Sliced Beef Sandwiches

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: Beefy Sandwiches

To Chicagoans like myself the term “beef sandwich” means something very specific - an Italian beef. But today’s post will feature more than just Italian beef as there’s an infinite number of ways you can go when starting out with some bread and some sliced beef. But because this is a Chicago based blog and it once had a sister site called ‘Beef with Hot’ I'll also share a couple of newish Italian beefs that have appeared since my ‘Beef with Hot’ blog disappeared. I feel like we’ve reached the peak of sliced beef sandwiches in Chicago and I’m here for all of them. Here’s five I’ve recently tried -

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Chef Ciccio

Navy Pier was the last place I would expect to find a legit Italian beef but that changed when Ciccio Beef opened in the food court last year. Props to the proprietor, Mario Ferraro, who’s doing things a bit differently at his foodstall found near the east end of the food court - no bagged beef here. Mario’s family was making Italian beef sandwiches at their banquet hall back in the 30’s and his recipe hasn’t strayed much from the one his predecessors used. I watched as Mario put a basket of freshly sliced beef into the gravy for a quick dip before going into a sturdy roll. The bread itself is a tad bit harder than the typical bread used for Italian beef but it gets up to snuff when dipped. It comes from Florida which is a bit odd but it works even if I prefer a lighter French roll. The beef here is thicker than your typical beef stand beef but it’s also tender so again it’s not my preferred style but it works really well. Extra points for the vesuvio like roast potatoes included on the side. I’d score it a 17/20 on da old ‘Beef with Hot’ blogspot and that means it’s more than worth a try, especially if you’re a tourist in Chicago doing the tourist thing and you want to get an Italian beef. So much better than Portillo’s.

Beef with Hot at Chef Ciccio Beef
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Phodega

This hip Vietnamese restaurant has moved since we first visited back in 2020. Phodega outgrew its Ashland location and moved to a bigger space on Division in Wicker Park where it fits right in. They make good pho and I love their take on the Loco Moco (hamburger patties and rice with a fried egg and their special “pho gravy”) but the Viet Dip is my favorite item on the menu. Thinly sliced ribeye is loaded into a sturdy French roll and dressed with cilantro, onion, jalapeños served with a potent bowl of au jus similar in taste to the broth in a bowl of pho. This is one of the best sandwiches in the city.

Viet Dip at Phodega
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Beer Temple

Last year at this time I hit up the Beer Temple in Avondale for some Oktoberfest sippin’ and also a smoked beef sandwich which I was informed of by a well informed reader. I never knew this top notch beer bar even had a food menu. The ‘Beefy Boy’ is a fantastic beef sandwich made with smoked beef that’s sliced nice and thin and piled into a Turano roll with sport peppers and grilled onions. At just $10 (as of October 2023) it’s the perfect sandwich to pair with one of the many excellent beers on tap.

Beefy Boy Sandwich at Beer Temple 
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Umamicue

Umamicue is a Texas bbq popup inspired by the owner / pitmaster Charles Wong's Vietnamese roots. This equates to killer mashups like their popular Smoked Brisket Banh Mi. Back when Umamicue was roaming from spot to spot he was also doing a kickass smoked brisket sandwich served with a Vietnamese curry used for dipping. The brisket Bahn Mi is still front and center at their current residency inside Spilt Milk Tavern in Logan Square but the brisket curry didn’t make the cut. Though he is doing a really creative take on the Italian beef called the 'Umami Beef.' Charles smokes a beef round roast until his desired doneness and then after an overnight rest it’s all sliced up and tossed into a groovy tasting gravy made from Chinese hot pot broth of which you also get a cup on the side for dipping. He uses bread from Be Le Bakery and adds a mild giardiniera to round it all out.

Umami Beef at Umamicue
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The Duck Inn

Chef Kevin Hickey’s Duck Inn has lasting power having been a part of the Bridgeport neighborhood for more than a decade. Impressive. I hadn’t visited in bit up until my recent visit which was for something very specific - an Italian beef. I’m not sure how long it’s been on the menu but I quickly put it on my hit list upon first learning of it. Hickey and his team roast all natural prime rib and slice it nice and thin before it’s bathed in a gravy seasoned with garlic, basil, oregano, Calabrian chilies, and rosemary. This chef driven beef hits all the high notes of a classic Italian beef with its tender meat, intoxicating gravy and a sturdy bun which switches between Turano and D’Amatos depending on what they can get that day. My only complaint with this one is the same complaint I have for most chef driven Italian beefs - it needs to be served a tad bit hotter in terms of temperature. I think the fact that restaurants like Duck Inn don’t move Italian beef throughout the day they don’t have the gravy warmed up until an order is placed. But other than that this is a classically constructed beef sandwich.

Italian Beef at The Duck Inn
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See ya next time @chibbqking