John D.
Yelp
The late, great Anthony Bourdain once said that the Italian beef sandwich is a better representative of Chicago than the deep dish pizza. I dare not object to the musings of my idol; the Italian beef is a must-devour item when visiting the Windy City.
Sure, there's Al's and Portillo's, but with all due respect to those fine chain establishments, the best beef are found in mom and pop places like Patio Beef.
About an hour after I finished telecommuting for work, I decided to explore my cousin's North Side neighborhood. As I turned on to Broadway, I developed a hankering for Chi-Town's signature sandwich. That was when I walked towards Patio Beef.
When ordering a beef, I utter three words: hot, sweet and wet. That's a beef loaded with hot and sweet peppers and dipped in the meat's gravy. Almost three years have passed since the last time I had my favorite sandwich in the world. Sinking my teeth, the quick burst of heat from the peppers and the nice juiciness of the beef welcomed me back like a long-lost friend. I commend Patio Beef for ensuring that the everything was fresh and my order didn't fall apart. I figuratively patted myself on the back for coming here.
For those who get iced tea while dining in, don't feel embarrassed to get refills.
There's also autographed pictures of celebrities who ate here, from newscasters to pro athletes. Simply put, if this place could wow them then why not the average person?