So what was my most read post this past week? My take on artificial intelligence? My thoughtful dissection of the abortion issue? No. The visit to Culver's, top post of the week, third this past month. Apparently politics is out, eateries are in.
Okay, I can work with that. It happens that Tuesday I met a neighbor at the Bean Bar for coffee at 11 a.m. (ordered a flat white; the place was well-populated, sad that Northbrook, in its general mismanagement, will wipe it away to build apartments). We finished about a quarter to 12, and I ambled over to Sunset to pick up some pumpkin puree for the dog (we add it to her meals; aids the digestion). I love being in a suburb where I can walk places, though I'll be down a few important destinations — a coffee shop, a bookstore, a hardware store — after that building goes up. Dumb.
So I thought I would treat myself by sliding by Little Louie's, Northbrook's beloved hot dog stand since 1967. I wasn't planning to write about it — didn't even snap a shot of the interior. But when my jumbo kosher hot dog arrived, it was such a thing of beauty, I had to take its portrait. I ordered it with mustard and grilled onions. While those onions are more ... substantial than I expected, they added a whole new dimension to the dining experience, and I did not mind them. You'll notice that I didn't order it with ketchup — while I hate the "you're not a Chicagoan if you put ketchup on hot dogs" idiocy, that doesn't mean it's my go-to move (though I did add a dollop from the red container on the table, for just a taste. Mmmm.)
Okay, I can work with that. It happens that Tuesday I met a neighbor at the Bean Bar for coffee at 11 a.m. (ordered a flat white; the place was well-populated, sad that Northbrook, in its general mismanagement, will wipe it away to build apartments). We finished about a quarter to 12, and I ambled over to Sunset to pick up some pumpkin puree for the dog (we add it to her meals; aids the digestion). I love being in a suburb where I can walk places, though I'll be down a few important destinations — a coffee shop, a bookstore, a hardware store — after that building goes up. Dumb.
So I thought I would treat myself by sliding by Little Louie's, Northbrook's beloved hot dog stand since 1967. I wasn't planning to write about it — didn't even snap a shot of the interior. But when my jumbo kosher hot dog arrived, it was such a thing of beauty, I had to take its portrait. I ordered it with mustard and grilled onions. While those onions are more ... substantial than I expected, they added a whole new dimension to the dining experience, and I did not mind them. You'll notice that I didn't order it with ketchup — while I hate the "you're not a Chicagoan if you put ketchup on hot dogs" idiocy, that doesn't mean it's my go-to move (though I did add a dollop from the red container on the table, for just a taste. Mmmm.)
Little Louie's has a deep menu, for a hot dog stand — I sometimes pair a hot dog with a strawberry salad — and a wide array of Mexican items I have yet to try.
The owner since 1999, Pete Weiss was behind the counter, and we exchanged greetings. Through an act of will, I skipped fries. The Little Louie's fries are epic. They're also probably 800 calories for a weighty brown paper bag's worth. I did upscale my dog order — usually I get a regular char dog, but, perhaps because I was going fryless, I went for the jumbo kosher dog, even though it clocks in at a surprising $11.75. It was worth it: the dog, almost needless to say, was hot and delicious. The bun, fresh and fantastic.
The owner since 1999, Pete Weiss was behind the counter, and we exchanged greetings. Through an act of will, I skipped fries. The Little Louie's fries are epic. They're also probably 800 calories for a weighty brown paper bag's worth. I did upscale my dog order — usually I get a regular char dog, but, perhaps because I was going fryless, I went for the jumbo kosher dog, even though it clocks in at a surprising $11.75. It was worth it: the dog, almost needless to say, was hot and delicious. The bun, fresh and fantastic.
Honestly, knowing how jarred the place was by COVID, I considered the steep fee a donation toward the continuing dynamism of my leafy suburban paradise. I can struggle forward without the Bean Bar — it only opened a few years back. But Little Louie's is essential.
So much so that, Friday, I ambled over to grab a shot of the interior. I was going to ask Pete to pose, but he wasn't there. Maybe next time.
Fixed? Published immediately. No delayed gratification.
ReplyDeleteAnyway Neil, with all due respect, you're not from here. You're form Cleveland, so it is not idiocy. It's what we do and how we think here. This is not some cookie cutter city where if you want a hot dog like or similar Little Louies you'd have to settle for Portillo's - if you're lucky. Or, to put another way; try and get an Italian Beef in Cleveland.
