Chicago Restaurants

I can't make a personal recommendation bc I don't think I've had an Italian beef since I was a kid, but FYI: Mr. Beef on Orleans is where they film The Bear, if that's something you care about.

There's also an Al's #1 Italian Beef on Wells, a local chain that claims to have invented the sandwich. (There are competing claims.) According to my copy of Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, Al's and Johnnie's (in suburban Elmwood Park) "head up most lists of the best Italian beef sandwiches in the Chicago area."

Both Mr. Beef and Al's are also in River North btw.

Johnnie's (near me) is "the best," but all, even Portillo's, are fine.

Downtown, I dunno. Pretty much all my beef experience is in the neighborhoods.

The original Al's Beef is on Taylor near UIC. I haven't been there for a while but I remember it being good. The other Al's locations are franchises iirc.

Portillo's and the franchise Al's are gonna be fine, but I'd pick Al's over Portillo's if all other things are equal.

portillos is an unpleasantly overwhelming experience imo, especially the one in river north. very big and loud and crowded with a confusing ordering system.

^^^why I would pick Al's (also I think the sandwiches are better, Portillo's try to do everything and end up doing nothing very well… I suppose you can get beer there which is a plus)

You can also get a cake shake!

All right, maybe I'll venture a little further afield. Thanks everyone.

From the JW Mariott downtown, the River North Al's would be a pretty easy walk.

That was what I was thinking, rather than figuring out CTA (which I have used before). Might venture out to some record stores as well, so might try to combine those to get me out of downtown.

If you’re near Navy Pier, there’s a spot there called Chef Ciccio — the guy who runs it (who literally makes the sandwiches most days) is in his 80s, and his family has been selling Italian beef since the 30s, and it’s fantastic.

Chicago magazine just did their top 10, and it’s a good list:
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/november-2024/italian-beefs-golden-age/the-10-best/

Duck Inn is one I have had before, it was nice but fancified beef just seems misguided.

Great article. Not sure about dunking the entire sandwich in the gravy.

i've never eaten an italian beef because they are too large and unwieldy and not my jam. at my workplace we had an italian beef pizza, which actually sounded p gross to me initially but eventually redeemed itself as a non-wet manageable way to enjoy the italian beef flavors without committing to an entire gigantic sandwich. one slice was enough.

I've never had an Italian beef sandwich dipped, because it's just too messy. Asking for it wet is an ok compromise. Plenty of people swear by a combo, which is a grilled Italian sausage added to the sandwich, but that's just too much and asking for gut trouble.

Wet is the beef dipped, but not the bread? I would absolutely do that.

#1 is deserved, you really aren't going to get better than Johnnie's.

The first two nights I am going to my wife's work events at two steakhouse looking places, then we are having dinner Saturday with my aunts and cousin at Obelix. Between all that, plus me having to get a few Chicago dogs and the beef sandwich, I am going to need to eat salad all next week.

xp the beef will be dipped no matter what iirc, wet is a slight addition of jus—if it means anything, wet is how I typically order it, but every once it a while I will get the whole thing dipped (it's really only a problem if you have an aversion to using lots of napkins)

also I wrote that having ordered exactly one italian beef in at least the past 4-5 years :D

oh and absolutely get the giardinera, don't fuck around with sweet peppers unless you really don't like spicy things

Thanks for the tips dan m. I will go with wet and get the giardinera.

You can also order the beef dry with the jus/sauce on the side, especially if you are getting it to go, but not every place honors that request, lol.

Any recommendations for quick lunch in Wicker Park near Division stop? Preferably not beef, lol.

I’m an out of towner (in fact an out of continenter) but La Pasadita was vg the one time I ate there.

Not for up the road to Dove’s Luncheonette and Big Star, can’t go wrong with either of those.

xp A few possibilities within a few blocks of the Division stop:

-Sando Street: Japanese-style sandwiches, counter service, 1547 N. Ashland (ate there a few weeks ago, pretty good)

-Alegrias Seafood and El Barco Mariscos: two Mexican seafood places across the street from each other, 1024 and 1035 N. Ashland (I've only been to Alegrias, but a long time ago -- I think it might have even had a different name back then, but people seem to like 'em)

-Antique Taco: Hipster (i.e., cheffy, nontraditional) tacos, 1360 N. Milwaukee (been a while since I've been here, too, but it was reliably decent). There's also Big Star, which is in a similar vein, but a little further afield, at 1531 N. Damen.

also agree on the Dove's recommendation, if you're wandering up that way -- it's next to Big Star

If you're heading to the Division stop bc you're going to Dusty Groove, you might as well walk up Milwaukee Ave. and hit up Reckless, too

Yeah, that was the plan. Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I do love Japanese sandwiches, though Masa pancakes sound awesome, too.

