# Help me plan 4 nights in Chicago **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2022, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193 "2022-12-08T07:58:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/241 "2024-04-23T22:36:06Z")
I was going to guess Luke’s, and that is a solid choice for that area. (Which it looks I mentioned way back when in this thread.) I was just hoping it wasn’t a random hot dog stand that serves Italian beef. Those can be very hit and miss (more towards miss most of the time, but if you don’t really have a yardstick for what a good Italian beef should taste like, I guess you wouldn’t know.) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/242 "2024-04-23T22:44:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I thought it was good and the giardiniera had a nice kick to it. As it happens, JP Graziano is known for their excellent giardiniera (among other things). If you like that spicy condiment you are in the right city for it. I love it. I always have some in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/243 "2024-04-23T22:57:13Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If you like that spicy condiment you are in the right city for it. I love it. I always have some in the house. Heck, even most subways have it. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/244 "2024-04-23T23:01:26Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Heck, even most subways have it. I have a friend/former co-worker who moved to South Carolina and says he cannot find it anywhere (he can order it online and have it delivered but cannot find it in markets or restaurants in his area much to his dismay). I thought it was a thing you’d find everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/245 "2024-04-23T23:09:11Z")
The only giardiniera I’ve ever seen on a store shelf in WA is the Mezzetta brand that isn’t chopped and is packed in brine instead of oil. I’ve used it at home as a base for a more Chicago-esque giardiniera by chopping it up and mixing in some cocktail onions, jalapenos, and green olives. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/246 "2024-04-23T23:25:24Z")
Potbelly’s has a good giardiniera (at least they do here in Chicago…I assume they have it in all stores everywhere). They sell it in jars so you can have some at home. It’s pretty good. My second favorite behind JP Graziano. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/247 "2024-04-23T23:47:06Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > They sell it in jars so you can have some at home. Yeah, but then I’d have to pay $30 to check my bag so I could get it through TSA. Perhaps I’ll check the Potbelly in Seattle next time I find myself there. I have ordered Marconi giardiniera off of Amazon in the past. That stuff’s decent. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/248 "2024-04-24T00:12:51Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I have ordered Marconi giardiniera off of Amazon in the past. That stuff’s decent. Yeah, nothing wrong with Marconi! I often have a jar of it in the house. My faves are JP Graziano, for sure, and … maybe surprisingly … Ditka’s is quite good. And there’s also That Pickle Guy giardiniera. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/249 "2024-04-24T01:34:30Z")
Rosati’s thin crust pizza is pretty dang good. I went with the Windy City combo (sausage, onion, garlic, and giardiniera) The crust has the right amount of chew to it. The square cut makes the slices manageable whereas regular-cut thin crust tends to get floppy. There’s just the right amount of cheese. The sauce is a little on the sweet side, but it balances the giardiniera which is spicy enough to make my lips burn, and the sausage is nice good-sized chunks that are seasoned well. “Unfortunately” I’m probably gonna have to eat the whole thing myself because my mother apparently can’t handle heat anymore. (She thought the sweet peppers on her sandwich earlier were too much.) PS: Chicago, your pizza boxes are weird. Every pizza I’ve ever had anywhere else has come in a box with a lid that flips up. Yours you have to unfold the whole dang thing to get it open. Giordano’s had the same kind of box last year. Stop making weird pizza boxes. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/250 "2024-04-24T01:41:14Z")
Your mom would probably enjoy a Lou Malnati’s pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/251 "2024-04-24T13:24:39Z")
Breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s was good. A basic breakfast is easy to get right, but theirs is definitely a step above Denny’s. The donut hole amuse-bouche was a nice mouthful to get started. Thick juicy sausage links. The “hashbrowns” were really more just sauteed sliced potatoes, and they needed salt and pepper, but they were well done and tasty. The toast is obviously made in-house. The orange preserves were sweet but had a little bit of a bitter aftertaste - too much peel, I suspect. My only complaint is that I ordered my eggs over medium, which to me means the yolks are soft but not runny, and I got overeasy. I suspect breakfast cooks deliberately undercook over medium orders because they’re afraid of overcooking them. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/252 "2024-04-24T14:34:08Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s was good. Ha. Speaking of décor that hasn’t changed in 60 years… ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/253 "2024-04-24T16:52:08Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > my mother apparently can’t handle heat anymore. (She thought the sweet peppers on her sandwich earlier were too much.) Sweet peppers on a beef shouldn’t be spicy whatsoever, 0 out of 2^24. On the other hand, giardineria covering the whole pizza is risky for anyone who isn’t certain they’ll enjoy the moderate heat like you describe. I myself usually stick to sausage, green pepper & onion for thin. > [@Smapti](#): > > theirs is definitely a step above Denny’s. Ouch. Tomorrow, how about a Polish and pork chop sandwiches from Jim’s for breakfast? Or scare up some tamales. [http://jimsoriginal.com/](http://jimsoriginal.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/254 "2024-04-24T18:34:35Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Ouch. Tomorrow, how about a Polish and pork chop sandwiches from Jim’s for breakfast? That’s the plan for Friday. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/255 "2024-04-24T19:13:11Z")
We’ve warned you the pork chops are bone-in, right? I’m on my phone so don’t feel like checking. But a reminder at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/256 "2024-04-24T19:42:12Z")
I was aware. Probably just gonna go with a polish dog though. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/257 "2024-04-24T19:46:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > That’s the plan for Friday. Splendid. It’s decided, then: Jim’s tomorrow and Friday mornings for breakfasts. Make sure to get hot peppers on your Polish, they’re some of the finest sport peppers around. And pleeeease really try to squeeze half a pork chop in, too. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/258 "2024-04-24T19:48:29Z")
Spent five hours at the Museum of Science and Industry today and loved it. (Mom didn’t want to come - we’re meeting back up for dinner, then Willis Tower, then a Pink Floyd show at Adler Planetarium). The U-boat tour was amazing but very cramped. The coal mine tour made me realize just how completely evil the coal industry is and has always been. The climate change exhibits made me sad. The trains were neat, as was the model train set with its semi-accurate scale model of Seattle. The moon capsule exhibit was sadly closed for renovations. The tornado and Tesla coil demonstrations were pretty neat. I wasn’t expecting Colleen Moore’s fairy castle to be as impressive at is - it’s easily one of the most intricate handmade artworks I’ve ever seen. I also got to check out that weird Picasso sculpture in the Loop and the 9-story-tall Muddy Waters mural, and munched on a bag of Garrett popcorn. I didn’t think cheese and salted caramel would work together but they do. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/259 "2024-04-24T19:49:56Z")
I honestly don’t think you’ll be missing anything. The pork chop is all right, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193/260 "2024-04-24T19:51:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > he moon capsule exhibit was sadly closed for renovations. Awwww. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-4-nights-in-chicago/976193.md?page=14)