DeleteYou got that right, pal. Moved to Cleveland 34 years ago, and I'm still looking for an authentic Italian beef. Locals have tried. None have succeeded. They even move to Chicago for a while and try to bring back the mojo. But for some reason, it just doesn't work here. If you want a real Italian beef, you still have to go to Chicago. Hell, we even lost all our White Castles a dozen years ago, and you have to go to Detroit or Columbus for a goddamn slider.
DeleteNow as far as Cleveland being a cookie-cutter city? Nofa king way. How much time have you spent here? Yes, this town keeps on shrinking, as folks move away for better weather and real jobs with real wages. Size-wise, we're now just Tulsa...but with a lot more snow.
Still, Cleveland is an affordable and decent place to live, with all kinds of amenities found in few other places, or even anywhere else. The Cleveland Orchestra is the best damn band in the land. The art museum is one of the best on this planet...and it's still FREE (billion-dollar endowment). There's good ethnic eating...and even hot dogs. And big pork sausages called (surprise surprise) Polish Boys.
If you miss Chicago's racism and crime and corruption, we have all that. There are also cool neighborhood dive bars, and funky one-of-a-kind shops, and live music. None of which are on Chicago's vast scale, but this place does have a lot to offer for a city its size. You can cross town in half an hour. Try doing that in Chicago.
Cleveland isn't really in the same ballpark as Chicago. They're not even in the same league. A city to compare us with would be Pittsburgh. Not Chicago. Or even Detroit.
Have now lived here almost as long as I lived in Chicago. But if you didn't grow up here or go to school here (especially Catholic school), you will never be thought of as a real Clevelander. It's a lot more provincial and parochial than Chicago is, where so many people are from somewhere else. That often bugs me. But it is what it is.
When I was a cab driver, Grizz, I often drove across town in a half hour or less. Not on the express ways, but regular city streets. Believe it or not, more than once, I took Western Avenue from 111th or so to Howard Street, not only in a half hour, but making every light on the way. The crowning jewel of my taxi career.
Deletetate
111th to Howard St. "making every light on the way"? That's amazing, and a fine jewel it was, Tate. I'd love to have been on that trip! It recently took me 17 minutes to drive 2 miles to get to the highway on the north side at rush hour.
DeleteBetween 1931 and 1948, Chicago's Western Ave. had the longest straight streetcar line of any city in the world...almost 24 miles...between Howard and W. 111th St.
DeleteWhich means that a motorist...taxi driver or otherwise, would have to be traveling almost 50 mph on a city street, in traffic, and make every green light over those 24 miles. The odds of winning streak like that are pretty stiff. One slow tuck would kill your chances.
And those traffic signals are not synchronized for a 50-mph trip. Probably more like 30 mph. So with a bit of luck, you might make it to just short of Midway.
Whoops...sorry. More like 47th and Western. Midway borders Cicero Ave.
DeleteThat's the thing about about fast food joints. It's like the weather. We can all relate and we all have a story to tell. And these little mom & pop sandwich joints are such a treasure. When you find a good one, you can't help but go back, over and over. There's one in Downers Grove that we go to often called Cozzi Corner. I always get the Italian sausage, my wife usually gets the Italian beef, dipped. Limited seating but there are huge, clean picnic tables right outside the door. There's a joint in up in Woodruff, WI. that's been there forever called Hoggie Doggies. Chicago style Vienna beef hotdogs in the northwoods. No indoor seating -- you order at a window and eat at a picnic table, weather permitting. Closed in winter, of course. I can't remember when it wasn't there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for mentioning the "No ketchup on a Chicago Hot dog" slur. People actually get angry when you push back against this ridiculous regional meme. I'll eat my hot dog anyway I please, you miserable, condescending scold. It's a friggin" hot dog for Dog sakes...
ReplyDeleteThere is NO ketchup on a Chicago Hot Dog which is a specific dish that does not include ketchup. The sweetness of ketchup absolutely ruins the savory tilting flavors of a Chicago Hot Dog ( it’s neon green relish is substantially less sweet than the regular green relish those who don’t know what they are doing use in trying to recreate it). It’s like how sugar can be delightful on noodles ( kugel) but will ruin a dish like fettuccine Alfredo. If you don’t like the Chicago Hot Dog you are welcome to eat something else on your hot dog but it ain’t a Chicago Hot Dog and means you are not eating the famous local food.
DeleteGuys. Please read for comprehension. I didn't say there WAS ketchup on a Chicago hot dog. What I was referring to was the ""you're not a Chicagoan if you put ketchup on hot dogs" trope. You're arguing with the air, reacting to something that wasn't said.