I forget where (in the country) you're coming from, but there are lots of good Mexican spots everywhere, including Big Star, which is boutiquey but still really good. (For later, more or less across the street from Big Star is Violet Hour, one of the country's best cocktail bars.) Also in Wicker Park is Piece, the pizza place co-owned by Rick Nielsen. It's pretty good and has good beer/good vibes. All this stuff is by the Damon stop, but that's just one stop closer/farther, depending what direction you are going in.

If you get Japanese sandwiches in Chicago, I'll get Chicago deep dish pizza in Japan: http://en.devilcraft.jp/

There's a Harold's Chicken near Ashland iirc, get your 2pc dark with mild sauce

Sauce on the side!

I went to Dove’s Luncheonette and had the masa pancakes with a side of smoked sausage. Fun little place with a nice vibe and good food. Thanks Tim and Chicago ilxors.

On the downside, I wasn’t really a fan of the record stores I went to (Reckless, Mr. Shuga, Dusty Grooves) because they were a style of store I kind of hate: too much new vinyl/reissues, not enough used vinyl, and anything you actually wanted to buy was $$$. I ended up buying a couple of African reissues I would never find or afford in OG.

Also, how do stores get away without a new arrivals section for used vinyl?

Both DG and Reckless have always had those bins to my memory

DG did, but I don’t think Reckless did (or I missed it). DG was definitely the best of the three.

We take visitors to Buona Beef b/c they do a great Italian beef but also a seitan Italian "beef-less" that I love. It's a chain, but no reason to hold that against them. There's a location east of where you're staying...on the way-ish to Navy Pier or the lake.

How was Obelix, PBKR? It's on my list, but I haven't been yet.

Obelix was really great. Mostly classic French bistro with some cheeky modern twists.

They had a poire spritz with a pear eau di vie and pear cider that was one of the best cocktails I’ve had.

We shared escargot and a pate en crout for the table, both straight forward and excellent, then duck breast for my main (the menu has an entire section just for duck dishes). Everything was really perfect. Prices are high but worth it imo.

Go hungry! I stupidly ate too much for lunch or I would have really done damage on some appetizers.

nice

My wife had their version of a salad lyonnaise that had a duck egg and duck confit instead of lardons. The confit was shredded and then seared in a pan like a big smashburger of duck.

We're going to be back in Chicago to visit my aunts and cousin next month. I am really looking forward to it. Visiting the city a couple of times the last two years has given me even more appreciation for it.

Has anyone been to Gene and Georgetti's in the last few years? I wanted to do a very classic Chicago restaurant and that came up as still having decent food and classic atmosphere. My aunt laughed and told me she last went there in college (50+ years ago), then made a reservation. What say Chicago ilxors?

I went there once, had to be more than 15 years ago at this point. It was good, classic, all those things, and I'm sure it still is. Get yourself some Chicken Vesuvio!

I'm generally not a huge fan of steakhouses, but I guess that one counts as a classic? Anyway, by that standard I'm sure it is both a) exactly as one remembers it and b) not as good as it used to be. The duality of the old-school thing. I can't remember if I've ever been there myself, tbh!

Check out the Cherry Room in the Chicago Athletic Club and make a reservation for that and Cindy's.

Cherry Circle Room is permanently closed, unfortunately (I just found that out this week!).

Gene & Georgetti's sounds like a good call for what you're looking for, from what I've heard from some friends over the past week.

Never been to G&G's! I'm not much of a steakhouse guy, either. I like restaurants with that vintage steakhouse ambiance, but ... I don't really like steak.

xp I *have* been to Cherry Circle Room, because my brother worked there for a while, and I'd second that recommendation -- but the restaurant is currently closed. (IIRC, it's transitioning from one hospitality group to another.)

(Oh, I didn't realize CCR closure was permanent, though that doesn't surprise me.)

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I used to be a person who was "food above all else" when it came to restaurants, always wanting the best and newest. The last couple of years I've really come to appreciate old places that still do things well and have history, even if technically some newer place maybe has better food. Classic places close all the time (or get terrible), so I like to take advantage when I can.

That's also where the street/comfort food excels. Hot dogs, sandwiches, red sauce Italian, Calumet fisheries, burgers, pizza places ...