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I checked out a new place tonight in Uptown called Fat Cat. Nice atmosphere, and surprisingly busy for their second night in business. I ordered a Braised Cuban Pork Belly sandwich which was just excellent. It came with cheese and red cabbage slaw on a ciabatta roll. It was like a cross between a Rueben, and a pulled pork sandwich without the smoke or BBQ sauce. Very very tasty.

Fat Cat
4840 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
773.506.3100
Dinner M-Sun
Lunch Sat, Sun

While finishing off my move to the new apt. I was going through some old photos and was reminded of Jamie's post. So here it is...food porn in all it's glory... though when you see this sammy cut in half, it is certainly of the hardcore variety.

A co-worker took me to Perry's today for lunch. The sandwiches were almost as big as the line to get them. On the whole I was impressed that such a place exists in Chicago but not all that impressed with the quality of the sandwich itself.

I'm quite the fan of Manny's but its offerings are somewhat lacking. Perry's has a few more options, some of them rather creative--I'd never think to combine spicy salami and corned beef.

Anyway, I had (and actually quite easily finished) the Caveat Emptor. This is a hulking creation that's probably 50% larger than most of the other sandwiches on the menu or a standard corned beef at Manny's. My biggest problem was that despite its size, the sandwich lacked any distinctive flavor. The roast beef, turkey, and corned beef lacked any seasoning; even salt would've been a welcome addition. The Russian dressing, which appeared to be homemade, was also quite unremarkable. The lack of Cel-Ray also was a disappointment. Instead, I had to settle for a standard Black Cherry.

I would go back to Perry's but not in a hurry. It's good when you're in for that type of sandwich but besides that I'm not sure I really see the point.

I finally made to Chickie's on Pulaski yesterday. It definitely is not the same thing I got at Chickie's2 in Cicero. It was a lot better. Great flavor, great meat. As good as Al's#1, or pretty damn close. This is now my destination for "closest superbeef" sandwiches.

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What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

I enjoyed a fabulous pan fried perch po-boy at Glenn' Diner on Montrose last Sunday. It was much closer than the Tavern on Grand in St. Paul, MN for a great fried walleye sandwich.

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Feed me!

Nottoli deli on Belmont near cumberland makes a mean italian Sub. 6, 9, or 12 inch with provalone,prosciutto, capicola,mortadell, genoa salami, with a nice oil and vinegar dressing. Ask for hot giardineira(homemade) to make it complete.

Well, in the consistently inconsistent world of Italian Beefs, I had one at Chickies2 tonight, it was great. As good as Chickies on Pulaski. Go figure. Also had a great mango Italian ice.

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What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

According to "The Today Show" the Frenchy's Fantasy at Perry's Deli is one of the top five sandwiches in the nation.

Jamie

And no one in Maine can make a better Maine lobster roll than this one place in California?

That Fantasy sounds great. Twenty bucks for that lobster sandwich? Puh-leeze.

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What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

Sandwiches I still dream about:

Al's Deli, Noyes Street, Evanston: Roast Beef Croissant. Perfect textures of roast beef, tomato, lettuce, swiss, croissant and bearnaise sauce.

The first Combo (beef+sausage) I ever had -- the place in Northbrook is long gone.

Just last week, a brisket sandwich on a kaiser, with jus to dip into, at Max and Benny's, Northbrook. It loses points for lousy slaw and an outrageous $9.99 price (doesn't include soup, potato, nuttin but pickle and the egregious slaw), but it was still a perfect sandwich.

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What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

Well... After trying the beef at The Original Mr Beef in Homer Glen at lunch on Tuesday (great sandwich! Good beef with a nicely spiced gravy with a nice zing to it) I was eager to have my bride give it a try and after checking locations on Google Maps I was delighted to see there was one on Ogden near Oak Park Ave...

Grrr... No where to be seen and after getting home I checked the forum and sure enough... Gone!

Ever resourceful I thought for a minute... Mmmm... Hey! There was Chickie's II on Cermak not too far away! Never been there and I have only heard good things...

Grrr... Closed! Dark, remains of tape that was once holding a sign in the window, not open for a while...

Man! I am not going to get my beef, am I?

Think again for a few... Grrr... My Bride (at home) is getting hungry so I decided to stop at Freddie's on 16th and grab her a chicken dish that they always have on hand and some of there great salads and then head up to Johnnie's on North.

