Best Chicago Sandwich..?

A quick question if I may?

Best and worst Chicago Sandwiches... Any ideas?

~GS

I moved this to Eating Out in Chicagoland.

Here's a thread on best sandwiches, here's a thread on one in particular that just got some new posts, but feel free to suggest others...

I've previously mentioned Pat Bruno's article on this topic, still available here.
I did finally try the muffuletta at Nola's in Oak Park. My only standard of comparison is a muffuletta at the Central Grocery in NOLA--but that was probably 20 years ago. When I had the one at Nola's, I remembered that my reaction to my Central Grocery experience was it was a fine sandwich, though I preferred my Italian Special from Fontano's on Polk. It did open my eyes, however, to the joys of putting an olive salad on a sandwich.

So, back to Nola's. Fine sandwich. Bread is reasonably authentic. Meats aren't Riviera quality, but aren't Jewel either. The olive salad is GREAT--very coursely chopped and very fresh tasting. But, in what I recall is the authentic style, it comes without lettuce, tomato, or onion--all of which, especially the onion, are essential to any truly worthy sandwich. If I order it again, I'll be bold and ask for them.

My MIL had the roast beef, which was also very good, with a nice horseradish mayo. Lots of people were scarfing down beignets, and I've heard good things about them.

Note that the sandwiches are very large. I ordered the half muffuletta (about $6.50) and was only able to finish half of the half.

It's a nice room, with views out on to the street and dixieland playing on the sound system. Intelligensia coffee. I'll go back.

Greasy Spoon wrote:A quick question if I may?

Best and worst Chicago Sandwiches... Any ideas?

GS,

Sure, I have ideas. Maybe even a top ten, but I'd be interested in your thoughts as well.

Enjoy,
Gary

Tops : Hero's on Addison and most Potbelly locations.

Lower tier: Mr. Sub and Cap't Nemos.

As for Italian Beef: Mr. Beef - hands down.

Hero's has the potential to be good, but the use of lower-quality ingredients keeps it from being recommendable. I assume this is because of the need to keep the price low for the Lane Tech kids. Potbelly's has been discussed a lot here, you might search for that.

Mr. Sub is certain lower tier, as in, how low can you go, Marianas Trench. One of the vilest things I ever had was a "milkshake" at Mr. Sub, which was removed frozen from a freezer and then stuck in the microwave so that it became a solid core of icy milk product surrounded by a layer of liquid that was warm like infant formula.

Rather than simply announcing what you think are the top, maybe you'd like to talk about what you like about this or that place?

Mike G wrote:Hero's has the potential to be good, but the use of lower-quality ingredients keeps it from being recommendable. I assume this is because of the need to keep the price low for the Lane Tech kids.

As a Lane Tech Alum, I've got to agree 100% with this comment. While Hero's (at that time, the first and only "submarine sandwich" shop in the Chicago area that was not in a "scary ethnic neighborhood") was a frequent lunch stop during my checkered high school career, I do not ever want to eat another of their sandwiches now that I have a choice.

As far as Mr. Beef is concerned, it has its fans but I suggest doing a search for the results of one of our many Beefathons to see some other, perhaps better, alternatives.

my vote for best chicago sandwich goes to the breaded steak sand at La Milenase (sp) at 32d and May in Bridgeport. Unlike its far more well known fellow Bridgeporter Ricobenes, La M makes the steaks crisp and not at all greasy. I choose mine with pedestrian red gravy, shredded Mozzarella, sweet peppers and hot giard. Do not try to take this home or to the office, it loses all its textural goodness.

Chicken pastina soup is good but, hard to eat after the giant sandwich.


Babaluch

I remember loving Hero's in the early 80's when my parents would stop there on trips up Western. Since I've dicovered Bari, Nottoli, and Riviera, I have absolutely no reason to ever go there again.

elviswright wrote:As for Italian Beef: Mr. Beef - hands down.

My favorite off-the-beaten path Italian Beef is Chickie's on 28th and Pulaski. I've never had Mr. Beef, but Chickie's is much better than Al's, at any rate. Chickie's also has the added bonus of serving great natural-casing hot dogs.

Octarine wrote:I remember loving Hero's in the early 80's when my parents would stop there on trips up Western. Since I've dicovered Bari, Nottoli, and Riviera, I have absolutely no reason to ever go there again.