DeleteYep. You did not. Cullen did.
DeleteAnd it just means that you do not care for this local dish.
DeleteThe yarn store too will be demolished. Don't know if they will regroup elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first moved to Northbrook 40-plus years ago, dinner for me was often a Little Louie's Triple cheeseburger and a bag of those fries. Then I learned there was a connection between diet and health…
ReplyDeleteI've lived in Chicago most of my 70 years can't remember ever having a Chicago dog. Even having worked at Wally's hot dog stand at diversey and Central in the 70s well I guess that makes sense I was a vegetarian for about 30 years.
ReplyDeleteBut now that I'll eat just about anything I gravitate towards the Maxwell Street Polish with the grilled onions a delightful sausage.
Me and my buddy Seth would go to Susie's on Montrose for they close down a few years ago though it was more for the french fries than the sandwiches the fries were terrific.
I don't believe there is a single establishment in Silver City that serves a hot dog I'm serious they couldn't stay in business . It's pretty much burritoville down there though there is a joint that makes a decent Pizza.
Hey how come no comments on yesterday's post I sent one but I see that there aren't any
The Blogger commenting system crashed. When you hit "PUBLISH" a comment would get stuck in limbo and disappear eventually, unless you copied and saved it.
DeleteWas able to put the last paragraph on the Mr. S Fakebook page. But I lost everything about the meaning of Labor Day and how it's the end of summer and the start of a new year, even more than January 1 is.
Also lost my lament about union membership being down to 10% of the workforce. Had to live without bitching and moaning for a whole day. The system came back up after midnight.
I know. I had trouble getting my thing in about the Chicago celery salt on hot dog fanatics. My native born husband carries around celery salt in his car in case it’s not available. He is not, however, averse to a drop of ketchup on his dog, and detests the green relish.
DeleteI love the shops at that shopping center, especially The Bean Bar! My Opthamologist was there until last month. I hope they are all able to relocate to downtown Northbrook but it will not be the same. Apartments are needed though.
ReplyDelete“I was going to ask Pete to pose, but he wasn’t there.” One sentence, a lifetime of memories.
ReplyDeleteI raised my children in Northbrook; Pete and crew were part of their lives. The kids played baseball in the field, drank from the lion fountain, ate ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Three of the four had first jobs there. There used to be a toy store downtown where my oldest son worked back in the day. Scottie Pippen came in and bought a train set there, and my son was one of the crew who set the train up for him in his home “basement/playground.”
Those everyday places have a grip on us - and when our familiar places and spaces are affected, so are we.
We lived in Michigan for 6 years. We couldn’t find poppyseed hot dog buns for our Chicago hot dogs. Grew up in Chicago and as a kid always preferred ketchup. Switched to mustard in high school. Prefer Tabasco sauce on fries now.
ReplyDeleteIt's getting hard to find poppy seed hot dog buns in Chicago. I wonder if that has to do with idiotic drug testing which will always flag someone who ate poppy seeds & then requires more specialized testing to determine it was just eating the non-narcotic seeds?
Deleterosen hot dog buns, usuajlly found by the jewel deli. counter and of course, paulina market
DeleteFor your gustatory consideration:: T&G's at the corner of York and Western in Blue Island. It's been there pretty much forever. The Big Baby burger. The terrific fries. The Polish sausage with grilled onions. The gyros. It's all delicious. It's all worth the trek down Western Avenue.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s going to happen to the Book Bin? They just moved into that store front from across the street a year or two ago.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for them — the move was a big deal. I'll ask.
DeleteThanks!!!
DeleteAs long as we're talking about hotdog condiments, last Saturday we visited The National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI. (Yes, it's real. Google it) While there I bought a bottle of Chicago style hotdog mustard, made by Plochmans. It has little bits of tomato, onion, pickle, poppy seeds, ect. All the things that can be found on a Chicago style hotdog, mixed right in (not even a hint of ketchup).
ReplyDeleteWe tried it the other day, and it mostly just tastes like yellow mustard, but it's kinda fun having it in the refrigerator.
No need — I've been there, back when it was at Mt. Horeb. I think I'll post the story tomorrow.
DeleteThe first time we went it was still in Mt. Horeb. It's bigger now. I think I sent you a picture of the new place.
