Chicago Food Staples (Part 3 of 3) – Poppin’ Popcorn and the Legendary “Chicago” Mix

On first glance, popcorn does not seem to have much in common with Chicago.  However, a deeper dive lets us see Chicago is really the perfect place to have a popcorn mecca, if there ever could be one.

Corn, or maize, is a New World crop which even today paints the breadbasket of the United States into fields of gold.  Therefore, it makes sense that some Native American tribes would have legends explaining what happened when some dried kernels became hot and exploded into white puffs.  The most prominent legend states that these corn kernels contained souls of gods.  When they became heated, they would become angry.  If the temperature continued to rise, so too would their anger, until it became unbearable and they would pop!

Today, we now know corn is actually a grass and the kernels are seeds.  Some specific strains of corn are cultivated specifically to be harvested, dried, and sold as kernels for popcorn.  The kernels pop because they contain some moisture, which turns into steam as they are heated.  Steam is a gas, which means the molecules move faster than they do in a liquid phase and therefore require more room.  In need of expanding, these molecules press against the carapace of the kernel until the force of the steam pushing out is greater than the force pushing back.  Pop!  The kernel explodes.

In 1948 and 1950, during an excavation of a site in New Mexico, anthropologist Herbert Dick and botanist, Earle Smith found evidence of multiple popcorn species which were carbon dated to be about 5,600 years old.  Some of the kernels were so well preserved they could still pop.  Dick and Smith even heated a couple in oil to prove it.

Chicago itself has a long history in popcorn, not just because it is the largest city in the United States’ breadbasket.  Charles Cretors, a Chicago native, was the first to invent a popcorn machine in 1885.  A few years later, in 1893 (in time for that infamous Chicago World’s Fair), Cretors also invented a steam-powered corn-popper and peanut roaster.

This probably worked out perfectly for two German immigrant brothers, Frederick and Louis Rueckheim.  They brought their molasses covered popcorn to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 as well.  This treat wasn’t as popular because the molasses made the popcorn too sticky to enjoy.  However, the brothers persisted feeling their molasses, popcorn, and peanut treat would delight with a few improvements.  Delight it did, as eventually this snack came to be known as Cracker Jack, whose recipe has only changed once since 1896 (and remained a trade secret the whole while).

Coming out of the Great Depression in 1949, the most notable Chicago popcorn brand, Garrett’s, was founded.  As I sit here trying (and failing miserably) to make my last bag of Garrett’s popcorn last a little longer from my trip to Chicago, I can attest to their wholesome sweet and salty “Garrett’s Mix.”  All their popcorn flavors are good.  My husband believes butter is the far superior flavor.

There’s a reason a business like Garrett’s lasts 65 years.

The founders, Claude and Gladys Garrett, founded this gem just as popcorn POPularity (cheesy…okay, silly puns done for now) was on the rise.  It was during the mid-twentieth century that popcorn became synonymous with television and movie watching.  Even during the early years, people would form lines around the block and down the street just to get a bag of Garrett’s air-popped popcorn.

It was noticed that customers were buying one bag of the CheeseCorn and one bag of the caramel corn (Caramel Crisp®) and mixing them.  Garrett’s began doing this themselves and the “Chicago Mix” was born.  The lines outside still never dwindle.

From upper left and clockwise, Garrett’s Buttery, Buffalo Ranch, and iconic Garrett’s Mix.

Little did they know this would eventually turn into a lawsuit.  In 1992, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based company, Candyland Inc. filed for a trademark on the name, “Chicago Mix.”  Despite many companies using the cheddar cheese and caramel corn mixture as the infamous Chicago Mix, Candyland uses and trademarked a different popcorn mixture (Cheese, Caramel, and Seasoned).  Candyland business owner states that they wanted to market the mix after a big-city name to draw attention to the product.  I am here to tell you this company protects their trademark viciously and have threatened lawsuit after lawsuit to all the other companies using the name “Chicago Mix” for any reason.  Garrett’s hung on to the “Chicago Mix” name on its website.  Eventually, however, Garrett’s moved into a more “ownable ‘Garrett Mix’” name.  A Garrett spokesman told the Tribune, “this transition began prior to any lawsuit due to countless brands now using the Chicago Mix name on what Garrett Popcorn Shops feels is a product vastly inferior to ours.”  If that’s not a classy burn, I don’t know what is.

