Thursday, April 25, 2013

Pizza, Popcorn, And Peppers On My Hot Dog



I just had an AMAZING weekend in Chicago, Illinois! My primary reason for being there was the wedding of a very good friend and sorority sister of mine. It also happened to be my birthday weekend so I was celebrating ME as well (I turned 30- yikes! I can remember turning ten and being excited because my age would now have double digits). In between hanging with friends and dancing and drinking (*blush*) I got to do a little sightseeing in the Windy City. This post here is going to focus on the food I ate there- since much of what makes Chicago, Chicago is their unique food culture.

Ms. Biscuit on South Wabash Avenue


MS. BISCUIT

This was not a place I originally looked up, but as my hotel roomies and I got in EARLY on a Friday morning, breakfast was certainly in order and a local had suggested this place to them. It was a little (well okay, VERY) obvious that we were tourists and had no clue where we were or what to order, and we were stared at a little bit with very audible "Where are they from?"s and other curiosity fueled comments from other diners. The waitress was a little testy at first but had really warmed up to us by the time we left (in her defense one of my party is notorious for asking a million irrelevant questions about a menu item before ordering, so I can't blame her). I ordered French Toast, grits, and hash browns- not their namesake biscuits- but my friend gave me half of one of hers and it was very delicious! She also had grilled biscuits which look pretty much how they sound, but taste even better than the regular biscuits. I also loved my grits- apparently there are people who don't know how to make them! Who knew? The French Toast and hash browns, however, were just okay. Not terrible. But nothing to really shout about. By the time we left we had several employees laughing and joking with us, taking our pictures, and giving us suggestions on where to go in the city. Nice little nook with affordable prices and a CLEAN bathroom (I mean a REALLY clean bathroom- I was almost scared to use it!)

French Toast, Hash Browns, Bacon, Grits and a piece of my friend's Biscuit

GIORDANO'S



One of the great American food debates is who makes better pizza- New York or Chicago. I've had a New York Jumbo slice before (but when I get there I'll go after an authentic one for you guys), but with my only Chicago pizza experience being UNO'S (which I'm told doesn't count), my friends and I went to this place upon the recommendation of quite a few Chicagoans. The taste wasn't all that different from any other pizza I've ever had, but the look and make of it was totally different. Instead of a disc of dough with sauce and cheese, this was more like a pie, layered with cheese and toppings and topped with a very tomato-y sauce. Very filling and gooey- and tasty! While I'm still partial to my UNO'S, my first taste of a real Chicago pizza pie was great.

Pepperoni Pizza- Chicago Style

WRIGLEYVILLE DOGS


During my last hours in Chicago, I had a mad dash to get a lot done in a little bit of time. This is partly my fault (probably not a good idea to plan to wake up early to sight see the morning after partying and chit chatting until 6am!) I took a tour of Wrigley Field (which I will write about later), and asked where the closest place was I could grab an authentic Chicago style hot dog. My friends had Portillo's the day before, but at the time I just wasn't in the mood to eat. The (super friendly!) tour guides at the Field told me about this place and promised I would get an even more authentic dog from there than Portillo's. About a block and a half or so up the street, this place doesn't look very impressive (and how many greasy spoons do?) but more than anything I was thankful I got there when it wasn't crowded so I could get in and out and head to my final Chicago food place quickly. A poppy seeded bun propped up a thin beef weiner covered in relish, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, hot peppers, et al and I was nervous. I mean, who actually EATS all this crap on top of a hot dog?? Well, consider me a convert. Not only was it delicious, every bite tasted slightly different as the larger chunky ingredients shifted around bite by bite. I probably won't try to re-create this at home, but if I'm ever back in Chicago, this is a must-have!



My final Chicago must-try food was Garrett Popcorn. I have quite a few friends from Chicago- who don't know each other so I know they aren't pulling a fast one on me. They all SWEAR that this is popcorn sent from the heavens. After my Chicago dog, I hopped on the L Train (more on that later) and went to the closest location to me (Michigan Avenue). I should probably let you know that it's actually OFF of Michigan Avenue because I accidentally walked by twice before I saw this particular store, but I could smell the delicious smell of popcorn, butter, and caramel for blocks around. My friends (whom I'd ditched so I could tour the ball park) were already in line-- yes a line that wrapped around the block like this was a nightclub. Admittedly, the line moved quickly so in less than ten minutes we were inside where friendly employees (seriously, is this a thing Chicago? Everyone was so nice!) took our order and mixed and bagged our flavors right before our eyes. You can get free samples too (though seriously, there isn't THAT much variety). I ordered four bags of the most popular flavor (Chicago Mix: cheese and caramel mixed together- it tastes a LOT better than it sounds) and then we headed to the airport. I gave one bag to my grandmother, took two bags to my part time job (gone in less than an hour!) and brought the fourth bag to my full time job (where two former Chicago residents gladly took large handfuls back to their desks). While I still think my friends were all exaggerating a bit on how good it is, I can understand how one might be nostalgic for this great popcorn when they move away from the Chi.


No, that's not how big the bags you take home are
Well, that's it for now friends. I will write about my other Chicago adventures in the upcoming weeks. I have a very-homemade looking iPhone video of my friends and I in the Willis Tower (aka the Sears Tower to any American older than 10) and have lots of beautiful pics from Wrigley Field. In the meantime, check out my yet-to-be-captioned Facebook pics (Pinterest will be updated soon!)

Until then, be safe and see you on the next adventure!