Italian Beef

Name: Portillo’s

Location: Greater Chicago

Meal: Multiple (Italian Beef, Chop Salad, Garbage Salad)

Type: Local Restaurant

Portillo’s is one of my favorite restaurants when it comes to Chicago food. What they do best, is doing so many things well. Not only do they serve one of the best Italian Beef sandwiches around, they also serve great Chicago style hot dogs, and they also serve some of my favorite salads. They do this while providing some of most consistently great service I’ve ever experienced. In the two years that I have visited the Chicago area, I would say that I’ve eaten at Portillo’s more than five times; once even for lunch and dinner in the same day. For someone who prides himself of being the Hungry Traveler, always looking for another place, that is saying something.

Lots more after the jump.

The Italian beef is one of Chicago’s best; most will agree that an Italian beef isn’t complete until it has either the sweet or spicy peppers on it (or both). As a reader of this site can quickly figure out I don’t often order a salad. My aversion to salads is not a result of any dislike of them; rather most salads on menus across the country tend to be fairly boring (and you can’t deep fry a salad…yet!). The salads are Portillo’s are anything but boring. The first is the Chopped Salad made with lettuce, chicken, bacon, tomato, Gorgonzola, green onion, and pasta. Yes, they mix cold pasta into their salad with terrific results. The second is the Garbage Salad with lettuce, fresh radish, salami, provolone cheese, roasted red pepper, and celery. Both of the salads are familiar to me but notched up just a few levels by adding the right ingredients for taste and texture. Portillo’s also is unique with what they serve their salads with. No hard hunks of bread here, Portillo’s serves their salads with a warm lemon poppy muffin. You wouldn’t think a muffin would work with a salad but it does.

Portillo’s really is great food. If you were going to Chicago and only had time to try one restaurant I’m pretty sure Portillo’s would be recommendation, if only for sheer number of option within their menu. Portillo’s really says Chicago better than most restaurants; and Chicago has a lot to say.

Garbage Salad

Chopped Salad

Close-up of Chopped Salad

Italian Beef

Sweet Peppers make an Italian Beef

Portillo's at night

Al's Italian Beef

Name: Al’s Beef

Location: Chicago, IL

Meal: Italian Beef sandwich, Cheese fries, and Pepsi

Type: Sandwich

Chicago, besides being a great city of its own right, is a city torn between three culinary poster-children. You can find good support for the Chicago hot dog, the deep dish pizza, or the Italian beef being the food to best associate with Chicago. As previously mentioned, I have love for the Chicago hot dog, but for my money Italian beef is Chicago to me.

Lots more after the jump. To be fair, I’m originally from outside of Philadelphia and biased towards the awesomeness that is a Philly Cheesesteak, primarily a beef sandwich with a chewy roll. A good Italian beef sandwich doesn’t always have a chewy roll, it softens and mushes up by the time you’re done eating it. It is a sandwich that is a study in flavor: beefiness, sweet and savory peppers, hot and spicy peppers, and garlicky goodness.

The cheese fries are good, the fries in particular are fresh-cut and the cheese is every bit the manufactured gooeyness you want. This is a meal that really benefits from an ice-cold Pepsi; it cools the spice of the peppers and provides just enough bite to be delicious. If you’re going to Chicago, for the purpose of eating just go ahead now and book a return trip. There is no way you’d be able to eat all of Chicago’s best in one trip but when you’re there start with an Italian beef, you’ll be happy you did.

Italian Beef

Cheese Fries

Pepsi