CHICAGO Part 2

PORTILLOS
by
Walt and Paula

Next on our agenda, since we had a whole pizza to try from Burt’s Place ( see Chicago, Part 1) and knew we wouldn’t want much else to eat, but would want to sit and dine on something warmer, we went to Portillo’s Hot Dogs. We had heard Portillo’s was in a strip mall location, but in Chicagoland that’s like saying a grocery store is in a mall, because there are so many Portillo’s in malls. From it’s humble roots as a shack called The Dog House, it has grown into the largest independent chain in the mid-west. If this location is any indication, it is easy to see why. Portillo’s menu offers something for everyone in the family. The inside was a very inviting, roomy, family style environment. It was decorated in fun old time memorabilia with even a full size jeep jitney on a platform raised above the dining tables. It was clean and well lit. We read that Dick Portillo (the owner of this mega chain) began the concept idea in the mid-seventies and they have flourished ever since.

We had a decent Chicago Dog. The Italian beef Sandwich, a famous Chicago treat, was a delightful surprise. It had a nice Italian roll, that you can’t seem to get outside of major metropolitan areas with large concentrations of Italians. The beef was a thinly sliced, braised, chopped beef. The pickled peppers and jalapenos were a must. Adding cheese would qualify it as a close cousin to the Philadelphia Cheese Stake (made from thinly sliced rib eye). To Walt, what made the sandwich was the gravy. Extra gravy is standard. Next time Walt would have ordered it “fully dipped” in which the bun is actually dipped totally in the gravy before they serve it to you. It was a very beefy tasting sandwich and very juicy, due to the gravy. There have been debates on whether the fries are fresh cut or frozen. They are a thicker crisp, crinkle cut potato. They reminded Paula of her childhood. They are the kind of fry that is made when you take fresh potatoes and cook them once. They have a very pale, golden color and crisp texture. The crinkle cut adds more taste due to the high surface area.

Possibly the best thing at Portillo’s was the chocolate cake. Almost as good as Paula’s and except for the drive, a lot easier.