Italian Beef and more returning to Orange County / SoCal

As an FYI to any SoCalers out there...we have a few choices for good "Chicago Food" in SoCal but the best might soon be arriving...and no, I'm not talking about Portillo's opening this fall.

Some of you may remember Giorgio's of Chicago in Laguna Niguel which closed 3 years ago. It was outstanding and even had a write-up in the LA Times. The owner's son is opening up a new place next week. "Chicago's Best" is at 2540 Main St in Irvine (near Jamboree), and it will be more of a fast food type place than Giorgio's was. No pizza, but Vienna dogs, polish, meatball sandwiches, homemade italian beef, sausage, Gonella bread, hand cut fries and more.

I'm looking forward to giving it a try and will report back.

Well, if you can put up with me responding to my own post...

I was at the preview opening tonight (officially opens next Monday 4/25) and wow, it's good...not good for SoCal Chicago wanna-be food standards, but REALLY GOOD. If I may blasphemize (is that a word?) myself...it was "Johnnie's"-type good. The beef and sausage is homemade (on Gonella bread), hot dogs are Vienna on Rosen buns (I think), hand-cut fries are superb.

Chicago's Best is hidden in a strip mall food court, but if they can keep the quality of the food up, it will not be a secret for long.

2 wishes: Dessert (um, some homemade italian ice would do nicely) and lower prices (beef is $5.50, combo $6.00. fries $2.50). Hey, it IS SoCal!

My wife is a native Californian and she may have put it best..."I had forgotten how good it was".

Menu below: