Ever since I tasted Al's Beef in Chicago, I've been saying that Italian beef sandwiches would make a killing in San Francisco — especially in North Beach. If only I'd gotten into the Italian beef business sooner.
This week, Tony's Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House opens on Sutter and Union, selling pies and sammies to go, including seven kinds of Italian beef sandwiches, all made with slow-roasted meat cooked in garlic and Italian herbs in the coal ovens. For dessert, another Chicago staple: Italian ices. Better yet, it's open until 11 p.m.
Tony already made a name for himself with Tony's Pizza Napoletana, so he probably knows more about running a restaurant than I do. At least my loss in sandwich riches is a gain for San Fran's sandwich scene.
Chicago's beloved Italian beef sandwich and Buffalo's signature beef on weck taste like they were separated at birth. But it's the nuances that set these regional favorites apart from each other and that other famous juicy roast beef sandwich, the French dip. Here's how to tell them all apart. 
The Beef on Weck
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Origins: Brought to New York by German immigrants in the early 1800s, beef on weck is one of America's oldest sandwiches.
Defining characteristics: Thinly sliced hot roast beef served on a kimmelweck bun, a Kaiser-type roll sprinkled with caraway seeds and salt crystals, and dipped in roasting juices.
Where to try one: Schwabl's in Buffalo or Charlie the Butcher.
Keep reading for the "French" and "Italian" takes on hot roast beef.
January 4, 2010 9:09 pm · Posted by
nancita
For my first Italian beef experience, I headed to Al's Beef, in Chicago's Little italy. Al's claims to have invented the Italian beef sandwich, and no one really argues. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that the original sandwich stand acted as a front for bookies — until the Italian beef business became even more lucrative than the gambling.
This classic Chicago sandwich sounds simple: thin sliced, seasoned beef, cooked in its own juices, then topped with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers. But the flavors are unbelievably complex. Al's cooks its meat in a blend of 19 seasonings that hints at everything from garlic to nutmeg to oregano. Take a virtual trip with the photos below.
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