What's the Best Sandwich in Chicago?

I raised the issue over on Chowhound and voted for the Chicken breast with bacon,oven roasted tomato and blue cheese on thin sliced toasted italian couintry bread as served at Milk and Honey.

The Will Special at the Riviera is a close second.

the term "sandwich" is a loose one! are you narrowing it down to deli-type sammiches or to encompass anything between two slices of bread/tucked into a pita?

Any of the Poor Boys at Heaven on Seven. I happen to love the soft shell crab poor boy, but the chicken or shrimp are also great. If you go to the original Heaven at 111 N. Wabash, it's lunch only. Get there early, or expect to wait in a line going quite a ways out the door.

As for deli, there's no second place. First place goes to Manny's, where all the food is great, but the two handed corned beef and pastrami sandwiches (I recommend them on onion rolls) are taste sensations.

I would find it hard to top (no pun intended) the Bari sub, with its two-hour-old D'amatos bread and hearty Italian toppings. Taste it, let the delicacy of its freshness play a little Rossini on your tongue, and other Italian subs seem like galumphing oafs by comparison.

More.

i have to agree with Mike G that the bari sub is beyond sublime. and i don't generally like "italian meats" sandwiches.

tho' its not the finest quality, being a big eater and a cold cuts- and wonder bread- lover, i get much enjoyment out of a mega-sandwich at perry's. the banh mi at ba le also make me giddy.

What constitutes a "sandwich," Will?

I am experiencing personal difficulties...



And, how about a "Top Ten," or something? I cannot be limited to one pick.


Erik M.

Hasn't this been done before? Now what of the beefs, cemitas, ahogadas/pambazos, Cubans, bahn mis, cevapcicis, etc. And that leaves out all the flatbread based Indo-Pak, Mexican, Trinidadi, Middle Eastern et al "sandwiches." It's too much to ask I think to narrow it down.

Oooh, what is that picture, Erik? I don't even know what it is and I feel an urge to rush out and eat one right away...

I agree it's a hard question--and nearly impossible to choose just one...but-->

I love the Cubano's at La Unica. They take forever to make (toast), but are worth the wait.

I also think that the Steak and Cactus Paddle Torta at Taqueria La Oaxaquena are delicious.

And while not in Chicago , the pastrami on rye at Jake's Deli in Milwaukee is well worth the drive up there.
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... ight=jakes

La Unica
1515 W Devon

La Oaxaquena
3382 N. Milwaukee

Jake's
1634 W North Ave
Milwaukee

JeffB wrote:Hasn't this been done before?

Insert Leff boilerplate #7 (the one about always being open to new viewpoints, not establishing an orthodoxy, etc.-- I have about 900 copies of it from my efforts to create a FAQ there).

A sandwich is anything that you consider a sandwich. I'm simply seeking to broaden my sandwich eating experience.

A jibarito is a sandwich in my book.

So is a Shwarma.

I just want to know what others like.

Didn't mean to offend anyone's sensibilities.

I'm partial to the Arizona Chicken Sandwich from Buffalo Joe's. I'm also a fan of the Dengeo's gyro.

geli wrote:Oooh, what is that picture, Erik? I don't even know what it is and I feel an urge to rush out and eat one right away...

April Fool's!!

That picture is of the souvlaki sandwich at King's No. 2 Gyros, and it SUCKED.

You are not the first to fall for this prank of mine.

Prank.

Prank.

I had better cut it out, though, JeffB is on to me.

,
Erik M.

King's No. 2 Gyros
5233 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773.736.5406

Erik M. wrote:

April Fool's!!

That picture is of the souvlaki sandwich at King's No. 2 Gyros, and it SUCKED.

Rats!
Maybe that's the sign of a great food photographer:making the not-so-edible look droolingly edible. Or maybe I'm just really, really hungry.

On Topic: I like (among others too numerous to name here)
jibaritos at Borinquen Restaurant in Humboldt Park
BLT at Milk and Honey
genoa salami, fresh basil and fressh mozzerella sub at Bari
hamburger at Silver Palm
nueskie ham and slaw sandwich at the Hop Leaf
[/quote]

I'm going to have to go with the Cuban from La Unica.