After the stop at Freddie's (They threw in a free loaf of their homemade bread as they were close to closing ) and dropped it off at the house and started the trek to Johnnie's with a side trip to Starship Subs for a cold sandwich for our trip to Iowa tomorrow and at Starship they had their Roast Beef sandwich as a special of the day... Thickly sliced beef cooked to falling apart tenderness slathered in a rich brown gravy...

Mmmm... ... and the Cream of Mushroom Soup was also in their variety of soups today.

I'm Sold!

I never did get my Italian Beef but things worked out pretty good anyway.

Original Mr Beef
12320 W 143rd St, Homer Glen
(708) 645-0456

Freddy's Pizzeria
1600 S 61st Ave, Cicero
(708) 863-9289

Starship Restaurant & Catering
7618 W Madison, Forest Park
(708) 771-3016

Johnnie's Beef
7500 W North Ave, Elmwood Park
(708) 452-6000

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

You should've tried Scatchell's, on Cermak about a block East of Cicero. They have a great IB sandwich.

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What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

That Mr B closed about a year ago. It moved a few times, and I think ulitmately, there was a very bad illness in the family. Just an FYI - I bet you were wondering about that Novi's Beef on Oak Park and Ogden if you saw it, no? I think it's decent beef, but their "famous" homemade giardiniera is just plain stupid and bad. I make my own giardiniera, so I can order one plain, and doctor it up, and it's serviceable.

I would have recommended the trip to Johnnies for your IB, and then sammiches for your drive from Alpine just down the street from Johnnies.
I've pimped Alpine Sub Shop as one of the best subs around - maybe even upthread a bit. If you are around the area, give Alpine a shot instead of Starship if you haven't already. It's a REALLY quick drive FROM Starship as a matter of fact. Straight up Lathrop to North Ave. Just E of Lathrop on the N side of the road.
(when / if you become a regular, turn E into the alley just N of North avenue on Lathrop, and park on the side of the shop ; )
Alpine Food Shop
7538 W North Ave,
Elmwood Park, IL
60707

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We cannot be friends if you do not know the difference between Mayo and Miracle Whip.

Ja,

I have tried Scatchell's when I lived in that area and it is pretty good!

Just trying to work thru my list of 600 LTH must tries.



I have given Novi's a try in the past but with all of the great beef places in the area I wasn't inpressed enough to make it a destination. Maybe if I was hungry on the corner and waiting for a bus... Good, just not great.



Johnnies was my destination but when I saw the Roast Beef special at Starship my trip ended there.

I do have a strong desire to try Alpine and it is on my 600 list but their mostly daytime hours have not allowed me to stop. I will have to make special plans for a weekend sometime as I do a lot of weekend hiking and a great sub to take along on the hike is awesome! ... or for a picnic at Bullfrog Lake in Palos...

Thanks!

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Yep, still can't tell. Over, under, and all in between.



A more civilized view:


It's a sloppy good sandwich.

When you are in the proper mood -- or condition -- it's tough to beat a DIY Double-Fish-With-Jalapeno-Cheese-And-Pickles at White Castle, for breakfast.

First, buy an even number of Regular (not doubles) Fish-With-Cheese sandwiches and specify: 1) jalapeno cheese; and 2) pickles; and 3) tartar sauce. Then, at the table, take two sandwiches and remove either two or three of the bun-halves (depending on your preference for proper bun-to-fish balance). Re-assemble the two fish cakes, each with their own cheese slice (very important) onto one bun-half. Top with a second bun-half or omit the second one and eat it open-face (for the daintier, low-carb experience, of course).

I prefer to remove the pickles and eat them at my own pace, rather than trusting the "luck of the draw" in every bite. Sometimes, you just want the combination of fish, spicy cheese and tartar sauce taste, sans pickle.

Please refer to the first line in this post -- it definitely helps to NEED this sandwich.

Heheh, that sounds... awesome. Think I might try that out -- for breakfast -- before the end o' the month. (I got a coupon for free fries that expires then.)

Thanks for the suggestion (and great fast-food visual),
Dan

Shifting gears from the ridiculous to the sublime for seafood-based sandwiches, I need to recommend the lobster roll at the Blue Crab Bar at Shaw’s.

It is the closest you can get to the real thing in the Chicago area as they use the appropriate split-top bun and minimal amount of dressing.

Only drawback is you rarely get whole claw meat like you would with the real-deal in Maine. Price is reasonable as well.

