Duke's North: Italian Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef

Next up on the Italian beef tour we go up north to Duke's: North, located in Skokie, IL. No, they don't have a barbershop quartet playing music while you eat. Duke's just like any of your other beef stands around town does a busy lunch business with locals from the area. This is the second location of Duke's with the original being located on Central Ave in the city. They have all of the regulars on a Chicago style fast food menu including homemade beef and sausage.


Duke's North is a popular stop for shoppers coming and going to Old Orchard

This was my first visit to the North Duke's and I haven't been to the original in quite a few years. The beef was pretty much how I remembered it from the original location. Nothing special but by no means anything bad. What I mean by that is that if you are in the area this is a totally acceptable beef sammich but it is not destination beef driving. If I lived or worked near Duke's I would be a regular for lunch but since it is in the suburbs and I live in the heart of the city I wont get back there too often.


Duke's homemade beef with hot

I said it before and I will say it again "no beef will be forgotten" and what I mean by that is I will be bringing you a review of every single Chicago beef joint within the Chicagoland area that made the cut thru the years and didnt taste like rubber shoe soles. They wont all be first teamer's but any place that takes the time and effort to make their own recipe will be part of this segment. Still the best resource for Italian beef in Chicago and where to get it, no matter what neighborhood or suburb your in. This Duke's stand has no affiliation or anything to do with Duke's Drive In on Harlem in Bridgeview, which will be reviewed soon. There are over 10 beef joints ready to be posted on here as the days go by and every month that list grows so please stay tuned and spread the word because...every beef has its day.

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 3
gravy: 3
hot peppers: 3

Score: 12/20

Duke's North
5237 Golf Rd
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 966-5533

Duke's

5659 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60646

(773) 763-1866

The only fish that tastes like lobster...

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Where the locals eat (Burnham, IL)

Last month I took you way up north to Zion and Captain Porky's for some fried seafood. This week I take you way out south to Harbour Point for the same thing amazing seafood right off the lake. Harbour Point fits the mold of an Chicago shrimp house. Its a shack looking fried seafood joint with a few neon signs offering sides like coleslaw and potato salad, cans of pop, no seats to dine in and a few arcade games to play while you wait for your order. But what sets it apart from the rest are two of their signature dish's--the fried monk fish & seafood gumbo--and they are both incredible eats in the city of good eats. Lucky for you, you got me to get you, in the know. Its time to spread the good word. So please do so.


Harbour Point (Burnham, IL)

At what other shrimp shack can you get fresh fried monk fish? You know I already know the answer and that that was a sarcastic question because the answer is nowhere. This is the dish that they proudly proclaim as theirs with joy on the wall's, so when I randomly drove by and stopped in one day, I knew this is what I was getting. The sign that read "The only fish that taste like lobster" and "served with drawn butter" all but sealed the deal. What doesn't sound good about fried fish with a lobster taste/texture served with that butter they always comes with your lobster dinner in New England?


Sign greeting you as you enter

On the same sign that advertises the fried monkfish (above) you'll see that they also serve a seafood gumbo. Ill try gumbo anytime I see it at a place such as this so I added an order of their seafood gumbo to my monkfish dinner. Oh yes, that night was a good night. It was an absolutely crack-like meal and in case you wanna know what "crack-like" means, it means I now have fiendish cravings for some fried monkfish and gumbo. The fish is very, very similar in texture to lobster and when I drowned it in the drawn butter it was euphoric in flavor and texture just like lobster. The seafood gumbo was loaded with seafood like shrimp and crayfish and might of been the best I have found in Chicago. The gumbo had a dark roux and had all sorts of flavor that only a gumbo that was tended too for hours could have, my only regret was not getting one of the huge $11 buckets. If I had just ate the gumbo in the parking lot with my fish then I would have gone right back in for another. The good news? there will be a next time.


Seafood gumbo


piece of monkfish over a cup of drawn butter


Monkfish dinner

In a city like Chicago that has such few competitors for being so rich in food, it can be hard to find seafood joints as good as some of the towns along the ocean, understandably so. Unfortunately the once abundant fried shrimp shacks have become less and less. Good thing there are still a few around that aren't going anywhere. I cant wait to get back and try the wings and buffalo shrimp, both looked very good on my visit.

