Posted on 04/19/2024 1:20:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It's no secret to Chicago-area residents that Chicago is a food city through and through, but the Windy City is far from the only place to find a unique meal or snack in the Prairie State.
Food website Tasting Table took a dive into Illinois cuisine and listed 15 uniquely Illinois foods that readers should try at least once, with several Chicago staples included.
Of the familiar tourist favorites, Chicago popcorn, deep dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs led off the list, paying recognition to foods long associated with the cuisine of Chicago.
While those classics are familiar to many in the Chicago area, downstate Illinois also brings plenty to the table when looking at the cuisine of the state.
Chief among those is the Springfield favorite horseshoe sandwich, an open-faced sandwich with plenty of hearty ingredients stacked high.
From horseshoe-shaped ham and potato wedges to generous portions of cheese, this central Illinois classic is beloved by locals.
The love for Chicago doesn't end there though, with recognition given to both Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago thin-crust, or "tavern-style" pizza and the Windy City's most notorious spirit, Malört.
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The horseshoe sandwich isn't all that the rest of Illinois has to offer, with the oversized pork tenderloin sandwich from central Illinois not being for the faint of heart.
The tenderloin is often much larger than the bun it's served on, meaning you'll need a fork and a knife to get through this Prairie State classic.
Snacks are also part of any culinary expedition, and the same applies for Illinois, where the list mentions Mrs. Fisher's Chips and Beer Nuts as two of the state's most iconic small bites.
Perhaps the most unique item on the list is one found in Chicago though, with Tasting Table highlighting the Flaming Saganaki as one of the state's most unique eats.
The dish contains fried Kasseri cheese topped with brandy and lemon juice before being lit ablaze.
Served with crackers on the side, the dish can be found at Greek restaurants throughout the city.
A full list of the foods named as some of Illinois' most unique can be found here.
i’ve never once in my life thought of beer nuts as a “cuisine” ...
beer nuts love beer nuts, ate them all my 68yrs here in calif
Beer Nuts are great! Just the right combo of salty/Sweet. Honey roasted are for children.
Horseshoe sandwich sounds like an Americanized version of poutine, which you can also get in Chicago.
https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/comments/16xo0jc/where_can_i_find_the_best_poutine_in_chicago/
I’ve been in the Beer Nuts facility and they are a decent snack.
Chicago popcorn is always worth trying.
The best tenderloin sandwiches are the few grilled tenderloin sandwiches you can find across Illinois.
Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio also all have some great food options. Spending time like I did, in each, was a treat.
Every year at Christmas, we would go to Marshall Field’s, downtown Chicago to go sit on Santa’s lap.
Best Chicago food.. Marshall Field’s Frango Mints!!
Fried pork tenderloin sandwiches are the best!
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That Italian beef looks good enough to eat.
We had Beer Nuts in Texas..
Just read the article.
2nd best- Italian Beef. Learned to make it at home after I left the Chicago area
I still fail to see why Jeppson’s Malört is even a thing in Chicago. That stuff is nasty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeppson‘s_Mal%C3%B6rt
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