What is the can't miss meal in Chicago?

I am looking for the best pizza; hot dogs; polish goodies, sausages and such; great cuban sandwitches; really good korean food and, last but not least, the BEST ITALIAN BEEF SANDWITCH.
Thank you,
Maria

Have a look through our Great Neighborhood Restaurants list. Pretty much everything you're looking for is well-represented there.

Also, try using the search function for the word "beefathon".

Best,
Michael

.
Pizza
Vito and Nick's (thin)
Original Uno's (deep dish)
Burt's (mid deep, caramelized cheese crust)

Hot Dog
Jimmy's (minimalist style)
Herm's (salad on a bun style)

Polish Sausage (Hot dog stand style)
Jim's Original
Wolfy's

Polish "goodies"
Bobak's
Gillmart
Kurowski

Cuban Sandwich
La Unica
Cafe Marianao

Korean
Hae Woon Dae (Korean BBQ)
Crystal Korean Restaurant (Homestyle)
San Soo Gap San (Soups)

Italian Beef
Al's (Original on Taylor)
Chickie's (S Pulaski)
Johnnie's (Elmwood Park)

Search function, plus LTHForum Great Neighborhood Restaurant Awards board, will yield addresses and more.

oh no, not this debate again...

best italian beef... my vote is mr. beef. delicious. gritty place though. strange hours too. slightly on the pricier side but well worth it IMO

avoid al's if its anywhere but on the taylor street..

in a pinch, portillo's @ near ohio/lasallesque is reliable and i think pretty decent

I've been enjoying dmnkly's "Beef-off" posts on his blog. He's up to #7 of 12 "competitors". Not that it hasn't been discussed plenty here and elsewhere, but...

My only additions to Gary's excellent list (and I agree especially on the three Italian Beef sandwiches selected), are Maxwell Street Express for the Polish (I alternate between Maxwell Street Express and Jim's, and lately Maxwell has had the better Polish, I'd say. Heck, have one at each--they're next door to each other!) And for deep dish pizza, I'll give a nod to Pequod's.

For Best Italian Beef Sandwich, I'm gonna go with Johnnie's.

germuska wrote:I've been enjoying dmnkly's "Beef-off" posts on his

..thanks for that, interesting! btw, Details Magazine this month or last did a story of the "top sandwiches" to get across the country... There were two from chicago on the list.... Johnie's (his #7) was one, and the other was the hot link sandwich from Leon's BBQ @ 82nd and Cottage Grove Ave ... I know this is probably just one small group's opinion who picked these two places, but at the very least it probably means they're very good...

One should not miss:

"Little" Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-1964

For:

Crispy skin chicken, served with cilantro, lemon wedges and a Sichuan pepper salt mix for dredging.

Salt and pepper shrimp. Typically served in the shell, can be ordered out of the shell, which is then lightly breaded (very lightly) and sauteed.

Pan fried rice noodle with pork, duck, or seafood and vegetables. Ask for the rice noodle extra crisp.

This is one of the finest meals in Chicago when dining with LTh'ers.

I agree with Al's beef on Taylor street (duncked & juicy), good fries too. In the summer time stop across the street and get some of that delicious Italian Ice to go with it.

It should be noted that Herms is a classic Chicago style hot dog, with the usual toppings (green relish/chopped onions/yellow mustard/tomato slices and pickle spears, along with a sprinkle of celery salt). There is another style which adds shredded lettuce/cucumber slices and green pepper rings which many locals would consider a true 'salad on a bun" style. This type dog is often done with a non-Vienna type dog and served on a plain bun (Tasty-pup) . Byrons on Irving park would be an example of this style using a Vienna product. This is a very different creature from a true Chicago hot dog.

It's also worth pointing out that those visiting Chicago can get a very good version of both a classic Chicago hot dog and Italian beef at any one of several local Portillos.