Pastrami Sandwiches

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: New School Pastrami Spots

There was a time when pastrami was mainly associated with New York City where places like Katz’s Deli have been serving it as long as anybody. It spread out from there as Jewish delis began to open elsewhere across the country but only recently has pastrami gone completely mainstream. Nowadays you’re as likely to find it at a bbq spot in Tulsa as you are at a deli in Boca. It’s even trending overseas in popular food cities like Paris and Rome. I’ve seen a big uptick on menus in Chicago too. So I’ve put together this little post on five places where you can find a good pastrami sandwich in the city.

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Schneider Deli

First we head to River North to check out this new school Jewish Deli in the parking lot of the Ohio House Motel. Schneider Deli opened in the spring of 2023 in the standalone building that’s an extension of the mid century landmark motel. Their Pastrami Sandwich sits on the top shelf of sandwiches in this city but it’s also near the top in taste ($25 with tip). You get 7 ounces of thick and hot pastrami on rye. No it’s not loaded up like some have come to expect a deli sandwich to be but it’s still got a pretty good meat to bread ratio. This is a splurge sandwich so to say - not the type of sandwich you eat weekly but a great choice when you want to treat yourself to a really good one.

Pastrami Sandwich at Schneider Deli 
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Bagel Miller 

Next stop takes us to Lincoln Square where the bagels at Bagel Miller have been a part of the neighborhood for more than a decade going back to when it was known as Baker Miller. They rebranded after the pandemic and all that came with it and are now a bagel deli slash sandwich shop known as Bagel Miller. They have a small menu of bagel sandwiches including the "Southsider" which mixes made in-house pastrami with giardiniera and cream cheese. Ask for extra napkins with this one.

The "Southsider" at Bagel Miller 
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Clinton Street Smoked Meats

Up next we'll head to the West Loop to check out a stall in the Chicago French Market. When Clinton Street Smoked Meats opened in 2022 it was welcomed with open arms by those who missed Fumare Meats & Deli. Fumare was known for their Montreal Smoked Meat which is similar to Pastrami as both are smoked dry-cured meats made from brisket (but it differs from there). Clinton Street Smoked Meats is owned by a former employee of Fumare and is doing similar things. I tried their smoked meat when they were just getting going and it was pretty good. I’d imagine it’s only gotten better since then.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Clinton Street Smoked Meats
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Green Street Smoked Meats 

We’ll stay in the West Loop and hit up Green Street Smoked Meats for our next stop. This nationally acclaimed Central Texas style bbq spot from Hogsalt Hospitality smokes some seriously good pastrami. The sandwich is simple and lets the thick slices of hand cut pastrami do most of the talking. It's piled into a room temp Potato Roll with a packet of mustard, a whole pickle, and some bright pink pickled red onions on the side. Adding those onions onto your sandwich takes it from good to great. 

Pastrami Sandwich at Green Street Smoked Meats
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Top Butcher Market

There’s good stuff going on in Montclare all the way west on Grand which is where you’ll find International Meat Company. They’ve been selling wholesale meats for more than 60 years. They supply nearby Johnnies Beef with their Italian Sausage. They decided to open Top Butcher Market, a butcher shop slash restaurant across the street and it’s been a smashing neighborhood success. Customers stop in regularly for butchered meats and prepared foods such as pastrami sandwiches. The pastrami is smoked on site and pulled as opposed to sliced. It comes with pickles and slaw at a very reasonable price ($12.99). Don’t sleep on the brisket sandwich either. I’m looking forward to returning for more including a made on site Italian Beef and a daily special deal on two slabs of smoked ribs for $30 (takeout only). I got to sample the latter and that’s a steal of a deal when restaurants are charging $40+ for a single slab. The daily specials are also intriguing, at one point they were serving a Cudighi sandwich which I’ve never seen offered outside of the Upper Peninsula. 

