FoodSided
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4 ethnic sandwiches that aren’t actually ethnic

By Jeremy Melendez

The three cheese grilled sandwich at By the Brewery cafe in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.By The Brewery Cafe
The three cheese grilled sandwich at By the Brewery cafe in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, March 17, 2021.By The Brewery Cafe /
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The Italian beef

As a Chicago native and current Illinois native, I am proud to say that this delicious creation was also birthed in The Windy City.

The Italian beef was brought into this world when Chris ‘Baba’ Pacelli founded Al’s #1 Italian Beef in 1938.

The name itself can be a bit misleading, as it is literally labeled as an Italian dish. But make no mistake about it, this sandwich has America written all over it.

A traditional Italian beef is comprised of thinly sliced, slow-cooked roast beef served au jus inside of a French or Italian bread roll. It is then topped with your choice of cheese (usually mozzarella or provolone), along with options such as sweet peppers, or Italy’s famous celery blend of giardiniera.

The last step is also optional, but comes highly recommended. That step would be getting the beef “dipped,” as Chicagoans say. The process is quite simple. Basically, your fully assembled Italian beef sandwich is grabbed with tongs and fully submerged in the glorious juice from the roast beef.

Again, this is an optional step, but I’d venture to say that you haven’t truly experienced an Italian beef sandwich unless you’ve eaten it this way.

Where to enjoy: Al’s beef

This is where the Italian beef was created and it continues to serve one of the best, if not the best Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago.

Where it’s overhyped: Portillo’s Hotdogs

As Portillo’s continues to expand nationwide, the quality of their food seems to lessen more and more. They do have good food, but in my opinion, they remain a jack of all trades, but a master of none.