| « Chicago Originals Begins Today | The Call of Pork Skin » |
Review Tue Jan 18 2011
Who's Got the Beef?, Part IV
Only one month remains till pitchers and catchers report for spring training. While nearly every player nowadays stays in shape throughout the off-season, there are always a few out-of-shape surprises that show up to camp. The Dodgers were less than enthused a few years back when the Fat Andruw Jones came to play. Recent Sox departee Bobby Jenks, beloved by some, derided by others, would often appear in Arizona a bit bigger than anyone had remembered from the previous fall.
Taking a cue from the Jones and Jenks training regime, and knowing many more beefs await at the ballpark this season, the quest for the ultimate Italian Beef in Chicago has resumed. Getting back into proper beef build requires some familiarity at first, like playing short toss before throwing off a mound. As one of the original beef stands of lore, Al's Beef in Little Italy seemed a sure bet to get back into peak beef-eating form.
Al's Beef with Fries. Classic.
And really, a place like Al's has usurped the need for review. Simply put, Al's is a classic. From the stand-up only counters to the grease-stained walls, but most importantly, its insanely delectable soft roll drenched in au jus and stuffed with thinly sliced strips of tender beef, it's pretty easy to see why Al's has held court on Taylor St. since the late 1930's and is now set to expand across the country. Get it with hot peppers. Dipped.
Knowing such a long season of beefs await, Al's acts like an encouraging tweak from White Sox trainer Herm Schnieder. One moment you may feel like this, a bit down and worse for wear. Herm runs to Al's, gets you a beef, and you feel like this.
Yes.