Pastrami Sandwich at Top Butcher Market
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See ya next time @chibbqking

More Roadfood in Wisconsin

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring Western Wisconsin

There’s just something about Wisconsin that I absolutely love but what’s funny is I cant quite pinpoint exactly what that is. My best guess is I spent some of the best years of my life at college in Madison and going back often triggers memories of those good times. But it’s more likely the natural beauty and the bar culture that really draws me in. Wisconsin isn’t winning any prettiest state in the union contests but it’s underrated and has lots of charm to it. The state touches two Great Lakes and the Mighty Mississippi winds its way along 230 miles of Wisconsin's western border. Milwaukee is very underrated as a city and Madison is one of the best college towns in the country. Add in all the delicious Roadfood (burgers, fish fry, custard etc) and it makes for a great place to escape to for a few days. Today we’re headed off to the area towards Minneapolis - about 5.5 hours from from Chicago.

Pics from Western Wisconsin 
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Dorine's Family Restaurant (Sparta)

First stop takes us to Monroe County along the LaCrosse River. Dorine’s Family Inn is found in the heart of Sparta. It’s a textbook Midwest breakfast and lunch spot serving up all the American diner classics. When I’m at a place like this with lots to choose from I like to check the google reviews to figure out what’s popular. Stuffed Hash Browns are mentioned more than 25 times and not just at Dorine’s but other breakfast spots in the area too. At Dorine's an entire section of the menu is dedicated to them. I chose the original stuffed hash browns which come with ham, mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and Swiss Cheese. Pictured below is the small version. This is Wisconsin after all.

Stuffed Hash Browns at Dorine's Family Restaurant 
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Ray's Place (Eau Claire)

Next stop was a spot long on my list. Ray’s Place has been serving drinks to the residential neighborhood in which it rests since 1949. Ray’s is a vintage Wisconsin tavern with some classic roast beef sandwiches. No they don’t look pretty but locals and visitors alike, myself included, will enthusiastically vouch for them. Roast beef debris in a thick brown gravy goes into a cheap bun with a full slice of raw onion. It also comes with a little plastic container of their made on site horseradish mustard. One bite and I was hooked on these tavern sandwiches. They also have an equally popular chipped ham sandwich which in turn produces a fantastic batch of split pea soup. Pure Wisconsin.

Roast Beef Sandwich at Ray's Place
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River Inn Bar (Chippewa Falls)

River Inn Bar is a textbook tavern down to the classic Old Style sign outside. The land where it sits has had a bar resting there in one way or the other since the 1940’s. The current owners of River Inn bought it in the early 2000’s and haven’t changed much. Locals pop in for all you eat chicken wings served Mon-Thurs but I don’t know how anyone can eat more than a few of these things. The fully intact broasted wings (flat and drum) are some of the biggest I’ve come across. I prefer smaller wings bc larger ones can be a bit tough but not these which were some of the juiciest I can recall with the meat coming right off the bone when bitten. Perfect when paired with an ice cold Spotted Cow.

Broasted Chicken Wings at River Inn Bar
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Ellsworth Creamery Coop (Ellsworth)

What’s a trip to Wisconsin without some cheese curds?!?! I feel like any cheese curds served freshly fried in a bar setting are pretty good but to reach the peak of cheese curd prowess they need to be extra fresh and battered on site - both of which are a thing at Ellsworth Creamery in Pierce County (one hour east of Minneapolis). This little area is considered the heart of Americas Dairyland with more than 180,000 pounds of cheese curds being manufactured here at Ellsworth Creamery on a daily basis. Ellsworth Cooperative was incorporated into a creamery back in 1910 with their primary product being butter. They actually didn't begin making cheese curds until 1968 but the popularity of these squeaky orange and white morsels was enough to make them the cream of the crop. Ellsworth has a bustling retail store with a selection of over 240 kinds of Wisconsin made cheese including the creamery’s own varieties. But the biggest draw is the Curd Wagon which sits outside during warmer months. Customers line up all summer long for some of the best fried cheese curds anywhere.

