There are 20 kinds of bánh mì on the menu here, and while you won’t go wrong with any of them, there’s an exalted place in the Chicago sandwich pantheon for the Nhu Lan Special (it’s No. 1 on the menu). An airy, crackly baguette, baked on the premises, is smeared with pork pâté and … Read more
Defenders of subtlety, look away: This sandwich — a Bridgeport classic since it was introduced in 1946 — is a two-fister with zero nuance. It’s a big ol’ heap of thinly pounded, breaded skirt steak dunked in a red gravy that quickly eliminates the meat’s crispness and softens the roll, fusing the whole thing into a sloppy flavor bomb. … Read more
The city’s top tortilla manufacturer, El Milagro, which was started in 1950, also happens to run one of Little Village’s best Mexican restaurants. The location on 26th Street is a cafeteria attached to the tortilleria, and diners wait in line for homey dishes like the one-of-a-kind steak tacos. Unlike in other versions around the city, … Read more
How could the city’s oldest hot dog stand not serve up an iconic offering? Dave’s Red Hots opened near 12th and Homan in 1938 and lives on just down the block from its original location, old furniture and all. Like all the great hot dog stands of Chicago’s past, this one offers just a few … Read more
In 1996, Juan “Peter” Figueroa, the owner of a Puerto Rican restaurant in Humboldt Park, came up with a curious invention inspired by a sandwich from his home island: a pile of thinly sliced marinated pork, beef, or chicken topped with cheese, onion, tomato, shredded lettuce, and garlic aïoli and pressed between two flattened pieces … Read more
Chicago’s oldest Italian beef stand, now part of a citywide chain, opened in 1938 and remains a Little Italy mainstay. Al’s still makes the beef the way it always has, and it’s a little different from the offerings of all the other gravy-slingers around town, as the beef is more finely shredded and the giardiniera … Read more
It was Garrett’s customers — yes, Chicagoans ourselves — who invented the immensely popular sweet-savory Garrett Mix. For years, patrons frequently requested extra paper bags to mix what were then Garrett’s two signature flavors, the tangy cheddar-coated CheeseCorn and the crunchy CaramelCrisp. So, in 1977, the shop started selling the flavors premixed. That mix is available in bags at … Read more
In the 1980s, Nai Tiao, an ethnic Chinese immigrant from Korea, adapted a recipe from back home called gam poong gi, creating a way-too-easy-to-eat classic. The fat, exquisite nubbins of juicy meat at the end of the bone of each of these drumettes makes them perfect for sauce drenching, and the three or four bites … Read more
If you’ve dined in Greektown in the past five decades, you’ve seen it: A slice of brandy-drenched kefalotyri cheese, set aflame at your table with a cry of “Opa!” before being extinguished with a squeeze of lemon. Crispy, gooey saganaki isn’t a Greek import; it was invented at Chicago’s now-closed Parthenon restaurant. Other places in … Read more
It’s all about the dipping sauce at this 74-year-old Southeast Side institution. Locals are fanatics for the zingy orange stuff, which is made with mustard, vinegar, and turmeric and was first introduced by local snack manufacturer Vitner’s (nowadays it’s made by a different company but hasn’t lost its neon glow). While the sauce would be … Read more