Harbour Point Shrimp House
13931 S Torrence Ave
Burnham, IL 60633
(708) 868-9240
Website

Pat's Pizza

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

Theres a little myth going on around the city that Lincoln Park is a culinary wasteland. So they say LP, Bucktown and downtown are full of tourist traps that care more about how the inside looks and what trends to ride on rather than the food. Well that may be true for Bucktown and downtown but Lincoln Park is one of Chicago's oldest neighborhoods and while it has gone the way of the scene there are still many little family owned spots that have fended off the Starbucks and boutiques and continue to make the same food they did before LP was a hot spot for anything.


Pat's Pizza: Since 1950

Since I am am a lifelong resident of Lincoln Park (27 years) I am here to crush that stupid statement. Hey I'll be the first to tell you that LP has more than its fair share of yuppies and people who just moved here and more than enough Starbucks and Jamba Juices' but it also has many real Chicagoan's who have been here longer than you have been in whatever neighborhood your from and plenty of family owned business's that were here before LP blew up and still continue to thrive.


The pizza I grew up with, the other Chicago style, tavern thin

First up on my list of places to dispel that rumor is Pat's Pizza. I grew up on the tavern style pizza because I grew up near Pat's pizza. Once located on Sheffield near Belmont, Pat's has changed addresses over the years but the pizza remains the same. One of the best representations of the Chicago tavern style can be had at Pat's. The cracker thin pizza is cooked to perfection with the best Italian sausage topping I have found, big crispy pieces of Italian sausage loaded with fennel is the only way to go for pizza toppings. The crust over there is crispy and has airpockets from being so thin and the sauce and cheese are quality ingredients with just the right amount for this style of pizza.

I can eat over 40 pieces of Pat's pizza

So what does Lincoln park have that other neighborhoods don't? for starters some of the best tavern style pizza in the city that created that style. Whats even better is that Pat's delivers so residents of LP and surrounding neighborhoods can enjoy some of the best tavern style pizza at home. There isn't a better pizza place offering delivery so if they deliver to you then consider yourself lucky. Pat's is a full service restaurant that offers a full menu and has drinks so its also a good place for a date or party. I cannot recommend anything else on the menu because they do pizza so well and that's all I eat from there. The Lincoln Park Pat's has no affiliation with the Pat's Pizzeria in the South loop however I am not sure that there isn't a history. The pizza's are virtually the same so I recommend both for delivery depending on where you live.


This is serious pizza that Ill put up against anything out east

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 4
sauce: 4
toppings: 5
Crispness: 4

Score: 17/20

If you are visiting Chicago and staying downtown and want a pizza delivered to your hotel room, try the Pat's in South loop (no relation but very similar), its perfect and even if its only you, a medium and in my case a large can be eaten solo.

Pat's Pizza
2679 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-0168
website

David Burke's dry aged burger

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

I got to try David Burke's dry aged burger during its $5 debut during late October and thought so-so of it. First thing I need to note is that the burger was brought back to me, I didn't eat it there. I dont think my opinion would of changed much regardless. Also the small patty complaint below could be due to the fact that were on special at just five dollars and if thats the case well they should of let it be known. Now that the special is over they are $15/each. I see a future visit from the Miller High life delivery dude in their future.

David Burke's is one of the best steakhouses in the city of the steakhouse. They specialize in dry aged meats that melt on your tongue. The dry aged bone-in ribeye is the best piece of meat in the city. I cant say the same for their new burger.


DB's dry aged burger

I thought it was a little dry and hey, that kind of makes sense but it was also cooked pretty well done. Im not sure if they are feeding off the baconaisse craze at the moment but I really liked the combo of the house made bacon mayonnaise and perfectly grilled onions and spinach but thought that the roll was too big compared to the patty. Too much bun not enough beef is a big no-no in my burger quest. I much, much prefer when the patty is larger than the bun and not vice versa especially to this extent. I understand that DB's is adding a little flair to the menu for lunch and that burgers will always be in demand but this wasn't nearly as appetizing as their steaks.

The truth of the matter is that if it was always $5 I would def. recommend that and a drink for lunch. But the only time I'm going to pay $15 for a burger is going to be when I am stuck in the middle of nowhere and craving something like TAB, Paradise Pup or Top Notch. Then ill have one fed-ex'd.

What can I say I'm a burger purist. I love the places that do burgers and maybe a few other things and thats it. The ones that specialize in grease and stick to what they've been doing for years. David Burke's does steak and they do that really well, best in the city...they should stick to that. Now if they ground up the dry aged ribeye into burger meat then they might have something going.



Overall Grade: D+

Strengths: Well I like bacon..no wait, I love bacon.

