quote:

Originally posted by Jim Ross

[:0] no onions or cheese until you have tasted the real thing. It won’t be with either of those.

I suspected this to be true, ergo I asked 🙂

I will do as you suggest…I want the authentic experience.

I know that Luke’s will be quite close to where I will be — Sear’s Tower — anyone know whether Mr Beef or Buona Beef are also close to there?

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I have long appreciated the enhancement of flavor brought to beef by the addition of onions.

Do Italian Beef vendors in Chicago make onions available on these sandwiches? If so, are they raw or grilled?

[:0] PLEASE DON’T — some Italian beef vendor might throw you out on your ear. Please try a TRADITIONAL Italian beef sandwich first, dipped with guardinera or roasted sweet peppers as the only condiment. After you’ve tried the real thing, if you think it can be improved, by all means start tinkering. I don’t think you will. I love onions and eat them on almost everything, except Italian beefs. The juice and meats are already heavily seasoned with garlic and italian herbs. The guardinera or sweet peppers also add lots of wonderful flavors. So please no onions or cheese until you have tasted the real thing. It won’t be with either of those.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

Hehe, I only typed ‘sauce’ because I have a hard time remembering the spelling for ‘giardinare’

Now that brings up an important thing: how do you pronounce ‘giardinare’?

I assume ‘wet’ means they take the whole assembled sandwich and dip it, bread and all, into a pan of au jus?

My father always said jar-din-air-a.
He used it on practically everything he ate.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I have long appreciated the enhancement of flavor brought to beef by the addition of onions.

Do Italian Beef vendors in Chicago make onions available on these sandwiches? If so, are they raw or grilled?

Hmmmm, don’t know, never asked for it.

I have long appreciated the enhancement of flavor brought to beef by the addition of onions.

Do Italian Beef vendors in Chicago make onions available on these sandwiches? If so, are they raw or grilled?

As far as beef sandwiches in chicago goes, I have to recommend the chopped steak (supreme steak) at Taurus Flavors. This place has been on the south side for forever and now there is a really cool spot in Midlothian (a bit south of the city on 147th St). Now that I live in the burbs I’m glad there’s one out my way. Some of the ones in the city are a bit dated and could use a face lift. They also have (my personal favorite) -HOAGYS- the cold cut kind – totally unique flavor for both sandwiches. Gotta try that steak. However the mega-rich cheesecakes and icecream stuff will probably add 2 lbs to hips in one sitting. all good stuff.[:D]

Hey you Chicago folks (moved from there 5 years ago) is the "Grand Dog" still there in Elmwood Park on Grand just west of Harlem? They had a great "Beef" and the au jus they dipped the bread into (Wet) was outstanding! Is Scirelles (Sp?) still there on North Avenue? Used to go there and get takeout beef, peppers and au jus by the quarts!

I lost track of all the other great "Stands" that you could find everywhere in Chicago for a Dog or a Beef. There were many years ago.

Another point, gotta have peppers (roasted green peppers, soaked in the au jus) on the beef!! Agree, lots of napkins!!

Miss em!

Don
[:)]

Next question: since our lunch at the training conference might well be pre-planned/catered for all I know, I doubt I will be able to take in a meal except in the evening.

Are these beef sandwich places, which sound like they do their primary business at lunch, open in the evening?

Okay, I did it to myself, I brought soup to have for my lunch but all this talk about beef made me hungry for one but I’m at work on the outer edge of the world (farm country), 50 some miles west of Chicago. I ask around work, and the maintainence guys tell me about a place in town, behind the liquour store ( very small town) I found it and it wasn’t too bad though the meat was a little dry. They did give me 2 containers of meat juice and 2 containers of gardinera. I wound up eating it with a fork and then eating the bread….works! I’ll have to go back because I didn’t pick up a menu and there was no name on the outside but you sure could smell it! If you’re ever in Sugar Grove, Il and need a beef, it’s behind the liqour store!

TJ,

I have always pronounced giardinare, Jar-din-air. Always order it wet. The rolls are fairly sturdy, although towards the end of the meal it will get messy and start to disintegrate. That is just part of the fun though. I will sometimes order a gravy bread when I am not that hungry, which is basically the roll, dipped in the juices.

Glenn

The bread starts out very crusty, if you don’t get it wet, you’re in for some tough chewing! It gets messy but there is a lot of the flavor in the juice. Be sure to grab a stack of napkins! Can’t answer about the combos…..I’m a purist….all beef for me!

quite on the contrary 🙂 much appreciated.

next question: since I’m getting recommendations to have the sandwich ordered ‘wet’, I have to ask if the bread/roll used is hardy enough to hold together after being dipped? Ie does it have a good firm crust, as the bread itself will probably dissolve to mush….at least that’d be my guess

Oh, and if I get a combo (beef plus a sausage on the roll), should that also be requested ‘wet’?

garden-air but some people pronouce it jarden and I’ve heard ah attached to the end as well…..not much help am I? [?]

I tried the website but they don’t seem to have a link about the generalities of cuisine, ie ‘what is an italian beef sandwich’ or ‘what is a stuffed pizza’ that an out-of-towner like me might benefit from.

Useful nonetheless….

There is a Giordano’s on the 200 block of Jackson, just down from Luke’s. I didn’t recommend it because I tried it a couple of times just after it opened and was very unhappy with the service so never went back. That was 2 years ago, so they may do better now.