I have a profound appreciation and respect for Lyft drivers. Both my sister and I suffer from a terrible bane known as car sickness. Nausea that beckons while at the mercy of a poor, unfortunate soul (who is usually exceptionally cavalier about switching lanes aggressively in thick stop and go traffic) who winds up with a backseat full of smell and sadness. You catch my drift?
It’s really quite embarrassing. Today, in Chicago, I crammed a granola bar down my throat to aid and abet this disastrous situation and luckily made it to my destination prior to soiling another hyundai elantra.
Enter me rolling up into the best hangover joint this side of the mason dixon line:
Portillo’s Hotdogs. But we are not there for the hotdogs. No no. We are there for the sandwich of all sandwiches. If Jeff Mauro was a sandwich, this is what he would be – The Sandwich King is the Portillo’s Big Beef. (Interestingly, Jeff is a native Chicagoan and I would bat an eye if he disagreed with me).
Here’s what they do:
The Big Beef Remedy
They take fresh, fluffy, white french bread and layer it with shaved slices of seasoned Italian beef.
This is a craft though. The artists who work at Portillo’s know just the right amount of au jus to keep the bread moist, but not soggy. The only other piece of this sandwich is the spicy giardiniera. Pickled cauliflower, jalepenos, carrots, celery in a lightly fiery oil. Swoon.
Have I EVER advised you to order something without cheese? Don’t order this with cheese. I know. Those are hard words to swallow (literally and physically). But I promise as you savor every delicious morsel of this basically perfect amalgamation, you will understand.
Get fries and a sprite too. I mean, after all, with a full jolly belly the sickness of the car is a thing of the past, and I’m ready to take a ride to wherever we’re going.
You can find these gems in popping up all over…the OG is downtown Chi-town, and the locations around Glendale, Tempe and Avondale, AZ are less crowded, which is not bad when you’re on the verge of despair.
Hangovers suck. Here are some other righteous remedies that are just what the doctor ordered:
- Corned Beef Migas with Gochujang and Goat Cheese
- Tom Selleck Pizza
- Spicy Beef and Hominy Pozole with Salsa Verde
- Not a Philly Cheesesteak
