IMG_1920.JPG

Few cities in America can boast as many widely recognized, indigenous foods as Chicago. Residents of The Windy City understandably maintain a great deal of pride in those particular items hailing from their homeland. But popularity demands that these Chicago-native foods extend across the nation, infiltrating any city housing residents anxious to recreate the flavors that have been giving Cubs fans something to actually be happy about for years. Lynn’s Chicago Foods is an unassuming establishment in southwest Little Rock that is bringing many of Chicago’s honored products to Arkansas. Lynn’s restaurant may not be visually stunning, the simple interior is far from gorgeous, but what she lacks in looks she more than makes up for in her dining options.

I should first note, if you are hoping for a Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza, unfortunately, this is not the place to find it. I realize this an iconic Chicagoan dish, and would likely be the first item that comes to most diners’ minds when picturing a meal in this city. Yet Lynn’s has chosen to avoid the rather weighty task of recreating this much-loved pie. Instead you’ll find Italian beef and polish sausage sandwiches, the iconic hot dog, as well as a smattering of other items not particularly native to Chicago including gyros, cheesesteaks, burgers, fried fish, and hot wings. When I visited, I felt inclined to sample those items I most associated with Chicago, after all, they named the place “Chicago foods,” so it only seemed right.

Advertisement

Italian Beef

  • Italian Beef

I first sampled the Italian beef sandwich. This consisted of a sizable portion of thinly sliced beef which had clearly beef wet-roasted for a considerable amount of time until the meat was tender and falling apart. The beef broth and its contents are heavily seasoned with garlic, oregano, and many other spices, giving the beef an herbaceous, aromatic flavor. A stack of beef, dripping in its own juices, gets wedged inside a chewy Italian-style roll. The entire sandwich is then dipped, oh-so-briefly, in the juices from which the meat cooked in. Not enough to completely saturate the bread or leave it a mushy, inedible mess, but just enough to slightly dampen the outer surface of the roll, imparting even more of the herbs and rendered fatty flavor to the entire sandwich. The sandwich is finally topped with a small helping of giardiniera, a spicy pickled blend of bell peppers, jalapeño, cauliflower, and celery. All the elements needed to recreate this beloved Chicago favorite were in place, but how did the flavors stack up? Honestly, I was in love after a single bite. The beef, so tender and juicy, was rich with flavor. The heavy-handed spices and vinegary touch of pickled vegetables create a mouth-watering flavor profile that makes this a sandwich difficult to put down once you begin to chow down. The added “dip” into the meat juices ensures you’ll never have to worry about being served a dry, flavorless sandwich. Instead it’s a creation that does justice to the city that claims the Italian beef as her own.

Advertisement

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article The new Arkansas legislature: Money is bipartisan Next article State releases school accountability numbers