I'm a huge fan of Alpine Subs on North ave just east of Lathrop ave in ELmwood Park - west burbs. Saw a few mentions of Starship which isn't too far away from Alpine. If anyone who posted about Starship gives alpine a try, love to hear how they compare. I've had plenty of Starship - used to live a block away, but I'd take an Alpine over Starship any day of the week. For those that make thew trek to Johnnies on North ave, it's right around there. Alpine is a tiny Italian food shop. Subs are very simple, but with VERY good ingredients. All meat is shaved super thin - finely shredded lettuce, super thin tomato slices, and a super spiced garlic basil vinaigrette that you will smell on yourself all day. Also, they only use hellman's mayo on their sammiches and salads. I can't STAND the cheap sweet mayo or miracle whip a lot of sub joints use. If you go, lately they've been kinda stingy with the sub dressing for some reason. Just ask them to drench it, and give it a few minutes to soak into the bread. And there we go - the drooling has started.

Five of my favorites not already mentioned but very much worthy of note by all not already familiar with them:

1) Corned beef and pastrami combo Reuben-
Francis' deli Clark St.

2) Hand carved rare roast beef on an onion roll
(with sdes of kishke and latke)- Manny's

3) Char polish (grilled onions/mustard/hot peppers)
Wieners Circle.

4) Breaded steak- Riccobennes.

5) Frontier Chicken roll- Bismillah

It's funny -- today's Trib listed readers' favorite sammys, including a cube steak poor boy, a cheeseburger topped with gyros, and a corned beef and chopped liver in Naperville.

Except for the corned/liver (which Max and Benny's does a fine job of), those don't appeal.

Sorry, I don't have a link handy.

JoelF wrote:It's funny -- today's Trib listed readers' favorite sammys...

Sorry, I don't have a link handy.

Here it is:

Passions of the crust (free registration required)

JoelF wrote:... including a cube steak poor boy, ...

I had one of those, actually very good! Especially if it is nice and juicy!

List updated

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=97792#97792

seebee wrote:Saw a few mentions of Starship which isn't too far away from Alpine. If anyone who posted about Starship gives alpine a try, love to hear how they compare. I've had plenty of Starship - used to live a block away, but I'd take an Alpine over Starship any day of the week. For those that make thew trek to Johnnies on North ave, it's right around there. Alpine is a tiny Italian food shop. Subs are very simple, but with VERY good ingredients. All meat is shaved super thin - finely shredded lettuce, super thin tomato slices, and a super spiced garlic basil vinaigrette that you will smell on yourself all day. Also, they only use hellman's mayo on their sammiches and salads. I can't STAND the cheap sweet mayo or miracle whip a lot of sub joints use. If you go, lately they've been kinda stingy with the sub dressing for some reason. Just ask them to drench it, and give it a few minutes to soak into the bread. And there we go - the drooling has started.

Alpine rocks. They kick Starship's rear flanks. I usually like Starship's soups but for a place that is supposed to be a "sandwich" shop, their sandwiches are just so-so. If Alpine didn't have that big tree right in front of the place blocking their signage and storefront, they'd probably be a hell of a lot busier than they typically are. I drove past it for years and didn't even know it was there.

Went to Freddy's for a sub yesterday, and used the VI-approved method of asking that they use their own bread for the sub rather than the Turano's (which is the default bread). For $6.36, I got a massive sandwich:



Massive...though somewhat inexpertly made. The cheese was pointless, adding only gumminess, not much flavor, and the meat was pre-cut and coiled into the sandwich so that everything kind of mushed up together, ingredients lost their distinct personality, and despite the excellent bread, I felt I was loading up on simple fuel rather than enjoying food.

My husband and I have been hitting Jerry's a lot since we discovered it a few weeks ago. I did a quick search for it on the board and didn't find anything major, so I thought I'd mention them here.

For $7.50, you get to pick your bread and any number/type of toppings and sauces (many of them homemade), within reason. They have about 70 choices! You could eat there every day and pretty much never have the same thing twice!

