Sunday, April 26, 2009

Descendants of the Italian Beef

-Got Beef? Da Combo

Gimme a hot Juicy combo and a gravy bread please. The Italian Beef is so much a part of Chicago's food culture that it has a few descendants that are also very popular on Italian Beef stands menus. The almighty "combo" is made by adding a piece of char grilled Italian sausage into your beef sandwich making it a combo. For those times when your just feeling like something a little different than your normal beef fix...but not too different. Every beef stand in the city offers a combo but one stands above the rest in my books. The beefs at Johnnie's are a favorite for almost everyone who has tried one and when they add a piece of perfectly spiced char grilled sausage, cooked over open air above charcoal, it takes the sandwich to a different world. In fact I always order a combo from Johnnies passing on just an Italian beef.


Hot Juicy Combo from Johnnies


The almighty combo

If the combo is a little too much meat for you and or not enough food then try a gravy bread instead or one with your combo. The gravy bread is just the bread of an Italian beef soaked in the gravy. The gravy bread is a popular side item at beef and dog stands around town. Some people enjoy them plain and others like them with peppers inside. The best gravy bread in the city is found at Pop's who also has one of the better beefs. Its pretty much a southside thing and while they can be found on northside menus they are all over da southside. I could easily eat 5 GB's in a single sitting and would like to see a gravy bread entry into the Competitive Eating League.


Gravy Bread from Pop's on Kedzie

Johnnie's Beef
7500 W North Ave
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
(708) 452-6000

Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage
10337 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Website

2 comments:

The Daily V said...

Hi! My name is Vanessa, and I just want to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. As a life-long Chicagoan, I love your reviews of places on the NW side (Nick's Gyros, for example). Keep up the good work! And if you're interested, I have my own food blog you might want to check out: http://thedailyv.tumblr.com. Have a good one!

Anonymous said...

Oh yes oh yes...OH YES!!!!!!!!!!!

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