THE GREASY FOODIE: AL'S BEEF

The Greasy Foodie

The story begins blustry day Friday after Thanksgiving in 2008 in a cramped booth at a fake NYC deli in Nashville called Noshville. In between my wife, Rachel, and my brother, Michael, I sat across from my "cooler than me" cousins Mark and Sarah, and Sarah's just as cool husband, Danny. Mark, who lives the awesome life being a lawyer living in San Francisco working for Facebook, with his only downfall being his SEVERE lactardation..which has never been medically or scientifically proven to exist in Mark.. Sarah and Danny are foodies from NYC who have tried every dive "chicken finger" hut and "curry on a stick" in the big city. Danny and Sarah had discussed that they were trying to go to as many places from Bobby Flay's 'Throwdown' show as they could, and that there was one in Nashville we had to try.....a place that I had never heard of in my 13 years of living there..I will get to that adventure later.

I got an idea from my cool cousins idea. An idea became a hobby. And the hobby became an obsession. And thus produced the list.....a world-famous spreadsheet...of every restaurant that has ever been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel....every restaurant from the famous shows like "Throwdown", "Man V. Food", "Man v. Food Nation", "Food Feuds", "Food Wars", "Best Thing I Ever Ate", "Food Paradise" and "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives" to the obscure "Best Food Ever", "Meat and Potatoes", and "101 Best Places to Chowdown", plus my additions of the restaurants of famous chefs, favorite catergories (burgers, wings, pizza, bbq, and sandwiches) and local places of legend. Names, cities, food they are famous for, and addresses. It was and still is an obsession. As of 11:31am on November 27, 2018, THE LIST HAS 4,660 RESTAURANTS ON IT...WITH A FEW OVERLAPS HERE AND THERE. And then over Pastrami Eggs Benedict at Nate N' Al's Deli in Beverly Hills, Hannah and Andrew, our good friends, gave me the idea of the blog. Document every place I went. And thus, "The Greasy Foodie" was born. I will log the places, the shows they are from, and what I had. So far, every place I have been has been amazing, except two, one being mediocre, and another being down right awful.

If there is a city you have been to, or are going to, or are from and want to know what from my list is in the city, send me a email at agmarks@gmail.com

Thursday, November 15, 2012

AL'S BEEF

1079 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL

http://www.alsbeef.com/

CHICAGO, IL

FROM MAN VS. FOOD, #12 ON BEST PLACES TO CHOWDOWN, AND FOOD WARS FOR THE ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THIS PLACE WAS RANKED ONE OF THE TOP 10 BEST SANDWICHES IN AMERICA

WHEN IT COMES TO CHICAGO, THERE ARE TWO FAMOUS FOOD SPECIALITY AND ONE SECRET FOOD SPECIAL....DEEP DISH PIZZA, ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH, AND CARMEL CORN (THAT'S THE SECRET)

THE WINDY CITY IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE "CITY OF BROAD SHOULDERS" AND A CITY OF BROAD SHOULDERS WORKS HARD, PLAYS HARD, AND EAT'S WELL AND THE ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THIS

ROAST BEEF SLICED THIN, JARDINAIRE (A CLASSIC CHICAGO MIXTURE OF PEPPERS), HOT PEPPERS, AND AU JUS.....ON PERFECT ROLL TO SOAK UP THE AU JUS! AND MR. BEEF DOES IT RIGHT!!

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO EAT THIS, STANDING UP, LEANING FORWARD, ELBOWS ON THE TABLE! IT IS A MESS....AS EVIDENCE IN THE LEGENDARY NIGHT BEFORE MY WEDDING ADVENTURE!

THE NIGHT BEFORE I GOT MARRIED TO MY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFULLY INCREDIBLE WIFE, A FEW (A BUNCH) OF US WENT OUT AND HAD SOME DRINKS AND DECIDED TO INDULGE IN A LATE NIGHT SNACK....I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE ITALIAN BEEF CHALLENGE, BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED IT, AND DECIDED ON MY LAST NIGHT OF BEING SINGLE, I WOULD GO....AND GO DID WE.

THE ITALIAN BEEF CHALLENGE IS SIMPLE....ONE SANDWICH AT AL'S....ONE AT THEIR RIVAL MR. BEEF, WHICH WILL BE FEAUTRED LATER IN THIS BLOG......CHALLENGE COMPLETED...NOT WITHOUT CAUSING $125 IN DRY CLEANING DAMAGE TO MY NEW SUIT...

AL'S BEEF IS AMAZING...AS A MEAL OR AS A FAT BOY SNACK!!

THE GREASY FOODIE