Weakness: The dry aging process does not work as well with hamburgers as it does steak. It was rather dry and not nearly as juicy as a good burger should be. Price is all out of whack for a hamburger.

David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 660-6000
Website

Budacki's Drive In

Chicago: Where my dogs at?
...and introducing: Lunch for $6 & The Chicago Wing Fling

Budacki's is a spot I found within the last year and have been enjoying ever since. That is what you gotta love about Chicago, even after covering 100's of 1000's of miles eating in every single neighborhood since I got my license, I still find new spots. Budacki's however isn't new, its been family owned since 1980 and is a favorite of the people in the Lincoln Square & Ravenswood 'hoods. Its very much like the 1000's of other hot dog stands in Chicago as far as the menu goes but far superior to many of those stands quality wise. They also have a few signature items that you wont find at your average run of the mill spots. This is the result of a family owned business who takes their venture seriously and not some corporate chain. Why do people eat at Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Subway and the rest of that crap when you live in Chicago?!?!?!?!


Budacki's Drive In located in Lincoln Square

I'll be honest, when I first ate here it was because of the "Pomme Frites" on the sign caught my eye when I was driving by. I love frites so I pulled over and went in to try a hot dog and some pomme frites. Unfortunately the frites are just your normal frozen spud that are similar to McDonalds in size. Nonetheless these fries are better than your average frozen batch of fries. The hot dog at Budacki's is a good dog and even better value. It will cost you $2.25, tax included, for a Chicago dressed dog (minus the poppy seed bun) and a whole bunch of the fries.


Chicago style dog with fry's ($2.25 tax included)

Chicago's independent fast food joints have a wide range of offerings from various ethnic backgrounds that the owners bring with them. Budacki's is run by a Korean family and the owner is always there taking orders making sure your satisfied with the product. They have a ribeye sandwich they make with bulgogi meat and also a Korean style Philly cheesesteak made with the same bulgogi meat. The grilled teriyaki chicken sandwich is always being ordered when I'm in there along with everything else on the menu. I haven't had everything from here but I would bet its all better than average.

One of the unique menu items on the menu are the chicken wings. They use a combination of half Asian chili sauce similar to sriracha and half Buffalo sauce. Not only do we have amazing fusion cuisine at the fine dining establishments but you can also find it at the hot dog stands. The wings are perfectly fried and then tossed in the sauce and served with the frites and three pieces of garlic bread and of course an ample supply of celery and carrots and bleu cheese dressing.

Is anybody else sick of the Subway $5 footlong commercials and that irritating song that comes with it? not only does the song sound like an ad for happy hour at a male whorehouse during the 70's but Subway is garbage. In the end when you pay city taxes and get a drink its around $7 anyway. So with that I want to introduce two new ongoing projects within one post.

1) KingT's Wing-Fling: A roundup of the best places to eat chicken wings in the city.

2) Lunch for under $6 so you dont have to go to Wendy's and Subway anymore (some spots may be $6 and change)


Budacki's wings are worthy of a shout out and the price is right

For $5.75 (tax included) you can get a five piece wing, fries, garlic bread, vegetable stix with sauce and a can of pop from Budacki's. They also come in 10 and 20 piece batches. If wings aren't your thing try a hot dog, fries included and add a can of Chicago Coke for three bucks total or two dogs, fries and pop for $4.00. They have parking in the back but it is a small storefront and can get busy during the lunch rush. I guarantee that if the old Asian dude that runs this place was a McDonald's franchiser, he'd be franchisee of the year. So feel free to go get that whopper meal and wait the same time that Budacki's takes despite the fact the whopper is sitting under a heat lamp and everything here is made hot to order. The people that go to Subway are either from some small Amish town in Southern Indiana or grew up eating dogfood and now they dont know any better because it tastes better then dogfood...or does it?

Budacki's Drive In
4739 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 561-1322

Gotta get a piece of that sweet potato pie!

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals eat.

If you've ever cruised down 95th street in Beverly on the southside, you would know there are quite a few chow worthy destinations in a couple block radius. Whenever I hit one of them up for food (you bet ill be posting them on here) I make sure to stop at Jimmy Jamm's for a sweet potato pie. Im not big on desserts, id rather just eat more food than eat dessert but I absolutely love the "since 1933" recipe the family that runs Jimmy Jamm's uses for their made in house sweet potato pie. Its what I call perfection.