Fried Cheese Curds at Ellsworth Creamery
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Stockholm Pie and General Store (Stockholm)

If you’re looking for a place to eat along the upper half of the Great River Road - this is your spot! I’d heard from those in the know that the tiny town of Stockholm (pop. 78) was home to some of the best pie in the country and I love river towns so I made a plan to stop on the way north into Minnesota. I originally planned to just try a few slices of pie but that plan was quickly scratched upon arrival as the chicken pot pie was calling my name along with pretty much every other piece of pie listed on the days fresh selection. Just like sandwiches with bread, a pie can only be as good as its crust and the crust on both of the pies I tried was outstanding. The chicken pot pie had some of the best pie crust I’ve ever encountered. It was extra flaky and full of flavor while being completely dry on the bottom. The fillings were also good but it’s the crust that takes this from good to great. I also tried the Bumbleberry on rec of the lady at the register and she earned a little extra on her tip as this was the best piece of fruit pie I’ve ever had and again it was all about that crust but also the local berries that go into it. It was so good I had to take a slice of the signature Stockholm Apple Pie to-go. I also liked the town of Stockholm itself, it’s as cute and quaint of a rivertown as you’ll come across. It’s pretty busy considering just how small it is in population but it’s a popular stop on the Great River Road in big part due to its most famous resident - that pie has been featured in many food pubs over the years and comes strongly endorsed by a guy I know who's ate his weight in pie across the country.

Chicken Pot Pie at Stockholm Pie and General Store 

Bumbleberry Pie at Stockholm Pie and General Store
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Foss Fine Meats (Sparta)

Bonus Stop back where we started in Sparta. Wisconsin has the best butchers and I always like stopping in at one of them whenever I find myself in the Cheese & Dairy State. It doesn't matter where in Wisconsin you are you're never that far off from a good independent butcher. Foss Fine Meats is a great example of what I'm talking about. It's an old school, small town spot dating back to 1939. I like to check online reviews to figure out what each butcher shop does well and all reviews pointed to the natural casing hot dogs at Foss Fine Meats. Those and the ring bologna are what they're known for with the hot dogs warranting a stop whenever I find myself near this place again. I'm a natural casing Vienna Beef guy thru and thru but I have a deep appreciation for all spots cranking out natural casing wieners like those found here. They make an excellent extra peppery product. 

Hot Dogs at Foss Fine Meats
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If you liked this post you might also be interested in:

Eating BIG in Minneapolis (and beyond)

Roadfood in Driftless Wisconsin

Eating BIG in Madison 

Bar Food in Wisconsin 

Friday Fish Fry in SE Wisconsin
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 See ya next time @chibbqking

Eating BIG in Rockford

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Eating and Exploring the Screw City

Other than the google search results you won’t find a bigger collection of Illinois restaurant reviews than you’ll find over here. I’ve covered countless spots from DeKalb to Carbondale and beyond. So you shouldn’t be too surprised with todays stop - Rockford. The Screw City aka Forest City aka Reaper City is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicagoland area and is the states fifth most populated overall. It’s not the first spot in the Land of Lincoln that you might think of visiting and it’s probably not the second or third spot either but it’s a compelling place with lots of history and some stuff worth seeing including the Anderson Japanese Gardens which many consider the best of its kind in the Midwest. Rockford's location on the Rock River along with over 4000 acres of public parks means there’s lots of outdoor activities on offer too. I’ve never actually spent the night in Rockford in part due to its proximity to Chicago (80 miles) but I’ve stopped thru there plenty of times on the way somewhere else and have also taken a few daytrips over the years. Todays post is a culmination of all of the times I’ve stopped in Rockford to explore the area through food and what not. The food scene reflects the city itself - it's nothing fancy and definitely not trendy but it is interesting.

