"Street food, I believe, is the salvation of the human race."
- Anthony Bourdain
From the world renowned steakhouses, the hundreds of family owned authentic Italian restaurants, deep dish pizza second to none, and with the wonderful ethnic restaurants that populate each neighborhood, Chicago is a foodie’s paradise. In this edition of MILES PEDDLED (MP) Management will concentrate on Chicago street food of which there are many types including hot dogs, burgers, Italian beef, the aforementioned deep dish pizza, jibaritoes, and Chicago mix popcorn. The discussion will be limited to biking that can be done to go get a dog, burger, or a beef. Playlist suggestion: BORN IN CHICAGO by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Before we get to the subject matter of this Month’s edition, however, Management has a postscript from the May 2024 edition of MP entitled “Ebikes – are they the future of biking?” Previous editions of MP can be accessed at www.milespeddled.com.
As mentioned in the May edition of MP, ebikes come in many different configurations including, but not limited to, electric mountain bikes (EMTB). The big 3 bike companies (Giant, Specialized and Trek) make some great EMTBs, but they are expensive ($3,000.00 to $15,000.00), are limited to a maximum speed of 20 mph, and usually there can be no add-ons such as a bike rack which make them single use bikes. Most people cannot afford to spend this much money on an ebike only to use it for mountain biking. Rather, they need an ebike that can perform many functions like some trail riding, commuting or simply running errands.
Management, in its never ending quest to serve the LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS (LS) of MP, requested that the MILES PEDDLED INSTITUTE (MPI) investigate and determine whether there is an EMTB that is a Class 3 (max speed 28 mph) on which a rear bike rack can be added with a price under $2,000.00. As usual, MPI came through and Management is proud to present its LS with the VELOTRIC SUMMIT 1 EMTB. This bike has a top speed of 28 miles per hour, comes with a torque sensor, has a range up to 70 miles and can be customized by adding a rear bike rack. The base price of the bike is $1,999.00. When you add the rack, the price jumps slightly to approximately $2,050.00, but now the bike can be used as a mountain bike, a commuter bike, and a trekking bike.
One of the advantages to purchasing a Velotric is that they have numerous bike shops throughout the nation that will sell and service their product. One of the best bike shops in the City of Chicago, which also sells Velotrics, is Rudy’s Cycle and Fitness located at 5711 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, Illinois, 60634. Telephone number is (773)736-4395. If you visit Rudy’s, ask for Owen, the owner, who is a very nice young man and knowledgeable in all of the bike lines, including the Velotrics, that he carries in his shop.
Now to the subject matter of this edition: Biking for Dogs, Burgers, and Beef.
There are many different places in the City to get a great dog, an excellent burger and a succulent Italian beef, everyone has their favorite. Management will list their three favorites. Things are always better in threes. Playlist suggestion: ONE BOURBON, ONE SCOTCH, AND ONE BEER by John Lee Hooker.
I. BYRON’S HOT DOGS
1017 West Irving Park Road
Byron’s has two locations, one on Irving Park Road and one on Lawrence. Since you will be leaving Rudy’s Bike Shop on West Irving Park Road, Management is going to recommend that you bike directly east to the Byron’s located at 1017 West Irving Park Road. Sit outside and enjoy your dog, fries, and handmade shake. You are approximately 1 mile from the Lake and a half a mile from Wrigley Field.
· Dog:
Order the jumbo dog with everything which includes mustard, onions, green pickle relish, sport peppers, green peppers, tomatoes and more. This hot dog salad on a bun, in combination with the fries and the handmade shake, will give you all the energy you need for your day-long biking trek.
· Bike:
Since this Byron’s location is so close to the Lake, after finishing your meal proceed due east to the Lakefront Trail, approximately 1 mile. If you ride the trail all the way south to the South Shore Cultural Center this would be approximately 16.5 miles, turn around and head back and you have put in over 33 miles which can easily be done given the culinary feast you have just enjoyed at Byron’s.
· Playlist:
MEET ME IN CHICAGO by Buddy Guy.
II. LEAVITT STREET INN AND TAVERN
2345 North Leavitt Street, Bucktown, Chicago
In the May 2024 edition of Chicago Magazine one of the photographers chronicled his quest to find the top 10 burgers in the City. Of the 10 mentioned, Management has tried 6, and he picked some very good ones with Leavitt Street being #1.
· Burger:
One third pound ground angus chuck with American cheese, house sauce, homemade pickles, and caramelized onion all presented on a sesame seed bun. Pair the burger with a cold beer and sit outside at this wonderful neighborhood tavern located in Bucktown.
· Bike:
For this ride Management is going to recommend something a little different which will require a little urban riding. Either start or finish your ride at the Leavitt Street Inn and use Google Maps or the more enhanced DMAPS for directions. Basically you are going to proceed west on Lyndale Street and cut over to Milwaukee. On Milwaukee you are going to ride northwest for as far as you want or 8.5 miles up to the trailhead of the North Branch Trail located near the intersection of Milwaukee and Devon. From here you can ride the trail all the way into the Chicago Botanical Gardens which is another 17 miles one way. Wonder through this beautiful setting and then return to the Inn for round two.
NOTE: The ride on Milwaukee, particularly through Logan Square, is one funky journey.
· Playlist:
FUNK, CHICAGO STYLE by George Barnes and Carl Kress Duo.