DeleteMany decades ago I got a job driving a delivery van for a company in Waukegan. The major duty was a daily trip throughout the six county area with several regular stops and many occasional stops. As a young man who had never really been anywhere or ever eaten much away from home( my parents went nowhere and my Father refused to eat much of anything that my Mother didn’t make)it didn’t take long for me to discover the amazing variety of foods available So many choices. I found favorites and tried foods I never knew existed. I miss that part of the job still even though it and the company are long gone.
ReplyDeleteJeff, a shame if your poor Mom never got a break from cooking. Women had to be doormats, often times, back then.
DeleteIs this the same Little L ouie’s that used to be at Touhy and California in the 1950s?
ReplyDeleteMr. Steinberg's post suggests that the development is a done deal, that all is lost, and that beloved local outfits like the Book Bin (and let's not forget the wonderful shoe repair place) are essentially history. The latest newsletter from the Village, however, suggests otherwise, that nothing has been approved, and that the process has barely started. It would be a shame if the post gave the impression that we might as well give up. Yes, Northbrook's downtown Is a sad affair and always has been, leading residents to wonder why they, too, can't have nice things, the way Glenview and Winetka do. But it's too soon to say "die."
ReplyDeleteI agree with that — but the resale shop has closed down, and the opticians moved across the street, so the businesses are certainly acting like the end is nigh.
DeleteLove the look of those grilled onions, Little Louie’s looks like my kind of place. Regarding the ketchup on a dog debate, I’m very much a live and let live person. Love whomever you want, transition from man to woman if it’s right for you, I don’t judge. Your religious beliefs are none of my business, just don’t push it on me, don’t make me subsidize them with my tax dollars and don’t hurt anybody - no sacrificial virgins. So put ketchup on your hot dog if you like. I disagree with your choice but honestly respect it. Even if you order a Chicago Style Dog and slather it with ketchup, I won’t say a word. But I will be shaking my head - that part is just wrong! 😝
ReplyDeleteAgree. It’s like ordering a “Philly cheese steak” and insisting on goat cheese. Buddy, why are you going to a place that’s famous for a certain dish and not eating it. Since my hot dog consumption is limited I’m not wasting it on some other hot dog dish. But those who pike ketchup. You do you.
DeleteYum
ReplyDeleteIt's very nice to have the comments posting immediately. Like in the past, I imagine as long as the topics are hot dogs and mustard museums, things may go well. The test will be the next column about something like the upcoming election! 😉
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of Little Louie's until the 2014 "Embrace the line" EGD post about your visit to the legendary Hot Doug's in Chicago, shortly before it closed. I've never been to LL, but have always recalled your son's high regard for the establishment.
The folks in line at Hot Doug's are told: "You’re waiting four hours for a hot dog!" (An indication of how well-regarded the place was.) The older of the Steinberg sons reasons: "What would I be doing at home? Reading The New York Times. What am I doing here? Reading The New York Times."
After the dining experience, "my older son says he still prefers Little Louie's, the iconic Northbrook hot dog stand."
https://www.everygoddamnday.com/2014/05/embrace-line.html
Stop it. You are wrecking my diet. ;)
ReplyDeleteTony Galati's mention of outdoor seating only restaurants, reminds me of an A&W Root Beer stand in Decatur, IL. Every year they posted a clever sign that read: "Closed for the Season. Reason. Freezin."
ReplyDeleteI'm always trying to encourage new restaurants in our small town (they turn over fast) and when I went into one recently I saw they featured a "Chicago hot dog." The accompaniments all looked correct and I ordered one. The accompaniments were fine. The hot dog was worse than I ever imagined a hot dog could be. Huge, flabby, pink, tasted like lunchroom bologna. I tossed it. For a few months we had an Italian beef place--guy actually drove to Chicago to pick up the ingredients--,but then his van broke down and his landlord lost patience with the unpaid rent and he was gone. Too bad. It was good.
ReplyDeleteBe glad you’re not here, there have been so many pretenders when it comes to Chicago cuisine. Pizza and Chicago hotdogs lead the pack, all failures. Glad I’m back in sweet home Chicago frequently to indulge myself in food.
ReplyDeleteNow if there was only a Culver’s here for me to try.
Northbrook's wonderful downtown area will be destroyed unless we take action!
ReplyDeleteRead about the effort to Save Downtown Northbrook, here: https://savedowntown-nbk.org/; and consider donating, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-downtown-northbrook-stop-6story-condo-development.
Let's not allow the Village to force the many fantastic local businesses, including the ones you described (Little Louie's, Sunset Foods, Bean Bar) to move, shut down, or be otherwise negatively impacted. Let's Save Downtown Northbrook together!