New England is known for its clam chowder. Philadelphia is known for its cheese and steak sandwiches. Seattle is known for coffee. Some say New York has the best pizza. Buffalo in New York is famous for its buffalo wings. Maine is known for its lobster. Boston has Boston baked beans. And Scotland has uh...haggis. And the list goes on and on.
Chicago can officially claim its own regional specialties. When you come for the SVU Conference, see if you can try any of the following foods.
Chicago-style Hotdog
What makes a Chicago-style hotdog unique is its specific ingredients. These are the rules for a true Chicago-style hotdog:
-A true Chicago hot dog MUST be made by the Vienna Beef Company. Founded during the Chicago World's Columbian Expedition (1893), the company introduced Chicago to the Vienna-style (i.e. frankfurter) weiner.
-The hotdog must be 100% beef.
-The hotdog must be steamed, but boiling is okay too. Grilling it would not make it Chicago-style.
-The hotdog must be served on a poppy seed bun.
-The following condiments are the ONLY things allowed on the hotdog:
* Yellow mustard
* Bright green relish
* Onions
* Tomato wedges
* Pickle spear
* Sport peppers
* Celery salt.
-NO ketchup is allowed. I repeat NO KETCHUP is allowed. Adding ketchup is a felony in Chicago.
This hotdog was perhaps popularized during the Great Depression because it offered a full meal with veggies at a low cost.
Maxwell St. Polish
The Maxwell St. Polish is simply a Polish sausage served with mustard and grilled onions. It is said to have been introduced to the people of Chicago in 1939 by Jim Stefanovich who took over his aunts street stand on Halsted and Maxwell street.
Italian Beef
The Italian Beef sandwich originated in Chicago in the 1930's. It's simply cuts of sirloin beef placed on Italian bread and topped with giardiniera (Italian relish of pickled vegetables or sweet peppers). The beef is wet-roasted in broth made with garlic and oregano. After it's cooked the beef is sliced and placed in its original broth for hours.
Perhaps the most popular place to get Italian Beef sandwiches is Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, which has been open astonishingly since 1938. Also remember that the bread is purposely served wet (drenched in broth). You can ask for it dry.
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Deep dish pizza was invented in the U.S. in 1943 (post-World War II) by Ike Sewell at his Chicago-based restaurant, Pizzeria Uno.
This is what makes Chicago Deep Dish Pizza different:
-The dough is made with cornmeal and olive oil.
-The pan used to cook the pizza is "deep", which allows the pizza to have heightened sides.
-The toppings and meat are not placed on top of the pizza. Instead they are below the top layer. (this rule doesn't always apply)
-The pizza is topped with cheese and THEN the cheese is covered with tomato sauce.
-You eat the pizza with a fork.
I'm actually not a fan of Chicago-style pizza. I prefer thin crust. But I implore visitors to give it a try because it's still a part of Chicago's culture.
Pork Chop in Bone Sandwich
I'm not really sure if this can only be found in Chicago, but this is basically a pork chop sandwich...but the bone is still left on the pork chop! It's served with grilled onions and mustard.
Garret's Popcorn
Garrett Popcorn Shop has been around since 1949. They make popcorn, but what's unique is they basically mix the flavors. The Chicago Mix is cheese popcorn mixed with caramel popcorn. Savory and sweet combined to create a unique flavor.
Popcorn is not unique to Chicago, but tourists still make a stop at Garrett's for some cultural excitement. It's like how when I was in Boston (for my first clinical site), people always made trips to Mike's Pastry in the North End because of their legendary cannoli's...even though Boston isn't the only place to find cannoli's.
Jibarito Sandwich
A Jibarito is a unique Puerto Rican sandwich introduced in Chicago in 1996 by Chicago restaurateur Juan Figueroa.
A Jibarito is basically a sandwich made with meat, garlic mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onions. However, instead of using bread to contain the ingredients, fried green plantains are used. Plantains are a type of banana. Yes, a sandwich made with bananas...pretty cool huh?
Frango Mints
According to the U.S. Patent Office, Frango Mints were trademarked in 1918. Frango Mints are basically chocolate truffles made with peppermint and butter. Frango Mints were once exclusively made in Chicago by a department store known as Marshall Fields.
Marshall Fields was a department store that traces its roots back to 1852. Before there was a Walmart, Nordstroms, Target, or even Sears, there was Marshall Fields. Marshall Fields grew to be one of the most innovative and successful retailers of its time. Marshall Fields was the first to introduce the bridal registry, the first to offer in-store dining, the first to use escalators, and the first to offer tea rooms for ladies to shop and drink tea.
And it was only from Marshall Fields where people could buy Frango Mints. Today Frango Mints are available everywhere through Macy's, which purchased what was left of Marshall Fields in 2005. Many Chicagoans still miss the glory days of Marshall Fields. :(
Horseshoe Sandwich (only available in Springfield, IL)
Okay this isn't from Chicago, but I had to mention it because it's a crazy dish. It's unique to Springfield, IL and I got to try it when I visited there in December 2010.
A Horseshoe Sandwich is basically an open-faced sandwich. Its starts with toast that is topped with meat (i.e. ham, hamburger), french fries, and cheese. Wallah, that's it. I would definitely have a carotid duplex exam after eating one of these. :)
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So these are some iconic foods from Chicago. They aren't exactly the finest or healthiest foods the city has to offer, but they are culturally significant and have stood the test of time.
Have a great Tuesday everyone,
Manny :)