I was not a regular; but, as this LTHF thread annotates, I was in it a lot of times until it closed in 1996 {just like a certain indoor soccer team}.Brushman4 wrote:{a lot of quotes snipped to maintain continuity - what is it doing in this thread?}
Have I finally come across another old regular from Bucket O Suds (BOS)? Probably the most legendary bar in chicago, mainly due to the PT Barnum of bartenders, Joe Danno. I first met Joe and his sister Fina in 1973 and we became fast friends up until his last day in business some years ago.
This is a place that deserves its own thread, even though it is long gone. Real italian kitchen cooking and home made hard liquor!!! If there are any other old BOS'rs out there let me know and we can start a thread to figure out the recipe for elixer of lucifer.
Bob
rfleisch1 wrote:Just a bump...
I was a regular at Johnnies in Elmwood Park for years, and fwiw, still consider it my personal benchmark for the best.
I'd been to the Johnnies in Arlington Heights several times, and had the lasting memory that it was not up to the standard of Elmwood Park.
That said, I visited the Arlington Heights branch yesterday, and perhaps my palate was dulled by living in the time of COVID - but I would have sworn that branch has actually upped their game.
For the first time I can remember - the spice level in the beef matched Elmwood Park's, and the sandwich gave me that deep satisfying warmth that makes Johnnies unique. And the beef serving was generous, perhaps larger than my last few from the original location.
Not bad... not bad at all!
I usually am happy with both Johnnie's in terms of similar taste but they are definitely inconsistent on size and even how they dip. If it's skimpy and I'm still hungry I'll just get a second beef. Still in my top 5 after all these years.thetrob wrote:rfleisch1 wrote:Just a bump...
I was a regular at Johnnies in Elmwood Park for years, and fwiw, still consider it my personal benchmark for the best.
I'd been to the Johnnies in Arlington Heights several times, and had the lasting memory that it was not up to the standard of Elmwood Park.
That said, I visited the Arlington Heights branch yesterday, and perhaps my palate was dulled by living in the time of COVID - but I would have sworn that branch has actually upped their game.
For the first time I can remember - the spice level in the beef matched Elmwood Park's, and the sandwich gave me that deep satisfying warmth that makes Johnnies unique. And the beef serving was generous, perhaps larger than my last few from the original location.
Not bad... not bad at all!
While the taste of the original Johnnies is still top notch, they are very inconsistent in portion sizes. Sometimes you get a nice full sandwich, sometimes it's a little lacking.
jimswside wrote:might squeeze in a couple stops this week, hit Dukes Drive-In over on Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview yesterday. Cool spot:
Sandwich was pretty good, definitely worth the stop. Alot of beef - good stuff, nice sausage link, and a good pepper mix.
Duke's Combo Hot:
I bet their address has been posted before but her it is again:
Dukes Italian Beef Drive In
8115 S. Harlem
Bridgeview, IL.
http://www.dukesitalianbeef.com
A Day in the Life of Italian Beef Favorite Johnnie’s Beef
At its most basic, the Italian beef is a thinly sliced roast beef sandwich served with juices derived from the roasting process. (Depending on the stand, this liquid is called jus, juice or gravy.) This makes it the rare sandwich where a liquid plays an integral role in the finished product, and also explains why words like “mushy,” “wet” and “soggy” are often used to describe an Italian beef.
In that way, the Italian beef shares many similarities with the French dip, but unlike that Los Angeles creation, the jus isn’t served neatly on the side in a little cup for you to dunk in at your leisure. Instead, the bread is often briefly dipped or emphatically dunked in the juices.
What’s referred to as French bread is mostly used. Commonly, this is made by Turano Baking Company, a large bakery based in suburban Berwyn.
Of course, this still doesn’t quite nail what people love about the sandwich so much. As I wrote once before, “this is a sandwich that starts with a heap of humble ingredients, which are transformed, by pure engineering skill, into one of the meatiest and messiest sandwiches on earth.”
JoelF wrote:In my opinion, comparing an Italian Beef to a French Dip is like saying that earthworms and snakes must be related. Morphologically similar, their evolution is widely separated.
The Philly Cheesesteak is probably the closest relative to the Italian Beef: same origin of the immigrants that made them both, same desire to take a cheap, highly seasoned cut of beef and feed a crowd. Dinic's Roast Pork seems like The Missing Link, but all three are a likely convergent evolution -- I don't think they influenced each other.
The French Dip on the other hand, is an attempt to make a fancy sammich.
botd wrote:I feel like you are just being pedantic. Nick is clearly only talking about the "morphological" similarities and it's not like the origins of any of these sandwiches is particularly complex. The French dip is of fairly humble origins as well and one of the originators also dunked the bread in jus. It just happens jus on the side is the more well-known variation.
lougord99 wrote:botd wrote:I feel like you are just being pedantic. Nick is clearly only talking about the "morphological" similarities and it's not like the origins of any of these sandwiches is particularly complex. The French dip is of fairly humble origins as well and one of the originators also dunked the bread in jus. It just happens jus on the side is the more well-known variation.
You may be correct but....
I feel that Italian beef is so different than french dip, that this comparison also fails.
Years before the hit FX show, “The Bear” made the humble Italian beef suddenly hip last year, I’ve been hunting for Chicago’s best version. I’ve scoured classic beef stands, waited in line at numerous Italian delis and even spotted some creative interpretations from our city’s best chefs.
One place I never thought to look? Navy Pier. The tourist mecca offers tremendous views, and the food options have improved over the past decade, but the notion that a great Italian beef lurked near a Ferris wheel was not on my radar.
Yet halfway down the pier, Ciccio Italian Beef dishes out a version unlike any in town. While most shops shave the beef paper thin, Ciccio’s beef is slightly thicker, yet stunningly tender and almost steak-like. Instead of a soft and squishy roll, this one features a crackly crust that gives way to a supremely tender interior that soaks up the beefy juices without turning to mush. Whether or not it’s the best in the city is debatable, but it’s a fascinating new option.
Turns out, Ciccio owner Mario Ferraro is no newbie to the Italian beef game. In the 1970s, Ferraro even ran Mia’s Beef and Sausage at 1729 N. Cicero Ave.
Ahmad Shareef wrote:I just came to post the Ciccio’s thing and see someone beat me to it. But has anyone been? Is that weird crystal garden thing still going strong on Navy Pier?
Ahmad Shareef wrote:I just came to post the Ciccio’s thing and see someone beat me to it. But has anyone been? Is that weird crystal garden thing still going strong on Navy Pier? If so maybe I’ll drag the kids out there and give a shot for the greater good and “research” purposes.
NFriday wrote:There is somebody else on North Ave. that had free Italian beef yesterday. I forget who it was. I was going to post yesterday, but I never got around to it.