Coming up from Indy for a show at The Salt Shed on Friday, 12/12. Just booked a room in the Streeterville area. Been to Chicago a million times and had pints all over the city so not looking for anything overly special in terms of the best beers. I just never fully have my bearings up there and am looking for decent spots to drink/eat in or around Streeterville and around The Salt Shed. Oh, and the wife is on the hunt for a really good Italian beef. Any help is appreciated.
Off Color Brewing is a short walk from the Salt Shed, and is a great place for beers that are off the beaten path. That’s usually a go-to for pre show beers for me.
Streeterville Crushed by Giants is near Streeterville and is decent. Centennial usually has a good taplist and is in Old Town(ish?). Binny's on Grant is one of the better Binny's in Chicago. Kerryman Pub isn't far and not a craft beer destination but a gorgeous Irish pub. Salt Shed Local Option Bangers & Lace has good food and a great taplist Piece Pizza Brewery and The Perch (Finch Brewery) aren't far from the Salt Shed Forbidden Root PS: as a non-native Chicagoan, I think Italian beef is only ever favored/preferred by native Chicago people. I always thought it was relatively flavorless mush bread. But I'd go for a Chicago hot dog or a Polish anyday.
We're actually fans of Italian beefs. Not something we typically go out of our ways for, but she's on a kick right now and needs to scratch that itch. I'm with you - I could eat a Polish all day long.
Where is the right beef? I used to live right by Al's #1 and it was meh. I tried it from other places too. I don't dislike it just don't get why it's a thing and whether it should still be a thing
I get my beef at a couple spots up north here, very well seasoned and flavorful. I also never have mine "dipped" which always results in that mush-bread you mentioned -- not for me. Of course, my wife has a great recipe for homemade, too, so I could be spoiled.
Oh god, here comes the flood of suburbanites who won't shut up about how amazing Portillo's is (it's not) - especially their stupid cake. The best Chicago street food is the Polish, not even close! Best beer focused bar in the Loop is Monk's. Miller's Pub is an institution. Go to Untitled Supper Club if you're a whiskey person.
Wow. Who mentioned Portillo's? My 2 favorite spots in your dreaded 'burbs are independent restaurants. And don't get me wrong, I love a good Polish too, but I'm not going to pick one over the other. My choice is what I'm in the mood for. Oh, and for the record -- you're wrong about the Portillo's chocolate cake -- it's delicious. Probably doesn't hurt that my wife also has that recipe and reproduces a great copy. (Oh, and you probably don't want to know the secret ingredient. )
I'm not a Portillo's guy either. We have a Chicago dive down here in Indy called Fat Dan's where I get my beefs. She's just wanting a good beef near where we're staying.
I get the emoji, at first anyway, but you know? It works! But what is mayo anyway? Eggs, oil, lemon juice? Probably putting two of those three into the batter already.
Two of the best are Johnnie's Beef, in Elmwood Park, https://www.facebook.com/p/Johnnies-Beef-100064877400220/ (not to be confused with Johnny's beef https://www.johnnys-beef.com/ ) and Jay's Beef, in Harwood Heights, https://www.facebook.com/p/Jays-Beef-100028871937116/ You haven't had an Italian beef until you've eaten at least one of these.
Thank you sir. Gonna hit one (or both) of these and let you know the verdict. Preference between the 2?
I haven’t tried Jay’s, but Johnnie’s is easily a favorite. Lines can get long and it’s cash only. From Streeterville, it can be a 30-55 minute drive, depending on traffic.
For taste, I'd pick Johnnie's. However, Johnnie's has a VERY limited counter for eating there. Otherwise, it's more of a take-out place. Not kidding, there's literally a "Chicago Italian beef stance" or Chicago Lean, when you stand while eating your sandwich, such as at a counter. You spread your legs slightly, for better balance. You then lean over the counter and dive into your sandwich. That's Johnnies, for dining in. However, if you go at an off time, say 2:00PM, it shouldn't be hard to grab some counter space. Jay's has seating inside. So if you're planning on eating there, then Jay's would be the choice. Two other thoughts. Some people like putting giardiniera on their sandwich (google it). To me, giardiniera over-powers an Italian beef sandwich. I prefer "sweet peppers", which is just sauteed green peppers. Which works great on an Italian beef sandwich. They're an extra charge, but not much. If they don't work for you, they're big pieces of green pepper, so they're easy to take off, if you order them, then change your mind. Two, do you want your sandwich Dry, Wet, or Dipped. https://www.312beef.com/single-post/2017/06/29/how-to-order-an-italian-beef-like-pro Personally, I like Wet. Dipped turns into a soggy, hard-to-handle mess immediately. Don't bother trying to remember those buzzwords at the end of the web page I just posted. The only buzzwords you need to remember are Dry, Wet, or Dipped. If you just speak normal English, such as "Italian beef sandwich, dry" or "Italian beef sandwich, wet, with sweet peppers", you'll do fine. For me, adding mozzarella cheese doesn't add anything. But that's personal taste. Finally, there's another, less well-known, Chicago delicacy, the Combo. It's the same hunk of Italian bread, with a link of Italian sausage, then topped with Italian beef. Delicious!!!
Cannot believe I'm reading hate for Al's beef. But then again, I've had some really crappy beef sandwiches that people swear by, so I guess this is yet another one of those things no one can agree on. As a general rule I would never get Italian beef dry, and I would absolutely at least get peppers on it (which I don't like), or giardineira (which I love, from Al's). Kind of like a good taco, I feel like a good beef is best when it's simple but has SOME form of garnish on it.
Sounds like it's hate for beef in general. Damn outsiders. Okay, I'll say it -- no Luke's for me, and Buona's really not a favorite either.
Those are both quite far from where you are staying, 30-50 minute drive and 1 hr by public transit each way. I would hit Mr. Beef on Orleans, might be busy as it is the location featured in The Bear, but it is a good beef.