Sights in Rockford 
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Stockholm Inn

Our first stop is perhaps Rockford's most popular breakfast spot. If not the most popular it's certainly one if the most well known. The history of the Stockholm Inn is traced back to the 1940's when a husband and wife team with Swedish ancestry opened it under a different name. The people they sold it to kept the homestyle Swedish recipes and renamed it after Sweden's capital city. Decades later it brings alot of cultural and historical value to the people of Rockford. Locals pack the place on a daily basis. Many come for Swedish specialties like kroppkakor (potato dumplings), kaldomar (cabbage rolls), Swedish meatballs, salt herring, fruit soup, rice pudding and nut cake. Their most popular menu item are the Swedish pancakes which are a cross between a pancake and a crepe. They're thinner and lighter than their American counterparts due to the use of less flour and more butter when making them. It's common to eat these with a lingonberry sauce but I enjoy them as is with butter. 

Swedish Pancakes at Stockholm Inn
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Behr Den

Rockford's oldest restaurant is tucked away in an industrial area near the river. Behr Den has been serving the people of Rockford since 1896. It's open to the public but its location directly across the street from Behr Iron & Metal makes it a regular stop for workers of the longtime manufacturing company. According to an article from a local Rockford station it started out as a pharmacy and candy shop before turning into a restaurant over 100 years ago. Not a ton seems to have changed in the last 50 years or so, even the radio sitting on top of the counter was from another era. The prices are too. I got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for just $3.50 while my friend got the Denver omelet plate for $6.25. I've visited countless blue collar type dining spots over the years and none of them felt as industrial as the Behr Den. That goes for the food and the people on top of the atmosphere there.

Breakfast at the Behr Den 
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The Norwegian 

At the time of it's opening The Norwegian was Rockford's most ambitious restaurant project. It's housed in a historic building that was bought by a local woman who grew up in the area and rehabbed it with the help of the local who donated more than $100,000 to a Kickstarter so that it could be cleared of asbestos and turned into a brunch pub and live music venue. They serve brunch with a Nordic twist with dishes like Æbleskiver. These delicious Danish pancake balls are made from a fried batter and basically a cross between a donut and a beignet. The Norwegian serves theirs with a fantastic made in-house raspberry jam and some maple syrup for dipping and I would highly recommend starting your meal with these or ending it with them. The Lyonnaise salad is a good option as far as starters go as is the gravlax Smørrebrød. They do a little Nordic twist on the smash burger called 'The Frikadeller' which is a smashed Danish meatball patty with Jarlsberg, sauerkraut, lingonberry bbq sauce and caramelized onion aioli on local baked rye. Definitely worth a stop. 

Brunch at The Norwegian
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Meads Meat Market 

One of my favorite things about the food culture in the Midwest is the abundance of local butchers that are still around. There's not as many as thee used to be but it seems like most towns in the region still have a locally owned shop for meats and more. Meads is that spot in Rockford. The family owned butcher shop has been serving the community for nearly 85 years. They didn't have a ton of meat on offer when I went in there but they do a daily sandwich special which is what really seems to bring the customers in. The hot roast beef sandwich was the special on my visit. House roasted beef is placed atop onions, cheddar, and hot peppers served on a locally made Italian roll. Not bad at all. 

Hot Roast Beef at Meads Meat Market 
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Lino's

I once stopped at Lino's back in my college days riding to and from Madison. So I went ahead and got reacquainted as I was recently in the area. Lino's is Rockfords most popular pizzeria dating back to 1972. They shred their own cheese blend and the sausage is made on-site. Pizzas are cooked in an old Faulds Oven which is a defunct Chicago company, lots of local pizzerias still use them. They call this “Rockford style” as it’s thicker than cracker thin but still much thinner than deep dish. Actually it’s similar in girth to most thin crust spots in and around Chicagoland. It’s also a place of celebration as they cater and do banquets so lots of people in the area have a connection to the pizza and their house special salad with sausage. You can get a pizza, a salad, and a 2 liter of pop for $20 (takeout). I was most impressed with the sheer amount of people visiting be it for dine in or for takeout where they run a Chick-Fil-A type of ship getting customers in and out in an impressive amount of time.