The first sandwich I had there was a doozy--smoked salmon, fresh mozzarella, avocado, smoky roasted peppers, pesto, aioli, lettuce, tomato and onion on french bread. They were very generous with the smoked salmon and the avocado, two of my favorite things. Oh yeah, and you also get your pick of sides--they usually have fruit salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, potato salad, and other stuff--and a very good fresh pickle. They have the usual lunch meats, plus roast salmon and roast chicken too (done in-house, I'm assuming).

The people are always good and they have Scooter's frozen custard and Intelligentsia coffee. If my husband and I move from Lakeview to West Loop, we'll know where to get our Scooter's fix without having to make the drive.

I gotta go eat lunch--I'm salivating.

Ill cast my votes,

Italian Beef:
Johnnies
7500 W. North Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL.

I think Johnnies is the best beef in the city, or the suburbs.


Corned Beef on Rye or Rueben:
Manny's Deli
1141 S. Jeffferson
Chicago, IL.
www.mannysddeli.com

the rueben is top notch, and I really like their corned beef in general. A Chicago institution.


Italian sub, or an American sub:
Augustino's
246 Schmale
Carol Stream, IL.
www.augustinos.com

My favorite sub sandwich around. I have been going to this place for 20 years. They also have a location in West Chicago, and now downtown Chicago. Great bread, large portions, and a good price.

A favorite since high school (very nearby my alma mater, actually).
Peppo's subs. Gonella, vienna beef- fairly workaday ingredients for the most part. What really sets this sub apart is the relish, called "Guts"- a chopped mix of fresh tomato, white onion, and homemade dill pickle, lightly dressed in a vinaigrette and spiked with celery salt. My favorite sub in Cook County. I like a medium (10") number 10- pastrami and swiss.



Peppo's
10626 s Roberts Road
Palos Hills, IL 60465
708-974-1755

Mmmm, that looks very good, Jefe.

-ramon

I HATE dill pickle on sandwiches (even hate eating a burger if a dill pickle touched the bun) but that looks so good I think I'd like it Jefe!

For my addition, to the sandwich mix:
The Suiza torta at El Taco Veloz.
First it is a mammoth beast, with a big piece of milanesa between two thick slices of griddled ham with enough cheese to not be able to tell if it is over, under or between the meat. Also has some avocado and maybe some beans and such, not 100% sure cause I was afraid to open it
It is also only $4.25.

Jamie

Jefe -
Nice. I'm so there. (had some nasty dental work done recently - might take a week or two,) but I am SO there.

Ah, sandwiches. That's one food item that pretty much has to be made by someone else. A sandwich loses about 50% of its flavor when I make it myself

1. Ba Le - shrimp cake. Or really, just about anything that isn't pork skin.

2. La Unica - well, you know.

3. Cafe Salamera - Norky's Porky. I have yet to consume a whole one though.

4. Lincoln Lodge - grilled onion bacon burger. It's not the best quality burger in town, but this is our go-to when we want a massive slab o' meat garnished with all the things that make life worth living: namely, bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce.

5. Hot Doug's - just about anything, but most of all, the bratwurst (con sauerkraut please)

6. Al's in Evanston - roast beef and bleu cheese on a baguette.

7. From an earlier post: " Cevapcici on Bosnian pita from B & M Bakery". Indeed. Is such a thing findable in Chicago now that the unfortunately named B & M is no longer with us?

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:7. From an earlier post: " Cevapcici on Bosnian pita from B & M Bakery". Indeed. Is such a thing findable in Chicago now that the unfortunately named B & M is no longer with us?

Check out Fontana

Best,
Michael

David Hammond wrote:Went to Freddy's for a sub yesterday, and used the VI-approved method of asking that they use their own bread for the sub rather than the Turano's (which is the default bread). For $6.36,

It seems about a buck more than I usually pay for those. Is the Freddy-made bread an upgrade?

My favorite sandwich for many years has been and still is the #1 special banh mi from Ba Le. I tried Nhu Lan in Lincoln Square and while theirs was good, I feel Ba Le's is still better.

I also enjoy the shrimp po' boy from Twisted Spoke.

I miss the cuban sandwich from the now gone Ambassador Cafe, but I still get my fix from La Unica as well.

Steak/nopales gorditas from AguasCalientes on 26th are mighty damn tasty!

You forgot Smoque's chopped brisket sammie and the pulled pork...when you can actually get them. Delish!

