Chicago Taste Test!

Chicago is known for their eats, two of which I had planned on partaking of during this trip:

• Deep dish pizza 
• Italian beef sandwiches

Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time to eat a ton, but we did manage to have 2 of each to compare, and there were clear winners for both.  Now, before any of you die-hard foodies or hardcore Chigaoans get in a huff, I realize that "the best" is a difference of opinion.  It's just like New York City--everyone has their favorite pizza place (Zero Otto Nove) and bagel spot (Absolute Bagels), etc.

Deep Dish Pizza
Gino's East vs. Giordano's

Winner:  Giordano's
Pizza is all personal preference, and Gino's had been recommended to me by several people (and blogs). The funny thing is, as soon as we walked in, I realized I had been there years before when I was in high school.  We were on a family trip to Chicago and my older and wiser cousin David declared we HAD to go to Gino's.  I remember not being so impressed with their deep dish then, and this time around, some 20 years later, I was still not so impressed.

Giordano's had less thick of crust, but more toppings in their "stuffed" pizza.  The crust went down much more easily than at Gino's.  It was delicious.

Gino's East Deep Dish

Giordano's Stuffed Pizza

Italian Beef Sandwich
Al's vs. Portillo's

Winner: Al's
I've never had a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich, but my research indicated it was a must.  Lucky for us, there were at least three spots within walking distance from our hotel.  Unfortunately, there is only so much Italian beef sandwich you can eat in one meal.  Originally I had Mr. Beef on my list, but some of the blogs touted Portillo's (generally known for their hotdogs) as fantastic.  It was more of a tourist spectacle at Portillo's, but hands down, we enjoyed Al's (divey fast food) much more.  The meat may not have been as high quality, but the flavor and wetness from it being dipped in the meat juices, and the hot peppers were really good.  The french fries weren't bad either.

Al's Italian Beef

Portillo's Italian Beef

It is worth noting that we did not have any Chicago hot dogs.  I like my dogs with just ketchup, so all of those toppings would have been wasted on my simple tastes. However, I did have my very first Chick-fil-A ever.  It was a fancy one, but I would not say for all the hype, that it was life changing.