As the Billy Goat Tavern hits its 90th anniversary and we also celebrate the 90th birthday of Sam Sianis, the patriarch of the family that operates the Billy Goat empire, its subterranean outpost on Hubbard Street was typically crowded one recent afternoon with a line of burger-loving, hungry customers.
And so did it echo with that familiar phrase, “Cheezborger, cheezborger … double’s the best,” in what is arguably the most famous burger joint in town.
Behind the counter and close to the grill stood two visitors, Kevin Pang and Roberta Jackson, the latter better known as Poochie. They were not helping any of the chefs working the grill but were rather staring at a camera, smiling and speaking in order to complete a promotional spot for what they hope will be a hit television show.
It is called “Poochie & Pang Eat Chicago,” and the first episode formally airs on NBC’s WMAQ-Ch. 5 on Sunday night following the news that follows the football game. But it started attracting eyes earlier this week when it became available on YouTube.
Pang knows food, loves it actually, and has made it the foundation of his career. He came to the United States from his native Hong Kong when he was 7, arriving at the Chicago Tribune a couple of decades later, where he first wrote hard news stories and obituaries before easing into food and feature stories. He would also star in “The Cheeseburger Show,” a Tribune website and CLTV production in 2009 that would win a James Beard Award. He co-produced the 2015 documentary “For Grace,” about local Michelin-starred chef Curtis Duffy and his restaurant Grace. After leaving the Tribune, he would work for America’s Test Kitchen and contribute to New York Times Cooking. He and his father, Jeffrey, collaborated on 2023’s “A Very Chinese Cookbook,” some of it based on their co-hosting a YouTube cooking show called “Hunger Pangs.”
He first met Poochie 15 years ago, when he brought a hidden camera to The Wieners Circle where she worked and irritated her as much as possible for an uncensored segment on his “Cheesburger Show.”
“He drove me nuts,” says Poochie. “He was asking for all sorts of weird things, like a vegan cheddar cheese. And he tried to pay with a bag of pennies.”
“Once that was over, we became good friends,” says Pang. “I love being emasculated by her.”
Poochie hails from the South Side. “My mom gave me the name, after a childhood friend,” she says, and Poochie is also the name of a Mattel white poodle with fluffy pink ears and paws. She began working at The Weiners Circle in 1998. She was 21 and quickly distinguished herself by initiating conversations with customers that were profane, offensive and hilarious. Many people found this charming, ala the late Don Rickles. She got a jolt of fame when she appeared on Conan O’Brien’s TBS show with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. She was a star of a TruTV reality series filmed at The Wieners Circle and was a guest star on the CBS sitcom “The Great Indoors.” She also voiced the part of Medina in the Comedy Central animated series, “Legends of Chamberlain Heights.”
This new show was born of the friendship between Pang and Matt Knutson, the former producer of the “Cheeseburger Show,” who had become a vice president of content at NBC Universal in Chicago.
“Matt and I have the same sense of humor,” Pang says. “We would drive from burger joint to burger joint trying out new places, and we’d come up with ideas for a show, notebook in hand.”
When Pang approached Poochie with the idea of co-hosting a television food program (he and Knutson are its executive producers), his pitch was direct: “Just show up and be who you are.”
And so she has done that and is a delightful, pleasantly sharp-tongued onscreen presence. There are four episodes of the show completed, all concerning burgers. Eight more episodes have been ordered by the station, with the plan to expand to other types of food.
So far, so good. Having seen the first two episodes, I watched a program loaded with potential as the hosts visited a Rogers Park gas station, a South Shore convenience store, places in Winfield and Joliet, and other off-the-beaten-path spots. They eat, they talk, they jab one another. I could have done without a couple of “comedic” sketches but I can understand why the station has ordered new shows. It’s also a fine thing to see a locally produced program.
“It’s all a dream come true, the most fun professionally I have had in my life,” says Pang, who lives in Wilmette with his wife and their 8-year-old.
So, as the pair continued making their promotional segment, I talked with a man sitting at the Billy Goat bar. “I love it, and I’m not just saying it ‘cause she’s my wife,” said Darryl Rollins, a construction worker who has known Poochie for 14 years and been married to her for four. “I am proud of her and think this show is going to be good.”
They have lived together since 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin, where Poochie manages a Dollar Store. She is still tied to The Weiners Circle though. “I like to call myself a seasonal worker there, working weekends when the weather cooperates,” she says.
She says that she is enjoying this television experience and there is an obvious affection between her and Pang. “Yes, this is a food show,” Pang says. “But we both want to focus not so much on the food but the people behind the food.”
“Those are the stories people want to see,” says Poochie.
“And we hope the viewers respond to us too,” says Pang.
rkogan@chicagotribune.com
