I’ve never seen celery on a hot dog. The celery in the hot peppers is very tiny. I don’t get that accusation.
I’ve tried “Chicago-style” beef and deep dish pizza in dozens of cities and it just isn’t the same. Not that the sandwiches or pizza weren’t tasty but the basic ingredients seem to miss the mark. Call them deep dish pizza or Italian beef but they shouldn’t be calling them Chicago Italian beef or Chicago deep dish.
On the other hand, I’ve had seafood and crab in Chicago. I’ve also had seafood and crab in Baltimore and Florida. I’m beginning to think that Baltimore and Florida keep the best for themselves. They’re a whole 'nother level above what I’m served here.
I think they’re referring to celery salt, which a staple of a true, thru-the-garden, Chicago dog.
Since we are on the subject, I’ll be in Chicago in a couple of weeks. Where’s the best place to get an Italian sandwich in the Loop?
There is a Portillo’s on Clark Street at Ontario. There is also an Al’s nearby. The original Al’s (the best) is a mile or so south on Taylor Street; worth the trip. There are also others near the Loop (like Mr. Beef on Orleans), but those are my faves.
Pulykamell mentioned it being a potential ingredient in giardiniera. I’ve never made my own so I wouldn’t know but if it’s in there, it’s very finely diced and probably just for texture. I’ve never noticed it and it’s certainly not chunks or “salad”.
It’s called the “Chicago lean.” And celery does not have to be on an Italian beef. It’s quite common just to get them with sweet peppers, which does not include celery but is, as I mentioned above, simply cooked sweet peppers. That said, for me, the giardiniera is pretty much a requirement. It’s the flavor and texture accent that takes the beef to the next level for me. (And I’m not entirely sure what celery has to do with hot dogs, either. We’ll sometimes put celery salt on hot dogs, but I’ve never seen celery. And the “fully dressed” Chicago style dog–which actually is not the style I grew up with in Chicago–isn’t that much more dressed that a regular onions & relish dog. You just have a couple slices of tomato and a pickle spear added to that, and you can take out the pickle spear and eat it separately. It does not have to be eaten along with the dog.)
I had one in South Bend Indiana, which is fairly close to Chicago. I have encountered a good version in DC at a Philadelphia style sub shop. There is a food truck in Virginia that specializes in Chicago food that has them.
I wish they were more popular, they are better than French Dips, Cheesesteaks, Philly style pork sandwiches, and Pittsburgh style sandwiches.
They just called them Italian Beef. No Chicago added on to it.
I (and many others who live in the South) have the same feeling when places up north or west say they have “real” BBQ. No, you don’t.
Which street corner? Lot’s of places to eat in the Loop. And outside the Loop.
Portillo’s
Al’s
Luke’s
Connie’s
Mr. Beef
I prefer Turano bread over Gonnella and Gonnella bread over all the rest. The beef gravy requires a noticeable touch of garlic but just a touch. Beef should be sliced really thin. Green peppers should be long, thin strips. If you want a beef an’ cheese, the cheese should be natural (real) mozzarella. Like it hot? The giardiniera should be a crunchy blend of bits of carrots, celery, and jalapenos plus spices, in an extra-virgin olive oil.
There are types of giardiniera where the celery is more prominent (Pop’s and Chickie’s giardiniera are basically just thinly sliced peppers and celery) and others where you don’t even notice it or perhaps it’s even non-existent (the more usual style).
Here’s several of your typical style of giardiniera. Those all contain celery in some amount.
Here’s the kind you get at Chickie’s and Pop’s, the celery & hot pepper style.
Both styles are good, with the usual having a wider range of flavors, but the latter has a nice, clean flavor and crispy texture. As to why put it on a beef, it’s just another condiment/type of pickle. It adds a lot of flavor and acidic, spicy, and crunchy contrast to the beef.
