publican: https://www.thepublicanrestaurant.com Listen to our episode with Will Guidara: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0lvhWaXu8JvWxuJlqCsIli?si=H7OSDWjwTwGUdYbUrXt7vg Learn more about Mozza: https://www.pizzeriamozza.com Learn more about Bianco: https://www.pizzeriabianco.com/los-angeles Learn more about Bianco: https://giordanos.com Learn more about Gene and Jude’s: https://www.geneandjudes.com Learn more about Jimmy’s Red Hots: https://www.jimmysredhotschicago.com Learn more about the LA event for Alex’s Lemonade Stand: https://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/la-loves-alexs-lemonade Watch The Bear here: https://www.hulu.com/series/05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f Watch The Great Outdoors here: https://www.netflix.com/title/559621?source=35&fromWatch=true Learn more about The Fat Duck: thefatduck.co.uk Send in your Ask Dave questions to bit.ly/AskDaveForm or askdave@majordomomedia.com. Subscribe to the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com @thedavechangshow. Subscribe to Recipe Club on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recipeclubofficial Submit your favorite food moments in your favorite movies to majorfoodporn.com. Join our community Discord on majordomo.com. Free Grubhub+. It's on Prime. *Additional terms apply* Host: Dave Chang Guest: Donnie Madia Majordomo Media Producer: David Meyer Spotify Producer: Felipe Guilhermino Editor: Stefano Sanchez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Dave Chang Show. We are here in Studio 2 at the Row.
0:07.0	This is our attempt to make a Chicago-style hot dog. We're starting to cook again at the beginning of our podcast. We're slowly testing things out.
0:18.0	It was removed from the Spotify studios here to our studio here at the row, and we also film
0:23.0	Dinner Time Live, amongst other things.
0:26.7	And today, I have to remind myself that we're doing a podcast that's video and audio.
0:34.5	So the audio portion, where you can also also watch I'm going to interview the great
0:39.5	restaurateur partner in one-off hospitality Donnie Medea you might see him on
0:44.6	the bear that's probably where he's getting noticed the most he helped consult
0:48.8	and advise but he is also one of the great great great great great, great sort of hospitality figures in a profession.
0:57.0	And I will go on with a lot of sort of my, what may seem hyperbolic in terms of my opinions about it.
1:05.0	But I think him and what Paul Kahan and his other partners are doing up in Chicago are truly best in class.
1:11.7	But we've talked about Chicago a bunch on this podcast, and we're going to try to start
1:15.6	off every podcast with a cooking segment, which again, I have to remind myself that we have
1:21.1	to describe what we're doing as well.
1:23.7	This episode of the Dave Chang Show is presented by Prime.
1:26.7	You've got five hungry friends in your living room.
1:28.9	The drinks will only hold them for so long.
1:30.9	I know the feeling.
1:32.4	I also know that sometimes back in the kitchen, it's absolute chaos.
1:36.5	Meat overcooked, potatoes under, too much salt in the sauce, too little sauce for the noodles.
1:42.3	Luckily, you get free Grubhub Plus with Prime.
1:45.7	So with a few taps, dinner saved, and so is your reputation.
	...

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