*It should be prefaced that I haven't tried Bari yet and look forward to doing so soon.

geli wrote:Maybe that's the sign of a great food photographer:making the not-so-edible look droolingly edible.

Or as a some here might likely suggest, it could be a sign that an idiot can take a good picture.

I certainly have an opinion on the matter. <Ahem>

geli wrote:On Topic: I like (among others too numerous to name here)
jibaritos at Borinquen Restaurant in Humboldt Park
BLT at Milk and Honey
genoa salami, fresh basil and fressh mozzerella sub at Bari
hamburger at Silver Palm
nueskie ham and slaw sandwich at the Hop Leaf

Although I have not had the burger at the Silver Palm, I like your list.

So, what is with the burger?

Regards,
Erik M.

I haven't been to the Silver Palm in a few months, so I'm foggy on the specifics--NOT that the expertly poured Matchbox vodka gimlets had anything to do with said fogginess--but the burger was damned good. Juicy, cooked exactly the way I wanted it, slightly blackened on the outside, medium rare inside. I don't remember what the condiments were or even what kind of bun it was on, but I do remember thinking that it tasted the way the best burger you ever had at a barbecue tasted.

I don't eat burgers too often, so I'm not up on where all the good ones in Chicago are, but this one really hit the spot. I'm not sure if it's the same chef there anymore, but given the high standards/consistency of the bartenders at the sister bar, I imagine that the quality of the food at Silver Palm doesn't vary too much from chef to chef.

If you go there, be sure to ask them to let you have a peek into the teeny kitchen--they use the actual train car's kitchen, with only a few modifications.

YourPalWill wrote:A sandwich is anything that you consider a sandwich. I'm simply seeking to broaden my sandwich eating experience.

A jibarito is a sandwich in my book.

So is a Shwarma.

I just want to know what others like.

Didn't mean to offend anyone's sensibilities.

Well a time may come when I tire of it, but right now one of my very favorite sandwiches is the Beef & Lamb Shawerma Special from Semirami's. Last night I thought ahead enough to remember to ask my wife for a few bites of her Falafel Special before it disappeared and was also very impressed. I'd say the latter is certainly my favorite for meatless sandwiches (though admittedly I'm not actively seeking such things out).

Erik M. wrote:Although I have not had the burger at the Silver Palm, I like your list. So, what is with the burger?

Burger from The Silver Palm

Silver Palm’s burger is very good. Here’s a picture of one being devoured next door at the Matchbox. Toppings are whatever you want: cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion (raw or grilled). On the side are decent fries, a sort of red cabbage slaw, and some pickled green tomato. Everyone knows about Silver Palm’s cocktails (same as Matchbox’s) but the food is quite good too. They also have an excellent wine list of about 50, many by the glass.

Bari Sub---Without a doubt, my favorite sandwich in town.

Many thanks to the person ( from the "old board" ) who steered me toward this gem of a place.

I can make the journey to Bari from Skokie ( usually on a Sunday morning ) and back in less than an hour. IMO, no other sub compares----

Rene G wrote:

Erik M. wrote:Although I have not had the burger at the Silver Palm, I like your list. So, what is with the burger?

Burger from The Silver Palm

Silver Palm’s burger is very good. Here’s a picture of one being devoured next door at the Matchbox. Toppings are whatever you want: cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion (raw or grilled). On the side are decent fries, a sort of red cabbage slaw, and some pickled green tomato. Everyone knows about Silver Palm’s cocktails (same as Matchbox’s) but the food is quite good too. They also have an excellent wine list of about 50, many by the glass.

And they have a pretty good Duck Club made with grilled duck breast, bacon and the rest of the usual club fixin's.

An Italian Beef, dipped, with hot giardinera, from Al's would be hard to beat in my book.

However,

The best sandwich I ever had was a ham sandwich on white bread, with iceberg lettuce, and yellow mustard from a place named "My Old Kentucky Home" in Bowling Green, Kentucky (Exit 22).

