I never really got Freddy's until my most recent lunch there the other day. I don't get to Freddy's very often because it isn't generally on my route and I still maintain that the food itself is not the greatest, but Freddy's is more about the people and the atmosphere than any particular dish that they serve. For lunch the other day, I had a porcetta sandwich and an arancini.
Of those two items, the arancini was easily the best item. It was well balanced and not too dry, which can be a common problem with items cooked as far in advance as this arancini was.
Freddy's Meat Arancini
I was very excited to try the porcetta sandwich. I didn't remember this item being offered the last time I was there, and lately the version served at
Panozzo's has taken my heart, so my hopes were high. Unfortunately, Freddy's version didn't hold a candle to the fatty, well seasoned version at Panozzo's. It was perfectly acceptable but not something I would get again, with such a great version to be had by driving a roughly equivalent distance from my house to the South Loop.
Freddy's Porcetta Sandwich
Like I said at the beginning of this post, Freddy's is more than just the food. The family that runs the place is extremely nice and accommodating to their patrons, and that same energy trickles down through the entire staff all the way to the guy who sweeps the floor. For example, the floor sweeper guy saw me taking pictures and noticed that I needed napkins. Without even being asked, he went inside and brought me out a handful of napkins (with a smile). Another thing I saw was a group of four old timers coming out of the store with one of the workers following behind them carrying their trays so they could keep their balance with both hands. The owner worked the patio area like a politician, making sure that everyone had everything they needed and greeting most of the patrons by name.
This was perhaps the best experience I have ever had at Freddy's.
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