But, Chicagoans love traditions and the “old ways.”  Much like the Willis Tower is still the Sears Tower, if you wait in the long line and finally reach the counter only to ask for a “Chicago Mix,” those wonderful people will know exactly what you want.

And in case you were wondering, Garrett’s does ship all across the United States and Canada (no other countries due to their preservative-free recipe).  Thank goodness because this bag is almost out.

Chicago Food Staples (Part 2 of 3) – Dragging the Dog through the Garden

Hot dogs are synonymous with summer and the USA.  After learning so much about them, I have come to realize, hot dogs are really the perfect food to represent the United States.  They both have a long history completely entwined with immigration.

A true Chicago hot dog from Portillo’s

Hot dog forerunners, sausages, were first documented in ancient times.  Homer mentions them in his epic poem, The Odyssey, “As when a man besides a great fire has filled a sausage with fat and blood and turns it this way and that and is very eager to get it quickly roasted.”  Even in the 8^th century B.C. people were eager to eat this delicious spiced, processed meat.

“As when a man besides a great fire has filled a sausage with fat and blood and turns it this way and that and is very eager to get it quickly roasted.”

Homer, The Odyssey

Eventually, the hot dog forerunners made their way to Central Europe where they received their next names – “wiener,” “wienerwurst” and “frankfurter” – named after the cities where they are likely created, Wien (Vienna) Austria and Frankfurt, Germany.  There is much debate over which city can actually claim the creation of the frankfurter sausage.  Frankfurt claims to have developed the unique combination of spices and smoked sausage packed tightly into an intestinal casing.  They even celebrated the 500^th anniversary of the hot dog in 1987, which the people of Vienna contested, citing the name “wiener” as proof they came from Wien.

My favorite wiener legend is that a butcher from Coburg, Germany developed the hot dog then moved to Frankfurt.  To promote his product, he named it after the city.  At any rate, hot dogs and sausages became a staple food in the Germanic culture.

Eventually, in the 19^th century, these Germanic people migrated to the United States, bringing with them, as all immigrants to the United States before and after them have, their delicious food.  Many Germans settled in the Midwest, populating the farmlands and cities.  During the 19^th century, Chicago was the meat-packing capital of the nation, and Germans provided the cheap labor to run that industry.  Meat plants, including the Union Stock Yards, took advantage of sausages and hot dogs as an opportunity to turn less desirable meat parts into something tasty.  Their good taste combined with affordable price and on-the-go eating capabilities launched hot dogs into one of the most popular meals.

It was during this time that Chicago’s first hot dog company, David Berg, was founded in 1860.  Other notable Chicago brands include Oscar Mayer (1873) and Armour (1867).

A second wave of immigrants changed the hot dog industry forever.  The Jewish immigrants soon were swarming Chicago and introduced the all-kosher, all-beef hot dog.  The Jewish people peddled the streets, but they also transformed the meat-packing industry to process food that was safer and more pure.  At the World’s Fair in 1893, Emil Reichel and Samuel Ladany introduced their family frankfurter recipe.  Again, these hot dogs provided sustenance that was tasty, cheap, and on-the-go friendly.  From their profits, Reichel and Ladany founded Vienna Beef hot dogs, which still uses the original all-beef recipe in natural casings.

Just as it is unclear exactly who invented the hot dog, it is fairly unclear who the first person to put the hot dog sausage on a bun.  However, the prevailing legend is that a Bavarian hot dog seller in St. Louis, MO loaned his patrons white gloves to eat his hot sausages, but his gloves were not getting returned.  As his supply dwindled, he asked his brother-in-law who was a baker for help.  The baker’s wife suggested long, soft rolls sliced on the slide.  Now, the modern hot dog was born!

My last hot dog legend comes from yet another immigrant.  Around the turn of the century, a young, ambitious Polish immigrant, Sam Rosen, opened his first bakery at 16 years old in New York City.  A few years later, Rosen moved to Chicago seeking out better fortunes. There, he purchased the New York Baking Company, which he renamed after himself.  S. Rosen’s quickly shot to fame due to its rye bread, but it’s also supposedly the originator of the poppy-seed bun, a must-have for a true Chicago hot dog.

