Portillo's headed to L.A.

The Daily Herald reported on Wednesday, July 21st, that Dick Portillo confirmed he is bringing the Chicago style hot dog to the land of sushi and mineral water. The Portillo Restaurant Group currently has 40 restaurants in the Chicago area. Portillo sees his chain one day being bigger in southern California than in northern Illinois. The first restaurant in the L.A. area is scheduled to open in the next six months.

www.portillos.com
www.portillos.com/portillos/menu/PortillosMenuSample.pdf

I guess this will help solidify LA's (IMHO: highly dubious) claim of being[url='http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4216']hot dog capital[/url] of the US :-)

As an aside, CSD, how's the Italian Beef and IB Combo at Portillo's?

TJ,
The last time I ate at Portillo's was 2 years ago. I never tried their beef sandwich.

No review of Tail of the Pup on your site?

Hmm

Portillos has Great hot dogs, Vienna makes special hot dogs and polish for Portillos they are not the same as the packaged variety. Same goes for the beef.

Does Portillos have natural casings on their dogs? That's the most important thing. If it doesn't snap hard, you might as well make 'em at home.

The "Maxwell Street Polish" is definitely not made special for Portillos. That's one of Vienna Beef's syndicated line of products. They have the exact same thing here in LA. It's not bad, but it has blubbery casing.

Tail o' the Pup is on our list. We'll get to it soon.

See ya
Steve

SDD, you don't know what you are talking about. The polish that is served at Portillo's is not the same as you can buy at the store. Have you eaten at one?

The Italian beef at Portillo's is disappointing at best. It cannot hold a candle to Buona's, Carm's or Mr. Beef, which is nothing like a bland French dip.

The rest of the menu is good.

The only "Real" Maxwell Steet Polish is Jims. I don't care who makes it.

As far as Italian Beef goes I'll take Portillos over Buona's, but the best are Mr. Beef, Al's on Taylor and Carm's in Hillside

Well, let's just hope that when Portillo's gets here they serve up the high standards that they do back east. And don't try to pawn of some low grade version thinking we wouldn't know any better.

So "Maxwell Street Polish" is a generic term, not a brand name? At the places here that sell Vienna Beef, they have signs with the VB and "Maxwell Street Polish" logos all over. No one calls a Polish "Maxwell Street" here unless it's VB. At two different places we've tried them they were exactly the same... a mediocre jumbo dog with a high fat content, not much spice and blubbery collogen casing. Perhaps the "export" varieties of Vienna Beef aren't as good as the local ones. All I know is what we get in Los Angeles under the Vienna Beef name.

The natural casing VB footlongs and regular dogs I've had out here are quite good with an excellent snappy skin, but they're a bit generic when it comes to spices. They aren't nearly as distinctive as the smokey locally made dogmeat at Carneys, or the textbook perfect snap/squirt made-on-the-premises Polish at the Wiener Factory.

The best thing about the VB Fire Dog is the garlic content. It's a real breath fouler (in a good way). If there was a natural casing Fire Dog, it would be much closer to the kind of dogs we get out here at the best doggeries. Skooby's dogs, locally made by Papa Cantella are very garlicy like the VB Fire Dog. They have a more delicate natural casing with a subtle snap though.

The Vienna Beef "Italian Beef" we get out here is OK, but not freshly carved, like we're used to on our French Dips. (The French Dip was invented in Los Angeles...) Everywhere I've seen it, it's in a pan in a steam table, pre-cooked, pre-carved and pre-fab.

In general, all the places here in LA that specialize in Chicago Dogs are good, but not great. Like I say, it isn't easy to compete in LA for a high end doggery. There are a lot of very unique and high quality varieties of local dogs. Of course, there are lots of lousy dogs too...

See ya
Steve Doggie-Dogg

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy2dogs

The only "Real" Maxwell Steet Polish is Jims. I don't care who makes it.

As far as Italian Beef goes I'll take Portillos over Buona's, but the best are Mr. Beef, Al's on Taylor and Carm's in Hillside

T2D,

Jim's Original is the daddy of the Maxwell Street Polish. Here's an old photo and a story you'll appreciate.

www.openair.org/oldmax/graphics/mxbjims.jpg
www.openair.org/maxwell/ppress36.html

SDD,

The Vienna Beef Polish Sausage sandwich is a true "Chicago Original." It was born at the turn of the century on Maxwell Street, the famous open market community that was then just west of downtown Chicago. It was a natural skin sausage sold off push carts. A true Maxwell Street Polish has a natural skin and should be grilled or deep fried. VB still produces a 12 inch Polish that is cut in half. A real Maxwell Street Polish is dressed with yellow or Dusseldorf mustard and grilled onions. Some add sport peppers. I prefer a natural skin Polish for it's flavoring and "snap." Vienna products shipped to the west coast are frozen, including their poppy seed buns. Our products in the Chicagoland area and southeastern Wisconsin are refrigerated.

quote:

Originally posted by chicagostyledog

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy2dogs

The only "Real" Maxwell Steet Polish is Jims. I don't care who makes it.

