Missed this thread the first time around, but I'm just stunned that a Polish with hot peppers could mean a Polish with giardiniera. I have never seen or even considered such a thing.

Binko wrote:Missed this thread the first time around, but I'm just stunned that a Polish with hot peppers could mean a Polish with giardiniera. I have never seen or even considered such a thing.

Thank. You.

I'm going on record: Hot dogs and Polish sausage get sport peppers. Italian beef and sausage and red sauce is always giardeniera. Bratwurst can be either. Ordering a wet beef hot or a hot dog everything hot should be unambiguous in this way.

I went to Portillo's in Niles tonight and ordered something like 'Polish sausage, Maxwell style with mustard and grilled onions and hot peppers." I got the usual outstanding Portillo's sandwich, superb grilled onions, properly steamed bun, well cooked Polish.

BrendanR wrote:I went to Portillo's in Niles tonight and ordered something like 'Polish sausage, Maxwell style with mustard and grilled onions and hot peppers." I got the usual outstanding Portillo's sandwich, superb grilled onions, properly steamed bun, well cooked Polish.

And no peppers (apparently).

scottsol wrote:And no peppers (apparently).

Whoops missed the punchline! ...& festooned with glorious (& correct) sport peppers.

Having simple tastes, I always insist that the peppers be merely placed on the sausage rather than being festooned.

scottsol wrote:Having simple tastes, I always insist that the peppers be merely placed on the sausage rather than being festooned.

Live a little!

scottsol wrote:Having simple tastes, I always insist that the peppers be merely placed on the sausage rather than being festooned.

I walk the middle ground and request that the peppers adorn my Polish. A little more festive then mere placement while avoiding the frippery of festooning.

Dave148 wrote:

Portillo’s plans to open a third Chicago restaurant this year on the city’s Northwest side as the purveyor of hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake shakes continues its expansion. The restaurant will be constructed at Addison and Kimball streets, on the border between Avondale and Irving Park, on the site of what is currently a taxi repair facility and office.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Well they better get moving if they plan to meet their end-of-year deadline. That cab fix-it place is still there, fully intact.

Went to the Portillo's in the south loop recently. Had a cheeseburger, big beef dipped, cheese fries.



Burger was pretty decent, not great but definitely not bad. The cheese was a bit weird, at first I thought they put merkt's on it but it turned out to be shredded cheddar that was largely unmelted. Still tasted fine though, the cheddar was very sharp. I believe Portillo's cooks their burgers on a sort of oven with a conveyer belt, like a mini pizza oven that places like Domino's uses, so that's why they weren't able to melt the cheese on the burger.



Beef of course was on point. It's what they do best, really.



Fries were fine. Crinkle cut and I'm sure comes from a bag. I'm not a fresh cut fry die-hard, if a fry is well-cooked, fresh and salted, I'm fine with it whether it comes frozen in a bag or are cut from potatoes in-house.

It's Lemon Cake season at Portillo's, so you can also get a secret menu Lemon Cake shake!

Drover wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Portillo’s plans to open a third Chicago restaurant this year on the city’s Northwest side as the purveyor of hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake shakes continues its expansion. The restaurant will be constructed at Addison and Kimball streets, on the border between Avondale and Irving Park, on the site of what is currently a taxi repair facility and office.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Well they better get moving if they plan to meet their end-of-year deadline. That cab fix-it place is still there, fully intact.

Portillo’s still plans to open on Chicago’s Northwest Side, just a year behind schedule

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Here's another non-paywalled version of the article: https://outline.com/EdXUVE

It sounds a little like what it took to finally open the Deerfield location. First location was abandoned for land issues by Portillo's, the second chosen was eventually rejected by the owners of Deerbrook Mall who were hoping to put a Sam's Club or Costco there (which ended up being The Dump - thrilling ). Third and final location ended up being the first choice after the land issue was resolved.

Dave148 wrote:

Drover wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Portillo’s plans to open a third Chicago restaurant this year on the city’s Northwest side as the purveyor of hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake shakes continues its expansion. The restaurant will be constructed at Addison and Kimball streets, on the border between Avondale and Irving Park, on the site of what is currently a taxi repair facility and office.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Well they better get moving if they plan to meet their end-of-year deadline. That cab fix-it place is still there, fully intact.

Portillo’s still plans to open on Chicago’s Northwest Side, just a year behind schedule

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Ram4 wrote:It sounds a little like what it took to finally open the Deerfield location. First location was abandoned for land issues by Portillo's, the second chosen was eventually rejected by the owners of Deerbrook Mall who were hoping to put a Sam's Club or Costco there (which ended up being The Dump - thrilling ). Third and final location ended up being the first choice after the land issue was resolved.

Mediocrity has a high constitution.

=R=

Drover wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Portillo’s plans to open a third Chicago restaurant this year on the city’s Northwest side as the purveyor of hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches and chocolate cake shakes continues its expansion. The restaurant will be constructed at Addison and Kimball streets, on the border between Avondale and Irving Park, on the site of what is currently a taxi repair facility and office.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

Well they better get moving if they plan to meet their end-of-year deadline. That cab fix-it place is still there, fully intact.

Progress:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/ ... all-avenue

Coming soon to Springfield = https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200528/port ... pringfield

It will be interesting to see how these buildouts go. The company has huge debt (something like $550 million for a company with 60ish stores) because the private equity guys that own it have been looting it, so not sure how long until they run out of $$$.

-Will

WillG wrote:It will be interesting to see how these buildouts go. The company has huge debt (something like $550 million for a company with 60ish stores) because the private equity guys that own it have been looting it, so not sure how long until they run out of $$$.

-Will

And I think I was told that Dick Portillo sold to these equity guys, but kept ownership of the real estate, so he's still going to get his.

jnm123 wrote:

WillG wrote:It will be interesting to see how these buildouts go. The company has huge debt (something like $550 million for a company with 60ish stores) because the private equity guys that own it have been looting it, so not sure how long until they run out of $$$.

-Will

And I think I was told that Dick Portillo sold to these equity guys, but kept ownership of the real estate, so he's still going to get his.

Not necessarily. If the tenant operators cannot or will not pay rent, or cease operations, or file for (some forms) bankruptcy, then no. He'll have vacant, specialized-use properties in what is likely to be a brutal real estate market.

Also, they've expanded the number of stores greatly since the sale. Do you know if DP has any piece of the post-sale real estate?

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Do you know if DP has any piece of the post-sale real estate?

=R=

Several months after he sold the business he bought back the real estate and entered into a deal to purchase future sites as well. Gotta have a little passive income to supplement his Social Security checks.