I’ve argued it a million times: You can’t beat Chicago for certain foods. Pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef. We’ve even made great strides in serving world-class corned beef. In New York you’d have to shell out $15 for a sandwich as good as any of these:
Ashkenaz Delicatessen (12 E. Cedar St., 312-944-5006): The smallest of the bunch, though it’s big on atmosphere and value. Not needing to slap gratuitous “New York” references in its name or on its menu, Ashkenaz gets my vote for being most Big Apple-like by staying true to tradition and not making room on the menu for “wraps” or “gyros.” This hole-in-the-wall has been serving up great sandwiches (regular $5.25; overstuffed $7.25), party platters and fresh breads for more than 25 years, with no signs of slowing down.
Chalfin’s New York Style Delicatessen (200 E. Chestnut St., 312-943-0034): This Streeterville gem is tucked away on the lower level of the Hotel Seneca in back of Water Tower Place. With famous and not-so-famous celebrity photos on the walls, Chalfin’s comes close to a real New York deli with its overstuffed–though sometimes a little too fatty–corned beef sandwiches ($6.45) served with perfect coleslaw, crunchy whole dill pickles and proper brown mustard.
Manny’s Coffee Shop and Deli (1141 S. Jefferson St., 312-939-2855): Step lively and push your tray down the stainless-steel line past hot tables filled with comfort foods. Once you reach “sandwich central,” you’ll find the meat-slicing machines keep time for the often-singing men behind the counter who, in a single flash of movement, slap down the fresh rye, a heaping helping of corned beef and a hot potato pancake ($7.50; 95 cents extra for the pancake).
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Max and Benny’s Restaurant (461 Waukegan Rd., Northbrook, 847-272-9490): Call this a “corned-beef-and-a-whole-lot-more” superstore. This sprawling complex–half deli/bakery, half diner–packs ’em in, especially on weekends, when long waits will give you time to think about that half pound of melt-in-your-mouth goodness. A little pricey ($7.95; $8.45 for extra-lean meat), but it’s worth it when even both hands aren’t enough to hold your sandwich together.
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Dean Richards’ “Dean’s List” of entertainment, dining and arts reports are featured at 7:45 a.m. Thursdays on the “WGN Morning News”(Ch. 9), at 8:45 a.m. Fridays on Spike O’Dell’s WGN-AM 720 “Morning Show” and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays on “Dean Richards Sunday Morning” on WGN-AM 720.