Octarine:

If you're down this way, give Conte di Savoia a try too. The main store (Taylor by Bishop, parking in back via alley) makes fine sandwiches to order. Their offshoot on the "Westside" of Taylor (in Tri-Taylor, on Taylor at Bell) also makes very nice Italian-style sandwiches, though they do not have the full range of imported meats that you find at the main store on the "Eastside." The Westside location seems to feature hot-sandwiches more than the Eastside; both do very brisk lunch business.

Antonius

G Wiv wrote:
Sure, I have ideas. Maybe even a top ten, but I'd be interested in your thoughts as well.

Enjoy,
Gary

Seemed pretty obvious to me too.

Lane TECH! I still have a soft spot in my heart for Hero’s, but this may just be nostalgia.

I’ve been reading the “best sandwiches” thread Mike G directed me to, and I am humbled by the vast variety of sandwiches and the culinary knowledge of this forum.

But here are just a few of my faves:
-Corned beef at AP deli (701 S. Wabash) not too salty, piled high.
-pastrami at The Bagel (3107 N. Broadway) Melts in your mouth.
-Pork chop at Jim’s (Maxwell St) The only sandwich with a bone in it.
-bistec con queso at Marianao (2246 N Milwaukee) Latinos 6-deep, 10-wide can’t be wrong.
-Falafel at Sultan’s Market (2057 W North.) The only satisfying vegetarian meal I’ve had.
-dogs and burgers at Paradise Pup (Des Plaines) A reason to go suburban.
-banh mi at Fan-Si-Pan (1618 W. Chicago) I like the chicken version and it’s in my ‘hood.
-burger at Rockit (22 W. Hubbard) A bit pretentious, but worth trying, Kobe and foie gras.
-burger at Salud (1471 N Milwaukee) fresh tomato, guac, tequila shot, med rare, soft bun.
-Potbelly is the best chain I can think of. Great bread. A sandwich is all about the bread.

Here are some memorable misses:
-Player’s bar (551 N. Ogden) I think they put French onion soup mix in their burger. Could be a cultural thing. But if you like sports, we could see 9 screens from our table alone.
-Manny’s pastrami. I hope I’m not alienating myself from the beginning here. Maybe my expectations were too high- and I’m willing to go again and try the corned beef.
-Quizno’s. I don’t know if I can even count fast food chains, but Quizno’s is the worst.
-except for maybe McDonald’s.

"Corned beef at AP deli (701 S. Wabash) not too salty, piled high. "

Finally! I have found my lost twin!!

I took quite a bit of grief over my love of AP Deli a few years back as everyone who sampled it on my recommendation thought it pretty much blew.

YourPalWill wrote:I took quite a bit of grief over my love of AP Deli a few years back as everyone who sampled it on my recommendation thought it pretty much blew.

Will,

That's an understatement.

Enjoy,
Gary

That I took a lot of grief or that it blew?

YourPalWill wrote:That I took a lot of grief or that it blew?

Both!

Greasy Spoon wrote:-Manny’s pastrami. I hope I’m not alienating myself from the beginning here. Maybe my expectations were too high- and I’m willing to go again and try the corned beef.

It can be a little fatty, but even so, it's some of the best. I won't hear less. For my money, it's the best pastrami this side of Katz's.

Well, then it should be easy to find outside of Manny's, too. Their pastrami is, if I remember correctly, plain old vienna beef pastrami.

That should not be taken to mean I don't like pastrami from Manny's. I love it. But I'd take Jake's, for example, over Manny's any day.

ndgbucktown wrote:[Manny's pastrami] can be a little fatty, but even so, it's some of the best. I won't hear less. For my money, it's the best pastrami this side of Katz's.

Have you tried Shapiro's pastrami -- it's about 175 miles south of Manny's, in Indianapolis, so perhaps a bit out of the way.




(Close-Up of that sandwich). And note this picture was taken about 4 to 6 hours after I purchased that sandwich and drove back to Chicago with it on the passenger seat of my car; it looked just that much better when freshly served.

Don't assume that because Chicago is the biggest city in the Midwest it therefore must have the best deli food. On certain very significant measures, Shapiro's is much better than anything I've found in Chicago (most importantly, better than Manny's -- which I love, just not as much as Shapiro's). And that includes the pastrami, and the BREAD ... on which Manny's basically punts.

Shapiro's

gleam wrote: I'd take Jake's, for example, over Manny's any day.

Jake's? Tell me more...

I absolutely love the veggie grinder at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder.