It wasn’t until the Great Depression that Chicago hot dogs were “dragged through the garden.”  During this time, Chicago’s immigrant community was located on the West Side.  You can still find remnants of it today.  A market grew on Maxwell St. where all immigrants could sell their wares, including hot dogs and produce.  Despite hot dogs being a cheap eat, the Great Depression brought on hard times.  To make the meal more filling, vendors would pile their hot dog with a variety of the produce available at the market.  This made for an affordable and balanced meal.

One particular Maxwell St. stand, Fluky’s, served “depression sandwiches” which were topped with mustard, relish, onion, pickles, pepper, lettuce, tomatoes, and French Fries for a mere 5 cents.  A patron could get just the toppings, “Garden on the Bun” for an early vegetarian option that was even cheaper at 2 cents.  The company built a reputation on good food, service, and a community feeling.  They served all their patrons, including those who didn’t have the nickel.  Sadly, the company went out of business in 2006.

The modern Chicago-style hot dog is served with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, dill pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun.

The modern Chicago-style hot dog is served with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, dill pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. Don’t think about asking for ketchup on this unique hot dog!  It’s too sweet for the other flavors, and any true Chicago hot dog vendor will scoff.

As I can never pass up the chance to have a Chicago dog, when my husband and I recently visited Chicago, we stopped at Portillo’s.  Founded 53 years ago, Portillo’s is a bit flashier than most hot dog stands, but serves a great hot dog.  They have many locations in the Chicagoland area as well as in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  They also ship to all 50 states, so you can enjoy that Chicago dog from the comfort of your own home, even during quarantine!  Time to fire up the barbeque and grill up some hot dogs!

Portillo’s at 100 W. Ontario.

Have you ever tried a Chicago hot dog?  What did you think?  Do you have a favorite spot to grab a Chicago hot dog?  What are your favorite hot dog toppings?

Chicago Food Staples (Part 1 of 3) – Chicago Deep Dish

As many of you know, there are some Chicago food staples you can’t leave the city without – Deep dish pizza, hotdogs, and popcorn!  Here are my thoughts on these local delicacies.  This is part one of a three part series, today’s post focuses on Deep Dish Pizza.

True to its name, deep dish pizza has a buttery crust filled with layered meat, cheese, vegetables, and tomato sauce.  Deep dish pizza finds its roots in Neapolitan thin crust pizza and Italian immigrants.  While it is debated if the two owners of Pizzeria Uno, Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, actually invented the staple dish, Pizzeria Uno is unquestionably the first restaurant to make deep dish pizza.  My favorite theory is the one that Alice May Redmond invented the pizza while she was working as a cook for Sewell and Riccardo at Pizzeria Uno’s.  Redmond and her sister, Ruth were hired by the founders of Gino’s East.  From when it opened in 1966, Gino’s East became a formidable competitor for Pizzeria Uno.

Gino’s East, a Chicago tradition since 1966

Lou Malnati’s and Pizano’s were opened by the sons of the other theorized true inventor of Chicago deep dish pizza – Aldopho “Rudy” Malnati.  They, as well as the other restaurants which have since started making their own deep dish pizza, have all started to compete with Pizzeria Uno as the best deep dish pizza in town.  For more on deep dish Chicago history, check out these articles by the BBC, Food Editorials, and Eater Chicago.

More importantly than how it got here, is how do we get some?  And, who is the best?

You can still grab a pie from the original Pizzeria Uno location (29 E Ohio St).  Other deep dish restaurants include Lou Malnati’s, Pizano’s, Gino’s East, Giordano’s, Edwardo’s, Connie’s, and Nancy’s.  It’s really just a list of people’s names, isn’t it?

During my last visit to the Windy City, my husband and I tried Gino’s East.  To be a little different, we got the Burger and Fries pizza, which was surprisingly good.  The tangy-ness of the dressing complemented the savory meat and cheese flavors.  Overall, I enjoyed all the toppings, except the fries, but I am not a fries person anyway.

Burger and Fries deep dish pizza from Gino’s East — a delicious twist on a classic!

The other two deep dish pizza restaurants I’ve tried are Lou Malnati’s and my personal favorite (perhaps more for nostalgia than anything else) Giordano’s.  I think their crust is the most buttery.  There’s only one way to find out which is your favorite – and that’s to try them all!