Jimmy Jamm's knows Yam's (95th & Longwood)

If your a cruising thru the neighborhood or ever grab a burger at Top Notch, stop by JJ's and grab a slice of their pie or take a whole one to go and bring it home or to a party. The plain sweet potato pie (seen below) is a bargain at $10. You can also get your pie topped with praline and pecan topping, honey cream cheese topping, marshmallow topping and honey cream icing.


slice of sweet potato pie with whipped cream on top.

JJ's is a sweet potato lovers heaven. Along with the sweet pie's they offer sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato bread, sweet potato cupcakes and what really caught my eye this time was the "Jimmy Jamm Loaded Yam" a baked yam stuffed with sauteed onions, bell peppers, diced chicken and steak or the vegetarian with brown sugar and cheese. Everything they offer is made from sweet potatoes. The only thing I hate this place for is bringing that horrible song from the early 90's by Domino back into my head..."I'm that guy, you're so fly, gotta get a piece of that sweet potato pie" baaaaaad. Jimmy Jamm sweet potato pie...gooooood.


Do get yourself a piece of this pie

Like the sign says inside "Warning: these pies are very addictive and may cause you to buy more!" Truer words were never spoken. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. Keep this place in mind.

Jimmy Jamm's
1844 W. 95th Street (and Longwood)
Chicago IL, 60643
Phone: 773.779.9105

Hot Tamales from Mr. Tamales

Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City
--Mr. Tamales, yet another Chicago tradition.

We over here at chibbqking are big fans of Tamales. Who is we you ask? well we is me. I love tamales and so does Chicago. You can find 1,000's of homemade Mexican tamales available at what seems like almost every corner. I indulge in all kinds of tamales and there are quite a few regional variations from around the globe but it is my belief that Mexican tamales are the best as I have been eating them since my youth. I have tried what seems like 1,000's as well so I know me a good tamale when I eat one. Got it? good.

Have you ever been drinking at a bar in Chicago's Bucktown or Lincoln Park neighborhoods and heard somebody yelling "hot tamale, hot tamale, hot tamale" & "get your hot tamales." Well if you have then you probably know Mr. Tamales. If you haven't well then let me introduce you to him.


Mr. Tamales & T

Mr. Tamales is a staple of the Chicago bar scene and quite frankly a local celeb. You see Mr. T doesn't have an address because he comes to you with some of the best bar food to be found in my city. One day and I dont know when, Mr. T thought of the idea of going around from bar to bar and selling bags of his wife's wonderful homemade tamales. Ive been eating these tamales since he came onto the scene and even came to learn that this is a Chicago tradition dating back more than century. Not only are Mr. T's wife's tamals the real deal but he is somewhat of a marketing guru himself.


Mr. Tamales wife makes traditional homemade Mexican tamales and they are good

As I mentioned above you can only get the tamals when he comes to you at the bar. He makes his rounds around the area and can always be found Thurs.-Sat. slanging hot tamales out of his red cooler. Mr. Ts mujer makes roja tamales with pork, verde chicken and again yet another sign he is a smart business man: they have cheese and pepper for all of the veg-heads around Bucktown. They come five to a bag (always hot temperature wise) and will run you $6 and you also get a few homemade salsa containers and plenty of napkins to go with them. If you really want to find him then your best bet is at my favorite beer bar, the Maproom or at Nicks beer garden, Bucktowns best bar overall.


If you frequent the maproom then you have had a Mr. T tamal on a National Geographic

When it comes to barfood in Chicago this is one of the best in town. Its a whole combination of things that make these so good and obviously it starts with the taste. These are above average and the cheese/pepper are one of my favorite non meat eats. I always get a bag of those but be warned they are spicy. What else makes these great is that he comes to you. You dont know when and where but its always a pleasure when you see/hear him. Another plus is that he comes to the bars that dont have food so if your in the bar drinking and have a taste for something quick and easy these are perfect. There is nothing like a spicy tamale with a craft beer from maproom in the crisp fall. They are a true combo that we are lucky to have here in the greatest city in the world. Our food/bar scene is a good reason for that claim.


a closeup of a bag of Mr. T's pepper/cheese tamales

Stay tuned for more real eats.

Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-7636
Website

Nick's Beer Garden
1516 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 252-1155
Website

Max's Beef: Since 1957

--Got Beef? Italian Beef

Max's has been doing Italian beef in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood for over 30 years. When you cruise along Chicago's Western ave, the longest street in the world, your going to find some Italian beef joints. Max's is one of the more well known along the street. Anyplace that has been around that long has to be doing something good and have a loyal following. You know that Max's does. First lets start out with the menu. Max's has an amazing menu selection that can take care of everyones taste palate. Max's does all the usual Chicago beef & dog stand foods and most are homemade and they have more than a few unique items as well which is also a plus.


