I’m working my way through what I consider Chicago’s “Iconic Foods” this summer. I’ve got a good 15 or 16 food list to eventually get through but I wanted to share some photos from my first jaunt around the city!
Jim’s Original – Maxwell St. Polish – So simple, so quick, so cheap, so delicious. Mustard, grilled onions, polish sausage and a great bun. How something so simple can be so amazing is beyond me but I love it. The fact that it’s under $7 with fries (their fries by the way are phenomenal) is unreal. And the story and history of the family, the market, the impact on Blues, it’s all awesome. Must visit spot.
Al’s #1 Beef – Italian Beef with hot Giardiniera — What’s not to love about this. Delicious, flavorful Italian Beef, spicy giardiniera, amazing bread. This sandwich is one of the most blue-collar foods on the planet. To me there isn’t a sandwich outside the Philly Cheesesteak that more accurately feels like it’s city. And call me crazy but I think the Taylor Street location is legitimately better than most other locations. And the history is unmatched. From peanut weddings to prison it’s such a fun story. I Love it!
The Weiner’s Circle – Cheddar Char Dog — Legendary place and I think their cheddar makes their Chicago Dog one of the best in the city. I’m a huge Merkt’s Cheddar guy and from what I understand Weiner’s Circle has a version they get direct from a Wisconsin Farm that has an even higher fat content than Merkt’s lol More fat more flavor baby! I’m all for it. I’ve been friends with the two OG owners that are still with us (RIP Barry) for about 10 years so I’ve been lucky enough to get some cool background stories From Larry and Vickie about this place. It’s got a fun history and some delicious food.
Vito & Nick’s – Thin Crust Sausage Pizza – I’m a huge hater of 90% of the tavern style I’ve had and I think it’s mainly because Vito & Nick’s sets the bar sooooo high. I really do think (outside a few other folks) their pizza is light years better than other thin crust places in Chicago. I’ve also been lucky enough to be friendly with Rose (the owner of Vito & Nick’s) for awhile now and she’s another one that has amazing stories about her establishment and how it came about. When I went to get this pizza she said she’d been WORKING at Vito & Nick’s for 77or 78 years! WORKING! Haha I think she said she started working there when she was 7 years old lol Anyways I love this place. It’s amazing from a history stand point and they really are serving some amazing pizza.
The Region – Diggity Dos Smashburger – Alright, I know that burgers aren’t actually thought of as an iconic Chicago food but I’ve been reviewing food in Chicago for 9 years now and Chicago has an absolutely insane amount elite burgers. Chicago really might be doing burgers better then any city in the world. It’s kind of crazy how many great burger spots we have here. So I wanted to include a great burger spot in my list so I went with The Region and their smashburger. I know there’s an overload of smashburgers in this city right now (which I’m cool with to be honest) but when The Region started the owner couldn’t find smashburgers here so they’re kind of an OG in that scene. Not to mention this burger is one of my favorite delicacies in the city. It really is that good. BUT it’s crazy expensive and I really just wanted something massive for the video so I suggest getting their Double Regionette for the more reasonable price of $10.95(The one I got is $17).
Super fun day and I’m excited to get into day 2 of the feasting soon. Also if you want more history on these places I made a youtube video with a ton more info. It’s a fun one. The video also includes Riccobene’s which I forgot to snag a picture of and Rose hangs out with me for a bit which is really fun and she’s also one of the cutest ladies on the planet. (and their 105th anniversary is this Wednesday and they’re throwing a party there)
by coreywagner
Dining and Cooking