The year was 1990. I was driving back from Atlanta, sicker than a dog, starving, and pulled off to get a room. I grabbed a room, went to this store/deli, ordered a sandwich, chips, and a coke and went back to my room to eat and die. The damn thing was so good I ran back and got one more before they closed. The ham had great texture, with a tasteful contrast of the perfect saltiness of a country ham with the mustard, mixing with the textures of crunchy lettuce, soft white bread, and the perfect resistance of the thinly sliced ham slices. One of the sandwiches was served with mayo, which was also delicious but had the differing contrast of the saltiness of the ham and the sweetness of the mayo. However, since I prefer mustard over mayo that is what I remember.

The next morning I went and had another one for breakfast, got two to go, and bought a whole ham, some biscuit mix and other goodies.

Six years later, when I drove through the next time they were still there, and had the same great sandwiches with the same woman working. I stopped every year we drove to FL for 2 years, and then the woman moved, the place closed, new owners took over, and it has never been the same. I stopped at the same location 2 weeks ago, and it was a "wanna be" Hooters/Motorcycle bar with crappy food, and "Hooter's" dressed waitresses. In one of this places incarnations they did serve some good BBQ, breakfasts, and southern foods.

I vote for Bari's subs. I go there every week. A tie for first place is the jibarito from El Borinquen. My second favorite sandwich is the meatball sandwich from Salerno's. I want to really, really like the oyster poor boy sandwich at Heaven on Seven. The bread was a big disappointment.

Bruce wrote:An Italian Beef, dipped, with hot giardinera, from Al's would be hard to beat in my book.

However,

The best sandwich I ever had was a ham sandwich on white bread, with iceberg lettuce, and yellow mustard from a place named "My Old Kentucky Home" in Bowling Green, Kentucky (Exit 22).

Well that's hardly "Eating Out in Chicagoland". I'll see your Bowling Green and raise a Waverly, AL for the pulled pork sammy at the "Pig Squeal" where we used to drive to from Auburn back in the 70's.

Back on forum I'll echo the Bari sub. $4 for a 9" Italian on great bread, what's not to like?

Marky B. at Jerry's grilled on ciabatta...

Steak, bacon, grilled onions, homemade roquefort blue cheese dressing, red onion, crisp cool shredded lettuce, and tomato.

what's not to love...

Best one has to be Johnnie's beef on North avenue in Chicago, great flavor, great price, and a Chicago institution. Also runner up's would be Superdog's cheeseburger (Milwaukee Ave in Chicago) and The Work's Gyros, best value around $3.79 for a huge gyros!

As far as a Jewish deli goes, Manny's has the best pastrami (not as good as NYC but close as your going to get). Jake's in Milwaukee is good too although the sandwitches aren't big and it doesn't have the "jewish deli" atmosphere.

Hi all--

I'm going to have to agree with Kman on the lamb and beef special schawerma at Semiramis. I had it for lunch on Sunday for the first time, and it quickly vaulted to the top of my favorite sandwich list. The lavosh is toasted/grilled to give it just the right amount of crunch, which is further abetted by red cabbage and a pickle running down the middle. The meat is tender and toothsome and it's all bound together by just the right amount of hummus and harissa. The proportions of the ingredients are just about perfect.

Patrick

My problem with this question is that so many of my favorite sandwich sandwiches (as opposed to burgers, say) are departed-- the No. 5 at Moe's Deli, the pulled pork at N&N (I guess that's now at LT's Grill but my idea of barbecue has changed), the croque monsieur at Mimi's (at least I think she's no longer at Sweet Occasions, anyone know?)

I'm sure there are comparable sandwiches out there but I no longer live on sandwiches as I once did, so I don't find them. I will admit, though, that the roast beef and cheese at Captain Nemo's, with extra Captain's sauce and some soup, goes down fine on a gray day even if it hardly seems like haute cuisine.

Wow - tough to narrow down, but I'll try:

Al's Italian Beef
Borinquen's Jibarito
T. Puebla's Cemita
more traditionally- A number of sandwiches at Jerry's (1045 W. Madison)
The Gyro Melt at C'n'D's (205 E Grand Ave)
Liver and Pastrami at Ashkenaz Deli
Depression Sandwich - Fast Track, Weiner Circle, et al...

Hi,

I give a nod to Borinquen's for inventing the Jibarito sandwich, though my preferred variant is from:

Papa’s Cache Sabroso Restaurant
2517 W. Division St.
Chicago, IL 60622
Tel: 773/862-8313