Max's on Western ave. (Chicago, IL)

Max's has a unique beef and with this comes the argument of whether or not it is on peoples favorite's list. Max's has a very unique gravy that is a dark distinct red and loaded with garlic and other spices giving it a very unique flavor. One thing you have to give love to Max's for is the fact that they have a big tub of homemade peppers that are also unique that rest on each table. I for one hate when places charge extra for peppers. They are a part of a IB so add them into the price of the sandwich if you have to but they should come standard and not be extra. With all that said I am not a big fan of the giardinara at Max's, it is too oily for me and not green enough. The beef is also unique and I am also not a big fan of that. I think that Max's hasnt changed his approach which I cant knock anyone for but it just taste's like what a real old school beef would taste like before they had the machines to slice it up thin. It seems they havent changed their recipe to improve what a beef has progressed to. The meat is sliced medium and not thin and it gets a little rubbery sitting in the gravy all day.


Max's will allow you to order their signature gravy so you can have it with anything

I am not wasting anyones time with places I think you need to avoid at all costs. Therefore Max's gets love here on my site or else I wouldn't bother with it. Try a beef if you dont like it then you know that this isnt your style in the future. Just make sure to get an order of Ghetto fries. These are potatoes topped with barbecue sauce, raw onions, cheese, beef gravy and giardinara. Sounds good? it is. You can be sure ill have a fried out special coming soon.


Max's famous "ghetto fries"--Deal with it alderman.


Beef with Hot from Max's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 2
bread: 3
gravy: 2
hot peppers: 3

Score: 10/20

Max's Italian Beef
5754 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 989-8200
Menu

PelMeni

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

This next topic is going to be a painful one to some and an enlightenment to others. Anybody that has ever spent time in Madison, WI should have an idea of what PelMeni is (click link for info). There are mentions throughout the 'net about an old dumpling shack located on State St. in Madison, Wisconsin that goes/went by the name Pelmeni. Its a shame because my buddy who owned half was forced out and they were bought out and switched to pre-made dumplings and eventually from what I hear it is now closed due to its fall in quality.

Thats right, Pelmeni-Madison is closed. Gone is the small storefront where they offered pelmeni in two ways, meat and potato, done two ways, traditional (lots of butter and sour cream) and their version which is vinegar, curry powder, hot sauce and cilantro. I always ordered a large($7) half and half done their way. Pelmeni was one of Madison's gem's, one of those places that you just couldn't find anywhere else. It was perfect for the frigid winter months. Pelmeni is a Siberian winter time snack, perfect in the fall and winter. It is a great late night eat to soak up all that booze which is why the marriage between it and Madison seemed so special.

Well its pretty often that I have fiendish cravings for Pel-Meni's original Pel-Meni and when I get around to finding frozen beef pel-meni, I usually buy some, but I rarely see it outside the Eastern European markets in Skokie, IL. I recently found some at the Treasure Island in Lincoln Park. It was a familiar brand called "Smilgas" European dumpling's. So I picked up a package of the beef and got to work on this oh so easy exotic tasting creation. In honor of Halloween this past weekend and the best place to celebrate it...Madison, WI.

Paul from Madison via Anchorage's Russian Dumpling's: Pelmeni
(serve's 2)

1-16 oz. package of frozen beef filled Russian Dumplings (you could also use potato, great for Vegans or or use a combo of both)
1-2 TBLS of Vinegar
Hot sauce such as Smokin' Joe's or any Louisiana brand (add as much as you want)
1-3 TSP of curry powder
Chunk of cilantro chopped down finely
big scoop of sour cream and some butter

Note: the spice/cilantro and vinegar is the amount for each bowl. A 16 0z single package will serve two, so add the amount above to each individual serving in the bowl when making them.

The only thing I do different than Pel Meni did was I fry them in butter after boiling them. Take a non stick pan and melt some butter on low heat when dumplings are almost done boiling.

Just follow the packages cooking instructions and when they are cooked thru take them out with a pasta strainer and throw a slice of butter on them. Throw the dumplings in the frying pan and cook until blistered, making sure they dont stick by moving them around often.