Fresh baked bread, tomato sauce, brick and Swiss cheese, eggplant, onions, olives, mushrooms, red and green peppers, Romano cheese, garlic oil and Italian spices baked until crisp and gooey.

It is a monster that easily feeds two. Leftovers turn to mush, but still taste good.

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder

Jake's is a great old deli up in Milwaukee. More here.

That thread doesn't mention it, I don't think, but Jake's also makes very good chicken soups.

Just realized my post wasn't exactly on point, as I did not actually provide any suggestion for sandwiches IN CHICAGO. Let me correct that with a couple of recommendations for Italian Beef, one of which is marginally orthodox, and the other of which I don't think has been posted on by anybody but me (but was an unexpected and pleasant surprise).

The first Italian Beef recommendation is Bombacigno's. Not competition for the pantheon of beef sandwiches, nevertheless Bombacigno's offers one thing that I think really helps them: tremendous turnover. They are only open on weekdays and during the lunch hour they do a huge business, meaning the beef does not have time to "turn" due to over-long soaking in the gravy. Just a theory, of course, but I've found the meat itself always tastes more "meaty" at Bombacigno's. It is also without question the best option within reasonable walking distance of my office, but that's clearly a personal preference.

Choice number two is an Italian Beef I had in September at Cafe Florian in Hyde Park. I posted on this experience HERE. Cafe Florian just is not the type of place where you expect to get a good Italian Beef (think wooden booths, indirect lighting, and art by local artists, versus laminate surfaces in BRIGHT colors, fluorescent tube lighting and Vienna Beef signs). I took a flyer and they surprised me.

J & C Bombacigno's
558 W Van Buren
312-663-411

Cafe Florian
450 E 57th St
773-752-4100

I hold firm to my original great sandwich position. It's incredibly hard to beat the chicken, bacon, tomato and blue cheese from Milk and Honey on Division.

They start with a chicken breast grilled after being marinated in pesto add slow oven roasted tomato, crispy thick bacon and blue cheese dressing to toasted sliced Red Hen Ciabatta.

An amazing Sammy.

Lots of good picks!

I'm the guy whose Jeep will be three years old in two months and yet has just 6000 miles on it. Suffice to say, I'm often amused at the lengths that fellow posters go to quench a particular taste. Thanks for making me want to drive somewhere...

Inspiring to say the least, but metaphorically speaking, I kind of have alot on my plate these days. I'm a strong supporter of local businesses and as a four year resident of the West Loop, when I see one of the many vacant storefronts get an occupant, I try to give them my business.

I'm lucky that I can walk effortlessly to either Grand Street or Taylor Street for a snack, but for a sandwich I usually hit Jerry's. The website has the specials for the week listed.

If you find yourself in the West Loop, give them a try! I think they deliver to the loop...

Jerry's Sandwiches
1045 W. Madison Street
Chicago, IL. 60607
312.563.1008 - FAX 312.563.1009

M-F 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday - 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Just for a counterpoint....

Out in the burbs, a good deli can be hard to find. Not that they're not out there, just hard to find, and inconvenient to say, a Woodfield-area shopper.

The Asiago Roast Beef sandwich at Panera is probably the best you can get at a chain. Decent bread, and a host of strong flavors (smoked cheese, red onion and horseradish) make it a very tasty choice, one even my dog can't pass up, but that's another show



The fact that I'm also addicted to Burger King's sausage croissanwich by no means serves as an endorsement of it being a high quality sandwich.

The fact that I'm also addicted to Burger King's sausage croissanwich by no means serves as an endorsement of it being a high quality sandwich.

I love the McDonald's Steak, Egg and Cheese Bagel, so you are in good company.

Regards,

Not to be flip, but there seriously is something wrong and yet so right about fake syrup in the McGriddle, like liquid crack injected in hotcake goodness.

Sometimes I can't say no.

MJN wrote:Not to be flip, but there seriously is something wrong and yet so right about fake syrup in the McGriddle, like liquid crack injected in hotcake goodness.

Sometimes I can't say no.

go watch "Supersize Me" if you haven't, watch it again if you have already...

* Granddaddy's Deli on Taylor makes a huge italian sub when i don't want a wreck.

* Calabrese Baking Co's italian sandwiches for lunch (Belmont/Manheim in Franklin park). Tho i know it's not called calabrese's anymore... i can't remember the new name... it's on the southwest corner of belmont/manheim tho. prosciutto/capicola sandwiches on freshly baked breads.