In the Loop itself? The Loop can be difficult to find truly stand-out grub. I’d say probably Luke’s at 215 W. Jackson. But it would be worth your while to get yourself down to Taylor Street and try Al’s, while following it up with an Italian lemonade at Mario’s. I’m not the biggest fan of Al’s (but they do make a solid beef, and it is many a Chicagoans favorite), but that pairing says Chicago summer to me.
Just order them “dry.” To me, though, that defeats the whole point of what makes this beef great. If I wanted a dry beef sandwich, I would not get an Italian beef. There are better roast beefs out there if you want to eat them in this manner. But a wet, dipped sandwich? Sign me up!
If you didn’t like Portillo’s version, you’re probably not going to like Italian beefs. It’s a solid representation of the dish. It’s not in my top five beefs in the city, but, like their hot dog, they make a representative version that I have no qualms about. The level the beef is spiced varies all over the place. Al’s has a particularly flavorful broth–it’s more assertively flavored than most and has spices like clove or allspice or something in that general area that most beefs don’t have. Portillo’s is a bit more neutral and typical of your average beef joint. Part of the reason I think you need the giardiniera is as an accent to this big juicy pile of beef. That’s what takes it over the top for me. I know lots of people love them just with the roasted/fried sweet peppers, but, to me, I need that little spicy, tangy, crunchy flavor to fully complete the experience. It’s like the lime in a gin and tonic. A gin and tonic isn’t right without that accent.
Chicago wouldn’t know BBQ if it bit them on the ass. My all-time favorite smoked brisket comes from Rudy’s in Austin, Texas. (I have family there. Drive, fly, or mail order - I’m eatin’ me some Rudy’s.) Don’t let me know that you have Rudy’s moist beef in your house. I’ll arrive early and never leave until it’s gone. 
I’ve never been a big fan of Portillo’s Italian beefs myself. I’m out in the suburbs but usually go to Doggie Dinner (Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Plainfield and points beyond) for my Italian beef needs. Find them more flavorful than from Portillo’s.
You clearly haven’t been here in awhile. But BBQ is one of those contentious things, where everyone has an opinion. I happen to like our indigenous style of barbecue (spare ribs, rib tips, and hot links cooked in an aquarium smoker), but the recent explosion in barbecue places doing barbecue in other styles is pretty solid. Now, no, it’s not gonna be like heading to a brisket joint in Lockhart or getting whole hog in the Carolinas, but there are good examples of barbecue here. That said, you’re right in the sense that the average Chicagoan wouldn’t know barbecue if it bit them in the ass.
Jimmy’s Food Store in Dallas, TX, makes a sandwich they call an Italian Beef. I’ve not had one from Chicago, so I don’t know how it compares, but it’s excellent. Really messy though.
I didn’t say it was great, but it’s the best I can come up with without investing in a meat slicer or on overnight delivery from 2,000 miles away.
Right. Come to Chicago and try Smoque’s brisket or Honey1’s ribs, or Uncle Johns tips and hot links or Barn &Co.'s BBQ anything and say we don’t have BBQ.
I’m still a Chicago native but currently live in the land beyond O’Hare. BBQ is loonnngggg, slow cooking. 225 deg for hours and hours and more hours. Slapping meat on a grill and covering it in sweet or vinegar sauce is good but it’s grilling, not BBQ.
Italian beef sandwiches are one of the things I miss most about Chicago! I went to Illinois Tech, so the closest place for me was Ferro’s, on W. 31st and S. Wentworth. great with a lemon Italian ice afterward 
It’s only the understanding of the term that’s in question. In the South, BBQ is considered long, slow cooking over low heat and plenty of smoke. If Smoque’s, Honey1’s, or Uncle John’s is slow cooked for hours, I’ll track them down. Hot links, on the other hand, should come with a warning. Everyone wants to make them hotter than the other guys. (They should be served with ice cream for dessert. 
) It’s become more of a challenge food than a taste treat. IMHO, of course.