Note: I like to boil them even a little longer than they suggest so they are really hot when they come out of the water and go into the pan.


take out after about 20 minutes when they have risen to the top


getting crispy in the butter

When done place them in a bowl and pour the vinegar over them and toss it so they get coated. Sprinkle the top with the curry powder then pour hot sauce all over the top and side and sprinkle with cilantro. Use sour cream to dip them in. One of my favorite recipes, when you want these you just have to have them. If you've been to PelMeni in Madison, tell me these aren't as good or better, they are fried in butter! Thanks Paul. To all my peops from Madison living out east, you should be able to find frozen pelmeni in NYC and other heavily populated eastern Euro areas.


Indulge

I think that the Alaskan location is still open in Alaska. No website but I was told "The Juneau Pelmeni shop is the original. They have two others, one in Madison, WI and one in Bellingham, WA." So there you go. Madison location is closed. But now you can have them everywhere. I hope that Paul and his buddies can get back on their feet and if by any miracle they come across this...Lets chat.

Treasure Island
2121 N Clybourn Ave
(between Lakewood Ave & Wayne Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 880-8880
http://smilgadumplings.com/

What The Heck is Phillys Best?

-The Sammy's of Chi

What the heck is Phillys Best?


Philly's Best has four Chicagoland locations

"The only Philly steak in Chicago" - Chicago Tribune

"Best sub in Chicago" - Channel 2 News

"The place to get a Philly steak in Chicago" - Philadelphia Magazine

"In Chicago, the place for steaks" - Philadelphia Inquirer


Cheesesteak from Phillys Best--Read about below & click pic to see just how serious they are.

The Philadelphia Phillies are your 2008 MLB champions. Hey Cubs fans, you think we got it hard? Philadelphia hadn't won a championship in 100 years when you combine the four major teams together. Congrats to the city and its fans. I never had any beefs with Philly fans and I even had a few as roommates thru the years and they are pretty knowledgeable and definitely passionate about their sports teams. We also have a little connection as a state to Philly sports with Mt. Carmel's Donovon McNabb QB of the Eagles and the 76'ers rising star Andre Iguodala is from Springfield.

No one really picked the Phillies when the year started and many didn't even pick them when the playoffs started. Baseball has really become a two season sport just like NCAA basketball. Everything you accomplished in the regular season is thrown out the door when MLB playoffs start. When the Cardinals beat the Tigers in '06, they were the two worst teams in the playoffs. The only other sport where that is really like this is mens basketball with March Madness.

Here is an interesting little fact about the world series and how bad it has been for viewers that have no affiliation with the winning team--The losing team has now won a total of two games the last five years. The Rays took one from Philly this year and the Tigers beat the Cardinals once in that series. Not so entertaining for the fans, huh?

Anyways since Philly is the best in baseball its time to introduce you to Philly's best. I gave you a peak into PB in my World Series preview. PB was started by a Greek family from Philly who moved to Chicago and couldn't get their beloved cheesesteaks anymore. What do you do when you cant get a certain food in a certain area? make it yourself and that's just what they did. Their first location was and is on Belmont a half block from the red line station. They now have four locations which you can find on their website.


Cheesesteak with Greek fried cheese balls

When it comes to authentic cheesesteaks in Chicago, this is where it starts and ends. The brothers fly in the meat from Philly and offer them "wit" onions and cheese whiz for that authentic Philly flair. No worries if that doesn't sound appealing to you they also have regular cheese, peppers and other toppings for your steak. They offer a bunch of different oven grinders and other stuff like pizza and fried appetizers. There are four things I order from PB...that's it.

I mentioned it was a Greek family that owned this place and for an appetizer you have to try the fried cheese, its da bomb. Obviously they have an awesome cheesesteak and I get that 90% of the time and I always go footlong. But the lesser known Philly chicken is just as good for all you chicken heads. When you order a Philly chicken go with green peppers, onions and white American cheese. The other item you have to try is the Greek fried dough which is lightly fried dough served with honey lemon sauce and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Great for dessert. This is one of Chicago's best chicken sandwiches. Its also one of the best delivery options in the Wrigleyville Lincoln Park area. It's the perfect poker food too. Whether it's internet poker or the real deal, it's not a true poker game without cheesesteaks and beer!


Trust me boys, she's pretty on the inside.

So for for all you people that have transplanted to Chicago from Philly, you have a spot that tastes like home and its called Philly's Best. They also have Tastykakes for all you Philly stoners. If you've been eating at PB as long as I have then you probably remember those funny commercials on during daytime trash TV of the guy yelling "What the heck is Phillys Best?" Well its the best cheesesteak sandwich you can find outside that region. Get at it. Now hows that for showing love Philly?

Philly's Best (four locations)
907 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 525-7900
Website