Now we're starting our day at the Chicago French Market. And because Ben is classically trained in
French cuisine, we thought we'd bring you here to celebrate your birthday.
The plan for today is Italian Beef dip sandwiches. When we asked you guys online where we should
be eating in Chicago, so many of you said that we had to do it that Mike and I are going
to do it. Meanwhile...
I'm taking Birthday Boy Ben here on a culinary tour of Chicago.
Which basically means I get to stuff my face with great food!
Eat your cake.
Eat my cake.
Put it in your face!
Eat it, don't make out with it!
Jamie and I set off to find out what an Italian Beef Dip sandwich was and landed at Tony's,
a neighborhood hotspot.
The sign says, "when was the last time you had a great sandwich?" I might not be the
average customer... It's packed! Turns out, having talked to a couple of people, we've
travelled the least far to get here... Other people have travelled 45 min to an hour because
they know how good the sandwiches are.
Do you smell the aroma? Did it not just suck you in through the doors? That's what it is.
I've been coming here for years and once you taste a good sandwich, you always come back.
Even though Tony's is a small place, they've got the best beef sandwiches in the whole
city.
Meanwhile, Baz has taken Ben to check out the Revival Food Hall and Ben wanted his present
early.
This is my birthday. Do you fancy a Furious Spoon?
What!
That relish is amazing.
That is seriously tasty.
Good broth. Is there anything more comforting than ramen?
Can we have a sandwich? So Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago, why are they so popular here?
I think we're the only ones in the country that make 'em... that's for sure.
What makes a great Italian beef sandwich?
The spices. Definitely the spices and the natural gravy... I mean anybody can get a
piece of meat and cook it in the oven but it's what you do back there how you slice
it, how you prepare it, how you heat it, how you cool it, everything.
So essentially, Italian beef sandwiches are thinly stripped roast beef served on an Italian
roll with cheese, and then the roll is dipped into the juices that beef was cooked in. I
know.
Yeah, I think I get it. Stick with me when I say soggy bread... But the reason the bread
is soggy is because it's full of all of the gravy and all of the juice from the beef.
The beef is so tender. It's got this spice to it, a little bit of a kick, it's herb-y,
stringy cheese in there...
That is fantastic.
Don't open in London, Tony. My waistline can't take it.
When was the last time you had a great sandwich? 5 minutes ago!
Baz and Ben's next stop via the stunning Chicago River Walk was Giordano's, for the stringiest
pizza cheese we have ever seen...
Even the prep in the kitchen was a work of art.
That is so much more than what I expected... A really crispy base
It's almost so buttery, it's almost like a pastry... more like a pie. It's good.
Taylor Street. From 1850 onwards, this was the hub of entry for tens of thousands of
Italians seeking a new life in Chicago. And by 1927, Little Italy had 500 hundred grocery
stores, 257 restaurants, and numerous other food related businesses. This explains the
huge Italian influence on the amazing food in the city.
Italian ice.
That makes your eyes go like this
And it was here that we found Al's, the home of the very first Italian beef.
We got talking to Chris Pocelli, the owner and nephew of Al Pocelli who created the very
first Italian beef in 1938. Chris explained that the creation of the sandwich was due
to the lack of meat in the area during the Great Depression, and that's why it was sliced
so thinly. Oh, and there's an official stance you have to have while eating it. So we got
Ben and Baz down to try it all out.
Hello!
That's good. You look like a good juu...
The sandwich just disappears. You eat it and the bread just melts in your mouth.
Do you know what wins for me? It's the bread to beef ratio. There's a lot of beef in there.
When the evening came, it was only right that we experienced some authentic Chicago Blues.
And then, more pizza. Pequod's was so highly recommended by you that we had to try it's
infamous caramelized crust.
And it is GOOD!
At the beginning of this trip, we set out to find game changers and we thought they
were going to end up being iconic experiences, iconic dishes in each city. But... for me,
the city has been a game changer.
The people, the music, the place... there's something about having a beach and a city
and a skyline.
Game changing birthday?
Your birthdays been pretty good... isn't it?
Well, it's pretty nonstop and I don't think I can tell you which one bit was the best.
Collectively, game changer. I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate my 30th birthday any other
way.
With anyone else?
With anyone else! And Mike you get a hug, a virtual hug too. Come in for a hug!
Yaaaayyyyy