What was your favorite Chicago food as a kid?
What was your favorite Chicago food as a kid?
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Post #91 - July 24th, 2019, 10:35 amWillkat98 wrote:Great thread, so open ended.
I'll give my general memories of what I can recall as a kid.
I grew up in the heart of the South Side. 59th and Kedzie. 1975-1990. Colony theatre, Gerties Ice Cream (I was a soda jerk there), a great place to grow up.
Very working class, eating out was a privilege, not a rite.
We would have Pizza Castle from 55th on regular splurge days, and Little Joe's on 63rd every once in a while. You folks talk about Vito and Nicks tavern style pizza, for us V&N was for birthdays and Christmas Eve, ALWAYS on Christmas Eve. V&N was our special celebration place.
Other events as a kid had B&B catering from Archer (anyone recall that?) as well as places like Snackville Junction for food delivered via train.
59th and Kedzie means we grew up with Nicky's hot dogs at 58th and Kedzie. The original home of the Big Baby. I know it has been nitpicked to death over which location has the best version, but in the 1970's, I had access to the only version. I could tell you all about how Nicky's was in the 5700 block, next to the auto repair place and the hair salon school, but those got bought out by McDonalds expansion and Nicky's moved into the former Winchells donuts next to Meyer foods.
And when I went to Nicky's and ordered a hot dog with everything, it was hot dog, mustard, ketchup, relish (non-neon), chopped white onion, and pickle spear.
No neon green relish, no tomato, no celery salt.... I don't know where there garden drag started, but it wasn't at Nicky's
Thanks for the thread
On the far NW side, on Milwaukee Ave, there was this hot dog joint called Tast-e Hast-e. Talk about everything on it we used to call it a salad on a bun!
https://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.c ... -drive-in/
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Post #92 - July 24th, 2019, 10:55 amBrushman4 wrote:On the far NW side, on Milwaukee Ave, there was this hot dog joint called Tast-e Hast-e. Talk about everything on it we used to call it a salad on a bun!
https://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.c ... -drive-in/
Thanks for sharing that link, Brushman4! That's gold to me.My doctor told me that if I continue to eat this way, my body will lose the ability to wear horizontal stripes.
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Post #93 - July 24th, 2019, 11:46 amMungryJoe wrote:Brushman4 wrote:On the far NW side, on Milwaukee Ave, there was this hot dog joint called Tast-e Hast-e. Talk about everything on it we used to call it a salad on a bun!
https://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.c ... -drive-in/
Thanks for sharing that link, Brushman4! That's gold to me.
Did you use to partake in a few Tast-e Hast-e dogs back in the day?
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Post #94 - July 24th, 2019, 11:48 amBrushman4 wrote:MungryJoe wrote:Brushman4 wrote:On the far NW side, on Milwaukee Ave, there was this hot dog joint called Tast-e Hast-e. Talk about everything on it we used to call it a salad on a bun!
https://chicagohistorytoday.wordpress.c ... -drive-in/
Thanks for sharing that link, Brushman4! That's gold to me.
Did you use to partake in a few Tast-e Hast-e dogs back in the day?
No, I wish I could say that I had. But I'm really interested in variations and alternatives to the standard seven toppings. Thanks again!!My doctor told me that if I continue to eat this way, my body will lose the ability to wear horizontal stripes.
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Post #95 - July 24th, 2019, 3:49 pmBinko wrote:I'm going to ask a stupid question. I didn't like olives until my late teenagerhood, and I somehow have never gotten around to having an olive burger. Can someone describe what it is like from the fine establishments they've had it at? Is it just a bunch of chopped olives, sliced olives, or is it an olive spread of some sort? What kind of olives? What are the rest of the standard toppings on an olive burger? Should I assume this is a burger that is normally served without lettuce and tomato?
Now, I'm sure there's a lot of variations, but I'm curious what makes a more-or-less typical one from the Chicago area.
Basically, just like a mushroom burger only with olives, they usually came with lettuce and tomato on the plate. It was up to you if you wanted to pile them on and add ketchup and mustard.
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Post #96 - July 29th, 2019, 7:59 pmjilter wrote:A must in our house growing up was the sheet cake for our birthdays from Marshall Fields. I used to think it arrived by magic every year. But one time, when I was old enough, I was taken to help pick it up. I recall the basement at MF's very vividly.
I bet it was not that good comparatively speaking, but gosh I would kill for a piece right about now.
P.S. I have been feeling very old and out of touch recently. But gosh I love this forum and appreciate it so very much!
I remember Marshall Fields chocolate cake with buttercream icing and their chocolate cake with fudge icing as the best cakes ever! I wish I had those recipes.
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Post #97 - July 30th, 2019, 6:59 amOh, pastry!.
Got to list Dominick's Heinemann's Bakery as an important food source. Their chocolate pistachio cake was tradition for birthdays, and that gritty pistachio-crumb coating on the sides is very memorable and missed.
Their chocolate-chip cookies were crisp and buttery.... until one day they were merely crisp and oily. I suspect that recipe change may have led to the chain's downfall.What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang
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Post #98 - July 30th, 2019, 9:29 amThose chocolate pistachio cakes are to be found at Jewel, at least the one on Skokie Blvd in Skokie. In the freezer section. My husband's favorite. I can not say if it tastes as it did in the old days (what does?) as I do not eat it.