Can’t get to Chicago for your deep dish fix?  Don’t worry, these deep dish pizza restaurants got you covered.  Pizzeria Uno has franchises all over the United States, and internationally (Saudi Arabia, Honduras, and India) under the guise of Uno Pizzeria and Grill.  Uno’s and Lou Malnati’s will both ship the pizza straight to your home as well.

Tune in to Part 2 of 3 next week – the Chicago Dog!

Speak Easy Chicago

Ever since my husband and I went to The Bletchley in London a few years ago, I have become obsessed with speakeasies.  This meant, before we went to Chicago, I did a little digging and found this great site discussing nine speakeasies in Chicago.

Of course, you can go on brewery or even speakeasy tours in Chicago, but I wanted to experience the wonder of finding these places on my own.  And, honestly, some of the tour websites were so confusing, I became too frustrated.  This lovely Urban Matter article let me do the work and enjoy the hunt myself.  After all, that’s half the fun of the speakeasy.

We were in Chicago for five days, five nights, and I can proudly say we made it to three speakeasies.  Not so bad when you realize we flew into town late the first night.

We first went to Watershed, which is owned and operated by the same people as its upstairs neighbor, Pops for Champagne, a classy place to grab a drink in River North.  Watershed is in the basement, has a low ceiling, and a more relaxed vibe.  The mix-matched furniture feel cozy.  The menu is small, but it offered a variety of beer (the true speakeasy drink), wine, and my favorite – crafted cocktails.  We each ordered ourselves a drink, saluted a great find and drank our, quite strong, drinks in amicable chatter.  My only complaint about this bar was how loud the music became as the night wore on.  We came to the bar to chat and drink, not get our ear drums blown out.  We did have the pleasure of conversing with one of the co-owners who mentioned one of his favorite things about the bar was the lack of televisions.  He said it allowed people to actually talk to one another.  I whole-heartedly agree but feel if he keeps turning the music up, the fact that there are no televisions will not matter.  No one will be talking because they won’t be able to hear each other.

Watershed entrance and drinks

The next night, we ventured to The Violet Hour, which has a somewhat secret entrance.  While the entrance is right on the sidewalk of a main road, the door is unmarked and incorporated into a mural that changes periodically.  We even missed it the first time we passed it thinking that couldn’t be the bar.  I’d say, The Violet Hour gets some points for that.  Inside, the feel is more swanky than Watershed and less cozy, but it quickly became my favorite of the three we visited this trip.  We were seated at the bar, which I usually don’t like, but this time, it gave me a great chance to meet other people and get to know our amazing bartender, Ruby.  Again, they serve beer, wine, and hand-crafted cocktails.  These cocktails are up a notch from Watershed because they are served with their own syrups, bitters, and other mixers.  The cocktail menu is quite extensive as well.  I had no idea what I wanted.  A little help from the bartender, I narrowed my options down to four, and ultimately went with the rum old fashioned.  A little while later, we were ready for round two.  This time, I told Ruby some things I liked, and she said, “oh, I got you, girl,” and served me up with one of the best drinks I’ve had in a long time.  She was right, she got me.  It was a little husky from whiskey, a little fruity, and just a bit of adventure, as she set some of it to flame just before serving it to me.  More because of the bartender and cocktails, The Violet Hour was my favorite speakeasy we visited during this trip to the Windy City.

With cocktails as beautiful and smooth as these, it’s easy to see how The Violet Hour stole my heart.

The final speakeasy we visited, I hesitate to call a speakeasy.  To me, Brando’s Speakeasy was more of a dive bar than anything else.  It most certainly had that feel.  The door is hiding in plain sight with a small sign near the doorknob indicating you’ve found the right location.  The menu is decent, and the drinks fine.  However, there is nothing particularly special about the place.  They do have karaoke, which adds to the dive bar feel for me.  In the end, I would rather skip this place on my speakeasy tour of Chicago.

We were a little over dressed for this dive bar.

One place I really wanted to explore, but we did not get the chance to go was The Drifter, which of the nine Urban Matter sites, is the only still in operation speakeasy from the Prohibition Era.  Mark my words, that place is a must-see for me next time I’m in the city.  Till next time, Chi-Town!