Every chef has their favorite cities and restaurants to eat at. Anthony Bourdain’s favorite restaurant in L.A. was In-N-Out, where he would nosh on a double-double burger animal-style. He enjoyed Le Dome Cafe in Paris, and Bourdain’s favorite food city was Tokyo. But when the question, “Where’s the beef?” arose for the “Parts Unknown” host, it was at Johnnie’s Beef in a little suburb called Elmwood Park outside of Chicago. According to Thrillist, Bourdain revealed that this eatery was a go-to must, saying, “Either on my way into town or out of town, I’m going Italian beef at Johnnie’s.”
Johnnie’s Beef has been a North Avenue anchor for the community since 1961, to be exact. For just $6.80, you can get a 6-inch Italian beef and sausage combo sandwich. But you want to make certain you get it with the “hot element,” also known as Chicago-style giardiniera. Giardiniera is a spicy condiment that generally contains chopped, pickled vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, celery, and chile peppers. Johnnie’s Beef version is heavy on the peppers and skips the other ingredients. It adds the perfect, crunchy bite to this sandwich, along with a little heat and acidity to balance out the fatty nature of the beef.
Simple And Consistent Food
Why did Anthony Bourdain love this spot? Its simple menu may be at the heart of why this sandwich shop garners so much love. Johnnie’s Beef’s menu is not vast, with its Italian beef, sausage, and hot dogs taking center stage; however, the eatery is known for its consistency. The beef is always thinly cut, and a subtle taste of oregano can be detected, making it mouthwatering and delectable.
One Yelp reviewer, who gave Johnnie’s six stars out of five, shared, “I don’t really get it, but somehow this is just the most perfectly cooked beef in the whole town or anywhere else that serves this delicacy known as Italian beef. I don’t really know what makes it so perfect, but it’s gotta be at least partly the aroma.” And another noted, ”Still tastes as good as they did when I first had one fourteen years ago.”…