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The Reader's annual People issue, which is to say, not an issue about Kate Middleton and Rihanna but one about interesting people who do interesting things, somewhat out of the immediate limelight in Chicago, is out. And we're happy to learn more about three people we're aware of on the local scene through interacting with chefs, but could certainly stand to learn more about. One is Martin Kastner, the Czech-born designer who creates innovative silverware and serving pieces for Grant Achatz's restaurants, including the famous "porthole" for The Aviary.

Continuing in our retrospective look back at 2012/quest to give you plenty to kill time with during a slow week at the office, we've collected some memorable quotes from some of the interviews we've conducted during the last year. We like doing interviews because chefs and other food people are almost always bursting to tell us about what they do. And we like doing interviews online because we don't have to tighten them up into soundbites to fit the page, but can let our subjects talk and talk and tell us what life in the kitchen (or wherever) is really like. So here are some of our favorite bits from people we talked to at length over the past year; don't miss yesterday's slideshow of great food photos from 2012, and come back tomorrow for a look back at our favorite food videos.

Time Out Chicago talked to Brendan Sodikoff about his deli project, beginning with the fact that it's apparently booted a couple of other projects (BBQ and ramen) out of line. Which to us says, are we so sure this is going to happen? Who knows, but we do learn a few things and he insists it's solid, so we'll add it to the list of things we're looking forward to next year. Other things we learn: it's headed for River North. It will have bagels, and that points us to the obvious influence being, besides the success of things like the matzoh ball soup at Au Cheval, Logan Square's Reno— when Sodikoff tells TOC "I really just want people to hang out there all the time" and promises lots of outlet for laptops, it's hard not to think he looked at that new place and said, "Why shouldn't River North have one of these, too?" (Why indeed?) Finally, the name will be Dillman's, for Bradford Dillman, human star of Escape From the Planet of the Apes. Okay, we're kidding about that. Dillman's, sounds like a solid deli name, not some J.J. Hasenpfeffer's Old Tyme Sandwichery type monicker. Find out more here. [TOC]

All the Grub Street cities are taking a look at how the world of food changed in 2012 in their respective metropoli. From a weirdly ubiquitous fruit to a hilarious new sub-profession, here are the trends that we saw, and where necessary, what we can do to discourage them from spreading any further. Check out our colleagues' lists throughout the day to see what life is like in other parts of Foodlandia.

Little Market Brasserie still has construction (of the bar area) going on around it, but in the meantime, people are visiting Chicago and staying at the Talbott Hotel (10 E. Delaware), and that means they want something to eat and drink. And that means that what can be open at Little Market Brasserie is open, serving Version 0.9 of Ryan Poli's menu of comfortable brasserie food with an international twist, plus a whole array of charged cocktails from the Tippling Brothers. There will be a grand opening in January, and the menu will surely be more elaborate by then, but check out what's already being whipped up there with the opening menu below.