Now...who makes the best pepper and egg? Every Lent I go on the hunt. There used to be a place in Irving Park called Cas & Lou's but they've been gone over 15 years

Johnnie's isn't bad...

I have no dog -- or sausage -- in this fight, but I thought I would underscore Cathy's nod with:



You guys are tempting me just to do a sandwich tour on my upcoming trip.

-- extramsg, aka, an idiot with a camera

My absolute favorites in no particular order:


-La Unica: Cuban

-Bari: Smoked turkey, muenster, sun dried tomatoes, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard

-Dunlay's on Clark: Club sandwich

-Hot Doug's: Thuringer

It seems that working my way through each of these sandwiches would be a worthwhile pursuit for 2007. Will print out PiD's list and hang it from the car's visor for reference.

There are a lot of great sandwiches out there, and even more lousy ones. Thanks for some tips on where to find some good ones.

I like the steak sandwich at Tango in Naperville with a load of chimichurri, the chicken Shawerma at Cedar Grill in DG, the Pastrami, Corned Beef and Kosher Dog (3 diffeent, not one combo) at Schmaltz - all of whose sandwiches I have been sampling and I promise a report, soon.

Not sure if anyone mentioned Chickie's IB, yet either. Better than Johnnies of Al's? Yes and no. But definitely a great sammy.

And Tony Luke's roast pork in Phillie, but someone will tell me that is off topic.

Check out Fontana

Best,
Michael

I believe the windows at Fontana are papered over.

Let me add one more to this huge list.

I've never had anything in Chicago to match a Mother's roast beef po' boy with debris (NOLA), but if you forget about the bread (not the same) and dump the cole slaw on top, for sheer sloppiness and flavor the pot roast sandwich at the Depot comes close.

The Depot American Diner
5840 W. Roosevelt
(773) 261-8422

That is indeed a delicious sandwich.

I was wondering if anyone has had occasion to try the beef at Chickie's #2, on Roosevelt Rd. near Laramie, in Cicero? If so, how does it compare with Chickie's on Pulaski? Is it the same as you would expect on Pulaski? I went there and was told it was the 'same food', but a different owner, which made me question whether the food was the same.

Cogito wrote:I was wondering if anyone has had occasion to try the beef at Chickie's #2, on Roosevelt Rd. near Laramie, in Cicero? ....

Sure that isn't on cermak? I drove by one on Saturday, and thought about stopping in. Really thought it was on Cermak, and it had a #2 on the sign.
Hmm.. new browser, yellow pages, and POW!:
Chickie's 2
5517 W Cermak Rd
Cicero, IL

Yeah, you're right. It is on Cermak. I gotta put the pipe down.

A "Hans's Favorite" sandwich at the University Market (57th street and Kimbark in Hyde Park), featuring:

- Medici butter croissant, just baked
- liberal smears of Honeycup mustard
- Boar's Head Westphalian ham, cured hard with ribbons of rich fat
- fresh red tomato
- perfectly green and crunchy iceberg lettuce
- Boar's Head Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese*

One of pitifully few great sandwiches anywhere near the University of Chicago (2nd place: Carolina Pulled Pork at Dixie Kitchen).

University Market
1323 East 57th Street

Yea, Jefe! I'm so glad you brought up Peppo's, because I was just there today and wanted to write about it. Their "guts" (the lovely relish you see in the picture post above) is really what makes their sandwiches special.

They use regular Turano sub bread which can range from great! to kind of hard, depending on the day of the week, but their meats are deli thin and fresh and the guts ... well... need I say more?

Their guts come in regular (tomato, onion, pickle with oil & spices), garlic, jalepeno (my favorite), as well as a few others, I think. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

I'd also like to note that they've just moved:

Peppo's Dili-Deli
10303 Roberts Road
Palos Hills, IL
Ph: 708-237-1755

Also: I'd like to second the notion for the La Unica Cuban sandwich. Somehow they made a sandwich that included two things I wouldn't normally eat (ham, pickles), yet it managed to transcend into great sandwich territory, which, in my opinion, is a feat in and of itself.

For the record, I don't really care if the bread La Unica uses isn't authentic. Because it's fantastic!