Posted by ayersian
, May 07, 2009 16:05
A recent Roadfood poll put Philly cheese steaks on top as the #1 Favorite Beef Sandwich (Non-Burger/BBQ Division). But for the 16% of us who voted for Chicagoland’s Italian Beef, we urge some reconsideration. On my way to research Iowa’s breaded pork tenderloins, I spent the night in Tinley Park, Illinois, and my hotel happened to be directly across from Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage at 7301 West 183rd Street. I took this as genuine RF providence and hurried into the store. Of all of the truly great American sandwiches, the Italian Beef had eluded me until this fateful night, when the staff at Pop’s greeted me as a long lost friend. “You’ve never had an Italian Beef? You haven’t truly lived, then! Let’s set this man up with his first sandwich!” exclaimed the smiling cashier. Joyfully I chose the beef and sausage combo with hot peppers, and my first bite was an utter revelation. The tender beef, the sausage’s snap, the excellent bread softened with gravy, and the spicy tingle of the peppers all converged for a Times Square-like fireworks display for my tastebuds. This is easily one of my top sandwiches of all time, and I’ll always remember my first Italian Beef experience. “You’ll come back, won’t you?” asked the cashier on my way out. Thank you, Pop’s, for changing my RF life!