III. JOHNNIE’S BEEF
7500 West North Avenue, Elmwood Park, Illinois
The Italian working class created the iconic Chicago Italian Beef out of necessity in the early 1900’s. It was a cheap way to tenderize a cut of meat and serve it on stale bread. The classic Italian beef is composed of slow cooked, lean cut beef served on gravy soaked French bread. The paper thin slices of the beef are piled high on Italian bread from Turano Baking Company and topped with Chicago style giardiniera, sautéed green peppers and if you know what you are doing you will order it “wet.” The Chicago style beef has become so popular it even stars in its own TV show: The Bear.
NOTE: Stay away from the big chains such as Portillos’ and Buona Beef. Eat local.
· Beef:
Only a handful of people know the spice recipe used for cooking the beef at Johnnie’s and they are all family members including the original owner and founder. Johnnie will tell you that the fat is trimmed off the beef before the meet goes back into the cooking juices which results in a lean sandwich where the beef has a buttery flavor that is never greasy. The gravy is a little spicier than most and they do not offer any cheese. The perfect order is: “juicy beef, sweet,” and it will come on the Turano bread fully submerged in the gravy topped off with sweet peppers which are cooked fresh every day. Order a side of fries, a lemon ice and enjoy this spectacular meal on the outdoor patio (there is no indoor seating).
· Bike:
Johnnie’s Beef is located a mile and a half east of the south end of the Des Plaines River Trail (DPRT). Once on the trail you could ride north for over fifty miles up to Route 173. The intial ride on the Cook County section of the DPRT is a bit rough, but the Lake County section is pretty and a very enjoyable ride.
· Playlist Suggestion:
BLUES FOR THE WEST SIDE by Magic Sam and Eddie Shaw.
Time for this Month’s Trivia/Quiz section. Timeout Magazine polled more than 34,000 people in 48 cities around the globe and it was confirmed that Chicago was the Number 1 city in the world for both eating and drinking. Hence, this Month’s trivia questions will concentrate on the Chicago food scene. The answers will be in the postscript section.
1. What is the Number 1 food sold at Chicago restaurants? Hot dog, burger, beef, deep dish pizza or steak.
2. What famous Chicago restaurateur was the driving force behind the creation of Taste of Chicago? Richard Melman, Arnie Morton, Charlie Trotter, or Rick Bayless.
3. How did Billy Goat’s Tavern get its name? Owner William Sianis’s name is Greek for “mountain goat,” a goat fell off a passing truck and wandered into the tavern, the original bartender, Billy, had a goatee, or the tavern served goat derived foods including goat cheese.
4. What snack/candy had its origin in Chicago? Jay’s potato chips, Cracker Jacks, Blommer’s chocolates or all of the above.
5. A jibarito is a Puerto Rican sandwich made without bread, instead it uses which of the following? Tortilla, fried green plantains, donut, or none of the above.
TEASE TIME: The next edition of MP, which will come in either August or September, will be entitled: PEDAL AND PICKLE, and will discuss bike rides that can be done in conjunction with a round of pickleball. Playlist suggestion: YE OLDE GUYS PICKLEBALL by Todd Trusty.
Time to go, but remember: “Keep your face toward the sunshine – and the shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman. As always, R, R & R!
POSTSCRIPT:
Answers to Trivia/Quiz Section:
1. Most popular dish at Chicago restaurants:
Not surprisingly the most popular dish served in Chicago restaurants is deep dish Chicago style pizza. It is commonly accepted that the original deep dish pizza was created at Pizzeria Uno in 1943. Leave your comment as to the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer.
2. Taste of Chicago:
Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton persuaded Mayor Jane Byrne to block off Michigan Avenue for the first Taste of Chicago held on July 4, 1980.
3. Billy Goat Tavern:
All of the LS to MP are familiar with the Saturday Night Live skit “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger!” So how did Billy Goat Tavern get its name? The original Billy Goat Tavern was born in 1934 when Greek immigrant William Sianis purchased the Lincoln Tavern for $205.00. Legend has it that a “billy goat” fell off a passing truck and wandered inside the tavern. Sianis adopted the goat, grew a goatee, and changed the name of his establishment to the “Billy Goat Tavern.” The rest is history.
4. Chicago Snack Food:
Jay’s Potato Chips (originally named “Jap’s Potato Chips with the name being changed to Jay’s during WWII), Cracker Jacks and Blommer’s Chocolates all have their origins in Chicago. The oldest of the three Play, however, is Cracker Jacks which were sold by Charles Gunther known as the “Candy Man” in the late 1800’s. Playlist suggestion: THE CANDY MAN by Sammy Davis, Jr.
Cracker Jacks became popular when the Rueckheim brothers produced a new recipe and presented it to the world during the Columbian Exposition which was held in Chicago in 1893.
Today we have the famous “Chicago Garrett Mix,” which is the cheddar and caramel corn mixed together.
5. Jibarito:
The jibarito is a sandwich made with flattened fried green plantains instead of bread. The original jibarito was filled with steak, today you can also get chicken or pork, covered with garlic flavored mayonnaise, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was developed and first introduced at Borinquen Restaurant, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Humbolt Park, in 1996. Try one, you will not miss the bread. Playlist suggestion: MAKE IT WTH YOU by Bread
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