As far as Italian Beef goes I'll take Portillos over Buona's, but the best are Mr. Beef, Al's on Taylor and Carm's in Hillside

T2D,

Jim's Original is the daddy of the Maxwell Street Polish. Here's an old phot and a story you'll appreciate.

www.openair.org/oldmax/graphics/mxbjims.jpg
www.openair.org/maxwell/ppress36.html

Great Photo

I used to go ther after Blackhawk games everyone would eat on the hood of their cars

Was back in Chicago in Feb and went to their new location The polish was as good as I remembered and people were lined up in limos and cabs in front as well as walk ups but it's still not the same ambiance

Steve and others,

Don't understimate what Portillo's could do here in SoCal. They have an amazing variety of VERY good food and serve quick, hot and fresh. Most anyone can find something to eat there, from the dogs, burgers and italian beef/sausage to the salads to the grilled vegetable sandwich...and they do it in volume. I read the average Portillo's grosses $8M/year...a typical McDonald's does $1.5M.

Yes, they have a nice place with good decor, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the food, only enhances it and makes it more family-friendly. The italian beef is not of Johnnie's quality but it is pretty darn good. As for the hot dogs I am confused...I thought they went to a non-Vienna brand but a recent article I read had Richard Portillo toting the greatness of Vienna Beef dogs.

SoCal is a mecca for some very good hot dog places, but unlike in Chicago where they are found on virtually every street corner, the LA ones are fewer and far between. Portllo's success in SoCal depends not just on the hot dogs, but of the overall concept. I'm a native Chicagoan and enjoy their food, even though I am NOT a hot dog fan (would you believe I just like a plain Oscar Mayer meat wiener...no ketchup or anything), but on a trip to Chicago last month I was at Portillo's with a group of 12 ranging from vegans to carnivours, 3 years old to 75. Everyone got something they enjoyed and we had a great meal together and felt we got good value. How many places can you say that about?

Bob in RSM, CA - looking forward to a italian beef/sausage combo, no peps or giardinera, extra juicy

P.S. Steve, I replied to your pizza post. Also want to say that I enjoy your SoCal hot dog reviews even if I am not a big dog eater.

Steve, stiff competition is what hot dog stands are all about. Whether it's LA or Chicago, only the strong survive. If they're particular dynamics to be understood for success in LA, Dick Portillo will successfully meet that challenge. He's ready to spend as much as $20 million dollars to get his version of his increasingly popular Chicago hot dog stand established in your area. Currently, estimates put his chain's revenues in excess of $142 million a year. That's a lot of hot dog and beef sandwiches. I look forward to reading your review of his California operation.

The Stand serves the best BRAT dog ever and the best Chocolate soda ever! This will be a once a week stop for us. Weeknights it is quiet, pretty tree covered patio dining. They serve the "dogs" your way from a varied selection of toppings.

quote:

Originally posted by Patti Ann

The Stand serves the best BRAT dog ever and the best Chocolate soda ever! This will be a once a week stop for us. Weeknights it is quiet, pretty tree covered patio dining. They serve the "dogs" your way from a varied selection of toppings.

Try the knishes too there!

Hey, I got some better news for the O.C. people. Many rember Giorgio's of Chicago in Laguna Niguel. The owners son is re-opening the business under the name of Chicago's Best. It is in Irvine CA. at 2540 Main Street. It is scheduled to open April 18,2005. to give you an idea where it is at, 405 and Jamboree.

Portillo's now open in Buena Park!

Well, one kid off of school on Thursday and the other had a Dr appt that took me up towards Buena Park, so afterwards, kids in tow, it was off to discover Portillo's in SoCal. It officially opened 2 days ago and when we arrived at 12:45 it was packed shoulder to shoulder, all tables filled indoor and out.

What struck me most was how many employees were working in the kitchen area and in the restaurant seating area itself...must have been at least 50 and probably 70-75. They cranked the people through like clockwork and watching the kitchen people, order takers, cashiers and servers at the counter was pretty amazing.

We got the orders placed...combo, burger and hot dog along with fries and drinks. Prices are 15-20% higher than in Chicago area locations but that wasn't stopping the flow of people. For instance the italian beef was $4.65 vs $3.89 and the hamburger was 3.09 vs $2.69. Some of the differences were even more pronounced. Orders are served wrapped in paper (burger in styrofoam) and served in paper bags (an italian beef to go had an additional plastic wrapper around it). Portillo's will get no award for environmental friendliness...they us a LOT of paper goods!

