My Chicago: Delicious Chicago Foods You Must Experience

cheesy Chicago style deep dish pizza with olive toppingsThere’s always something good cooking in Chicago! With over 7,300 restaurants in a city that is known for its cultural diversity, there are so many food options to choose from.

These restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, and range from fine dining to casual small mom-and-pop shops. We obviously can’t cover all of Chicago’s restaurants in this blog, but we will cover the iconic, must-have Chicago foods and destinations around The Admiral at the Lake.

3 Iconic Chicago Foods

Similar to the list of restaurants located in Chicago, the list of food Chicago is known for is extensive and varying. We’ve narrowed the list down to three foods that are always on top food blogs and lists in Chicago.

  • 1. Chicago Style Deep-Dish  Pizza

You are in for a treat if one of your favorite foods is pizza, especially if you like the crust! Deep-dish pizza is not made in an ordinary pizza pan. It’s baked in a round, steel pan that closely resembles a pie pan. The dough is pressed onto the sides to form a bowl to accommodate a thick layer of toppings. The buttery crust and thick layer of toppings require a longer baking time.

There are many places to order your deep-dish pizza, but some of the more famous restaurants are UNO Pizzeria & Grill (legend has it this is where deep-dish originally started in 1943), Giordano’s, Tedino’s Pizza, and Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria.

  • 2. Chicago Style Hot Dogs

What’s the difference between your normal hot dog and a Chicago style hot dog? The Chicago version is an all-beef hot dog placed on a steamed, poppy seed bun. The toppings include yellow mustard, relish, tomato wedges, chopped onions, pickle spear, hot peppers and celery salt. Hungry for one? Established in 1948, Superdawg Drive-In is the most popular, family owned and operated Chicago style hot dog drive-in.

  • 3. Italian Beef

A Chicago Italian beef sandwich is a composition of thin slices of seasoned roast beef dripping in au jus and served on a long Italian-style roll. You can order it hot with giardiniera peppers or sweet with sweet peppers. Al’s Beef is known as the “Home of the Great Chicago Sandwich” and is one of the most popular places to enjoy this Chicago staple.  

Taste of Chicago

Another thing Chicago is known for is its events and festivals. Want a chance to try a sampling of Chicago’s restaurants all in one spot? Taste of Chicago is an annual event that takes place in the summer (usually in July) and features local dishes and specialty cuisines.

Taste of Chicago is a lakefront festival that gives you a chance to smell and taste some of the best Chicago food, see demos from culinary experts and enjoy music. Admission to the event is free, and tickets can be purchased to enjoy food and beverage samples.

Another event to try in the summer is the Chicago Food Truck Festival. The Food Truck Festival is one of the largest gatherings of food trucks in the Midwest. Similar to the Taste of Chicago event, this large gathering of food trucks gives you a chance to taste the best of mobile food and enjoy great music.

Great Food Near The Admiral at the Lake

Located in the Edgewater neighborhood and close to the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, the residents at The Admiral have many choices if they want to go out for a meal.

Edgewater offers a variety of restaurants ranging from Korean to American cuisine with Italian and Caribbean thrown in the mix as well.

A few short blocks away, Andersonville offers a variety of food choices, too.

“Andersonville is a venue for all kinds of restaurants. In part, it’s successful because a lot of the chefs start out in Andersonville to get their feet wet, and then move on to the inner city of Chicago,” Joan, a resident at The Admiral at the Lake, said.

If you ask a resident at The Admiral at the Lake where their favorite place to eat is, their likely answer will be “dining at The Admiral, of course.” They love the convenience of having a great and delicious place to eat right where they live.

Are you thinking about downsizing and moving into a Lifecare community? Give The Admiral at the Lake a try! Schedule a tour and meet our diverse and active residents, tour one of our spacious apartments and more.