Chicago Foodies

Panes Bread Cafe: Gourmet Lakeview Sandwich Shop

I've walked by this tiny sandwich shop near the corner of Sheffield and Wellington several times, and it looked appealing, though from the outside you would have thought the place was dead.  The sign outside said it had been open since 1994, usually a good sign but sometimes a result of restaurants that have came and gone and now are hanging on for dear life.

Manny's Deli and Cafeteria

Groupon recently featured Manny's Deli, an old-school Chicago deli and cafeteria established in 1942, and frequented by none other than (you guessed it) Barack Obama. I've been meaning to check out this place for months, so armed with a $15 gift certificate, I stopped by to investigate Chicago's answer at a New York-style deli.

Ashkenaz: Tongue Sandwiches

Ashkenaz, a Jewish delicatessen on Cedar Street, is either an oxymoron or an anachronism in the Gold Coast, a neighborhood populated with chain restaurants, overpriced restaurants, nightclubs drawing a suburban clientele, and a scant few charming neighborhood places. Ashkenaz is the type of place where the staff seldom changes and the regulars therefore know the staff, so it definitely has a neighborhood feel.

Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli -- A Chicago Legend

Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli has been a personal favorite of mine since I moved to Chicago. Located amongst a rather undescript collection of clothing stores, tailors and small strip centers, its also home of some of the best deli food in the city.

When you walk into Manny's, you know immediately you're not in any old regular Chicago deli or coffee shop. The menu items are familiar, but the place is an 'old-school' cafeteria where you get in line, grab a tray, maybe some silverware and proceed. Only open mornings and afternoons, I prefer heading there for lunch. They do have a full breakfast menu too, but its the deli items -- sandwiches in particular -- that have kept this joint in business for more than 60 years.

L'Appetito: Downtown Deli

L'Appetito, 30 E. Huron St. is an Italian deli with indoor and outdoor seating and some grocery items as well. It's a couple blocks west of Michigan Ave and they will make you whatever you want. They have a great selection of meats and cheeses (with emphasis on Italian products) as well as tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salad, etc.

Their sandwiches (subs, etc) run large, except the slim tostinos, and the man in front of me ordered a half of one. I took his lead with a 1/2 a muffalatta but was given a whole. It was $6.50 and enormous.