Wifey had a a craving for a Banh Mi yesterday, so we went to Ba Le. Ordered the BBQ pork sandwiches. I would have to say, its a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The sweet, salty, spicy, vinegary flavors blend well together. And the crispy, crunchy, fresh texture makes you wonder why you didn't order 5 of them to get 1 free....

Paid a visit to Caputo's Cheese Market today to pick up some Parmesan and my favorite Liver Sausage:




When I spied them making these fine specimens for the upcoming lunch crowd:

Super Italian

[URL=http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=520&i=p1000253lo7.jpg][IMG

Super & Regular Italian:


[URL=http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=511&i=p1000251lm0.jpg][

Don't know if it qualifies as the best, but it was pretty damn good!

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Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.
Woody Allen

List updated!

Great Sandwiches...

1. Alpine Subs - Subs
2. Al's - Italian Beef, dipped, with hot giardinera
3. Al's Deli, Evanston - roast beef and bleu cheese on a baguette, Roast Beef Croissant
4. AguasCalientes on 26th - Steak/nopales gorditas
5. Ashkenaz Deli - Liver and Pastrami
6. Augustino's - Italian or American sub
7. Closed! B & M Bakery - Cevapcici on Bosnian pita
8. Ba Le - #1 Special Banh Mi, shrimp cake
9. Bari Foods - Italian sub, genoa salami, fresh basil and fressh mozzerella sub, Smoked turkey, muenster, sun dried tomatoes, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard
10. Bismillah - Frontier Chicken roll
    Blue Crab Bar at Shaw’s - lobster roll
11. Borinquen Restaurant - Jibaritos
12. Buffalo Joe's - Arizona Chicken Sandwich
13. Cafe Salamera - Norky's Porky
14. Cafe y Restaurante de Pancho - Jibarito sandwich
15. Captain Nemo's - Roast beef and cheese with extra Captain's sauce
16. Caputo's Cheese Market - Italian Sub
17. Cedar Grill in Downers Grove - chicken Shawerma
18. Chickie's - Beef
19. C'n'D's - Gyro Melt
20. Dengeo's - Gyro
21. Depot American Diner - pot roast sandwich
22. Dixie Kitchen - Carolina Pulled Pork
23. Dunlay's on Clark - Club sandwich
24. El Taco Veloz - Suiza torta
25. Fat Cat - Braised Cuban Pork Belly sandwich
26. Fontanos - Subs
27. Closed! Fontana - Cevapcici on Bosnian pita
28. Francis' Deli, Clark St - Corned beef and pastrami combo Reuben
29. Freddy's Deli - Sub on their own bread
30. Glenn' Diner - pan fried perch po-boy
31. Goddess and the Grocer - Chicken Sandwich
32. Heaven on Seven - Poor Boy (soft shell crab, chicken or shrimp), oyster poor boy
33. Home of the Hogie - Steak Hogie
34. Hop Leaf - Nueskie ham and slaw sandwich
35. Hot Doug's - thuringer, venison sausage, apple/gouda chicken, bratwurst
36. Jerry's - Marky B. grilled on ciabatta (onions, homemade roquefort blue cheese dressing, red onion, crisp cool shredded lettuce, and tomato), The Ramon X (american white bread, pepper jack cheese, Roast turkey, avocado, lettuce, tomato, southwest mayo), Jim A (steak, bacon, smoked gouda, chipotle chutney)
37. Jim's Original - Polish
38. Johnnie's - Italian Beef, Italian Beef/sausage combo, pepper and egg
39. Jury's - Blue cheese burger
40. La Banh Mi Hung Phat - Banh Mi
41. La Unica - Cubano's
42. Lincoln Lodge - grilled onion bacon burger
43. Manny's - Two handed corned beef and pastrami sandwiches on onion rolls, Hand carved rare roast beef on an onion roll (with sides of kishke and latke), Pastrami
44. Mario's Deli, 1700 W Lake St Addison or Addison Street in Bensenville - Joey's Sub: Imported Ham, Genova Salami, Roast Beef, Provolone Cheese, Italian Dressing, Lettuce, Tomato
45. Max and Benny's, Northbrook - brisket sandwich on a kaiser
46. Milk and Honey - BLT, Chicken breast with bacon,oven roasted tomato and blue cheese on thin sliced toasted italian country bread
47. Mother's - roast beef po' boy with debris (NOLA)
48. Nhu Lan in Lincoln Square - Banh Mi
49. Nottoli deli - italian Sub
50. Mr. Beef - Italian Beef
51. The Original Mr Beef -
52. Papa’s Cache Sabroso Restaurant - Jibarito sandwich
53. Peppo's - medium (10") number 10 pastrami and swiss
54. Perry's - Mega-sandwich, Caveat Emptor, Frenchy's Fantasy
55. Riccobennes - Breaded steak
56. Salerno's - Meatball sandwich
57. Sarkis - Lorettas and Disasters
58. Scatchell's - Italian Beef
59. Semirami's - Beef & Lamb Shawerma Special, Falafel Special (meatless)
60. Silver Palm - Hamburger, Duck Club
61. Schmaltz - Pastrami, Corned Beef and Kosher Dog
62. Smoque - chopped brisket, pulled pork
63. Southport Grocery - Ham, turkey, and Gruyere
64. Spring Forest Deli - Italian sub
65. Starship Subs - Beefeater and Crazy Club
66. Superdog - Cheeseburger
67. Tango in Naperville - steak sandwich with a load of chimichurri
68. Taqueria Puebla's - Cemita
69. Taqueria La Oaxaquena - Steak and Cactus Paddle Torta
70. That's a Burger - Cheeseburger w/ egg
71. The Riviera - The Will Special
72. Twisted Spoke - shrimp po' boy
73. University Market - butter croissant, Honeycup mustard, Westphalian ham, fresh red tomato, iceberg lettuce, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
74. White Castle - Double-Fish-With-Jalapeno-Cheese-And-Pickles
75. Wieners Circle - Char polish (grilled onions/mustard/hot peppers)
76. The Work's - Gyros

