Chicago foods spotted elsewhere

Maybe this is more of an Other Culinary Chat topic.

When I first moved to KC, I started noticing stuff I was used to thinking as my hometown Chicago vendors's wares in grocers and markets around town. El Milagro and Del Rey tortillas and chips, for example. Those are clearly larger operations.

What was more interesting were some of the smaller connections. There is a Middle Eastern store in the City Market that sells desserts from Feyrous Pastries. The Korean grocer near my home here sells some wrapped desserts from a Korean store on Lawrence. Since we moved from the Kedzie and Lawrence area, it was both comforting and jarring to see such local foodstuffs so far abroad. And a little weird, because, for example, I always passed up Feyrous in favor of Nazareth Sweets. I want to tell the guy, just go a couple blocks down...it's way better!

Anyway, I was prompted to post today when I saw Manny's corned beef at Costco. Who knew?

I thought other Chicago expats might like a place to record such finds, and those living there might find it interesting.

While on a trip to Santa Fe, NM many years ago [10 or 12] with my dad, we spotted a Carmen's pizza outlet there, with the same exact logo. A somewhat random location, I thought [Santa Fe is not exactly Chicago's westernmost suburb, that nod goes to Phoenix].

While living in DC for two years [moved back in July], I searched for a good place to watch the Bears on sundays. Crystal City Sports Pub was a huge, three-level sports bar that offered every game, but I wanted something smaller, with more Bears fans. I eventually settled on Union Pub on the Senate side of Capitol Hill, but not before stopping by one sunday to the Billy Goat Tavern, near Georgetown's Law School [by the Judiciary Square metro, nowhere near the neighborhood of Georgetown]. An odd fit into the corner of a building, it was a far-flung outpost of the Chicago institution, with a similar setup of bar on one side, grill on the other.

AaronSinger wrote:While on a trip to Santa Fe, NM many years ago [10 or 12] with my dad, we spotted a Carmen's pizza outlet there, with the same exact logo. A somewhat random location, I thought [Santa Fe is not exactly Chicago's westernmost suburb, that nod goes to Phoenix].

My understanding is that the founder of Carmen's moved out there and started that restaurant. I'm not sure if he/she sold the Chicago locations, or what. I grew up in Evanston and Carmen's was my favorite pizza. I've only had it a few times recently, but I've been really disappointed each time. I'm not sure if this is a classic case of remembering childhood foods as being better than they really were, or if the quality actually has gone down.

Spotted on the Savannah waterfront this last weekend: A "Chicago Style Hotdogs" stand, right across from where the tour busses disgorge their passengers. The place had a real Vienna sign and also served Johnsonville Brats. I didn't sample the wares.

Aaron Deacon wrote:Anyway, I was prompted to post today when I saw Manny's corned beef at Costco. Who knew?

The trademark for Manny's corned beef is owned by (or at least leased to) City Foods, so it's not unlikely it could show up in many locales. Info here.

Granted, Sweet Baby Ray's is about as "Chicago" as McDonald's is "San Bernardino" but I can buy the stuff practically anywhere in Stockholm.

I don't, though.

Bridgestone wrote:Granted, Sweet Baby Ray's is about as "Chicago" as McDonald's is "San Bernardino" but I can buy the stuff practically anywhere in Stockholm.

I don't, though.

"Buying Sweet Baby Ray's in Stockholm" sounds like the next "Reading Lolita In Tehran."