Salad and Pizza at Lino's 
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Olympic Tavern 

If you're riding through Rockford and looking for a sit-down type of spot for dinner you should check out the Olympic Tavern. It's a Rockford institution dating back to 1945. It's got a very Wisconsin tavern and supper club type of vibe as far as the food and the atmosphere goes. You don't see fried bluegill around too often so I like to get it when I have the chance to do so and Olympic Tavern has it available regularly so that was an easy decision for me on my visit. If you've never had bluegill it's similar to lake perch in flavor and texture so it's best served lightly breaded like those seen below. 

Blue Gill Filets at Olympic Tavern 

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Lao Kitchen 

If you're a Chicagoan passing through Rockford and thinking about stopping for some food you might want to consider Lao Kitchen considering there's no Lao restaurants in Chicago (there's one ghost kitchen). To my knowledge there's a small Lao community in the Rockford area which could be due to its proximity to Wisconsin where there's a fairly large Lao presence. Lao food has slowly become one of my favorites going back to my college days in Madison which is where I was first introduced to the flavors before falling even further in love with the food while in Northern Thailand with whom Laos shares a border as well as many different ingredients and recipes. Since then Lao food has become pretty popular across the country with more and more spots identifying as Lao and not Thai. Lao Kitchen has a relatively small menu with mostly standard offerings including Lao sausage which might be my favorite encased meat these days (it's top 5 for sure). I love how Lao sausage packs all the wonderful flavors and aromas of Southeast Asia both in the link itself and also from the spicy and sour jeow sauce that it's typically served with. Add in some sticky rice and you got a meal in of itself but I also rec the Lard Na which is typically found on Thai menus but is traced back to Laos where Chinese people would cook stir fried noodles covered in gravy. Lao Kitchen makes a very good version. 

Lunch at Lao Kitchen 
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Tortacos Soto

Rockford might not be Illinois' Second City when it comes to tacos, that's Aurora, but there's still lots of taco options. I came across Tortacos Soto while browsing the menus of local taquerias. They have a couple of guisada (stewed meats) offerings with chicken and I enjoyed both of them. 

Pollo en Rajas con Arroz at Tortacos Soto 
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Beef-A-Roo 

If you're passing through the area and looking for something quick well then I have to mention Beef-A-Roo bc this wouldn't be a proper Rockford food post without it. The regional fast food chain opened their first location in 1967 and now has seven locations in the Rockford area while currently being in the process of a rapid expansion to a handful of other states. Beef-A-Roo is known for roast beef sandwiches which are not to be confused with Italian beef. These are more like Arby's though it's fans will tell you it's so much better and they might be right but if we're being real they're pretty similar to me. Then again it was sold by the original founders a few years back so it's likely that things have changed. I'm not saying it's terrible but it's typical fast food as far as it's quality goes. 

Roast Beef and Fries at Beef -A-Roo 
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Zammuto's 

I've been making summertime stops at Zammuto's for more than 20 years now. But its history goes back way further than that. It was opened as a grocery store in 1925 by a local Italian who may or may not have had a connection to the head of the Rockford mob family ran by a man with the same surname. The grocery was transported into a granita / ice cream stand at some point in the 50's or 60's and was later sold but the granita recipe lives on with the current owner. Granita is a product of Sicily, a cousin to Italian ice in that it's a semi frozen dessert made from fruit, water, and sugar. Zammuto's serves both granita and soft serve and they combine the two of them for their signature menu item - the "Unusual". They're so well liked that other dairy stands around town also serve them. 

The Unusual at Zammuto's 
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More from Illinois

Click 'Illinois' under tags for more than 50 posts including...

Eating BIG in Peoria

Roadfood in Galesburg

Southern Illinois Roadtrip

Smashed Burgers of Central Illinois 

The Illinois Fried Chicken Trail

See ya next time @chibbqking