Out of town

Jake's Deli in Milwaukee - pastrami on rye
My Old Kentucky Home in Bowling Green, Kentucky - ham sandwich on white bread, with iceberg lettuce, and yellow mustard
Pig Squeal, Waverly, AL - Pulled pork
Tony Luke's, Phillie - roast pork
Tavern on Grand, St. Paul, MN - fried walleye sandwich

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Desafortunadamente, Cafe Salamera esta muerto tambien.

Thanks, Panther, for the handy-dandy list. That really is useful.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Spit out the gum, sister!

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Onion Rolls? <--------SUSPECT

Otherwise thanks for the great list

Although out of town - but close - is in Milwaukee. Elsa's on the Park:

PORK CHOP VARIATION I
Grilled in a ginger sauce, covered with sliced cucumbers, radish sprouts, and spicy mayonnaise.
$10.75

Great list but Panozzo's vegetarian sub (eggplant, fresh mozzarello, red peppers, pesto, vinegar & oil) needs to be on it. Try it, you'll see what I mean:

1303 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605

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"The fork with two prongs is in use in northern Europe. In England, they’re armed with a steel trident, a fork with three prongs. In France we have a fork with four prongs; it’s the height of civilization." Eugene Briffault (1846)

Panther,

Is this your personal list of favorites, or an aggregate of the recommendations in this thread?

Either way, thank you for your hard work.

If it's the latter, might I suggest adding the screen name of the person recommending it (if you choose to continue updating it)?

Best,
Michael

Aggregate.

Thanks!

I should be able to add names next time. I love a good list.

I have the un-updated list as a file to upload to a car nav or GPS but I had some trouble with the addresses and phone numbers coming through. Still working on it... I might have to do it manually (yuck!).

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon

Stopped at Borinquen Restaurant with my younger son tonight and tried the Jibaritos for the first time.

Mmmm...

I didn't remember clearly what was the ingredients but I knew there was beef involved.

The garlic wafting up from the plate... The first bite with stuff trying to squirt out the back end... The tender meat... The giant painting on the back wall... The place filling to capacity by 7:00...

At first I thought the 'bread' was some kind of corm meal as I couldn't taste any sweetness and was actually surprised when #2 saw in a clipping on the wall that is was actually smashed, double fried, garlic infused plantains. There was an employee actually smashing them as we were waiting to pay our bill.

Brought one to my bride... All she could say was "Oh! That is so good!".

Thanks!

Had the white rice with beans with a dash of their sauce. A delightful porkiness.

Had the meat pie... Dry, with too little meat.

What was the dark sausage in the front window? The table next to us had a plate of it as an appetizer.

The special of the day was Beef Stew? I bet that is good.

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"Make Lunch, Not War" ~ Anon