Ok, the important part...how's the food. Answer, delicious but still some reservations. The hot dog was devoured by my 1+ yo daughter, and after fixing a wrong order on the cheeseburger, my son devoured what has to rank with Ruby's as one of the best burgers in SoCal (hey, In-N-Out is good, but this is well beyond it IMHO). The crinkle cut fries are a Portillo's staple and they were great. The combo I had was very very good...just one disappointment...not NEARLY enough beef in it. What was there was very flavorful, more so that I usually give Portillo's credit for, but I was disppointed not in the size of the sandwich itself, but the amount of meat in it.

As noted before, this Portillo's has about half of its seating outdoors overlooking the drive-through line and "scenic" La Palma Ave. Due to the crowd we had to struggle to grab an outdoor table and them I had to leave my 2 young kids to wait for the food luckily they were very good and I did keep an eye on them). Coming back to my table with the food I bumped into...none other than Dick Portillo himself and chatted with him a bit.

I think Portillo's will not only survive but thrive out here. The menu is so large and varied that its appeal goes far beyond Chicagoans -- the big question is will they discover and accept it! The price/value proposition is a difficult one...indeed one of the knocks of Portillo's in Chicago is that they are too pricey compared to competition...and as noted these prices are a good 15-20% higher from drinks and fries to meals! However, they compare favorably with a lot of places in SoCal...it's just that the food tastes better! If anything the look in Mr. Portillo's eye told me that not only will he be building more Portillo's in SoCal, but that he probably already wishes he built this one bigger!

I'm sure we'll make a return visit soon...and then a taste-off between Portillo's, Chicago's Best (Irvine), and Taste Chicago (Burbank) will probably be in order!

im from chicago and no way will they make it in l.a., i hear they put avacado on a hot dog there yuck

quote:

Originally posted by phatphil

im from chicago and no way will they make it in l.a., i hear they put avacado on a hot dog there yuck

Well, I'm originally from Chicago, now living in Southern Cal.,
and I've never seen avocado on a hot dog. If it does happen,
it's definitely not the norm. We do have avocado as an optional
burger topping at many restaurants, though, which may be where your
"myth" came from.

I've been to the Buena Park Portillo's several times already, and
it has been packed...I think it will do very well out here.

I predicted this was going to happen over a year ago. Dick Portillo is the most successful, independent restauranteur selling hot dogs in the world.

SteveDD, have you tried the new Portillo's? They use a natural casing Vienna Beef hot dog with all the right condiments served on the correct steamed S.Rosen poppy seeded bun. It's a real, authentic, original Chicago hot dog. Early reports indicate a successful grand opening.

CSD

Portillo's is great. Ate there twice when I was in Chicago last month. Enjoyed both the jumbo dog, and a combo beef-sausage sandwich.

First off, SteveDD doesn't know his a%$ from a hole in the ground. This guy thinks a french dip sandwich is better than an Italian Beef sandwich. Wow. And anyone from Chicago knows that there is no better dog than a Vienna.

I went to Portillo's down here in Buena Park. My review is simple. It is EXACTLY like back home in Chicago. I've been to Portillo's countless times and the one here in OC is just another location. You did it Mr. Portillo! They are doing a killer business. I had the beef and sausage combo. Great. Portillo's has never put alot of meat on their sandwiches. If you want more, get the Big Beef. And yes, you can get it as a Combo with sausage if you ask. If you want more than that, then you need to eat less.

My favorite Beef places back home in Chicago are Al's (either on Taylor OR Ontario), Portillo's, Johnny's (in Elmwood Park), and Mr Beef.

So...i don't think you guys know, but there is another place that just opened that serves a very good chicago vienna dog and Italian Beef. It's called Top Dogg and it's in Woodland Hills in the Valley. It blows Taste Chicago away. No contest. Definitely the best version of the Chicago dog out here so far. Check it out! The Beef rocks too!

Sdd has Chicago envy!!

Someone needs to tell SDD that Jim's, the original Maxwell Street Polish guy, uses BOBAK's sausage...not Vienna!

BTW....SDD....the original sausages were made by Slotkowski...they went outta business, and now Bobaks make em from the same formula...next time your in Chi-Town...get a real Polish, and quit eatin that L.A. garbage!!

CSD,

You just make it harder and harder for me not to get a crush on you.

But, anyway, good for Mr. Portillo. They have a few different Portillo's locations near where I live. Its good eats. Its about time the people out in LA experience real food. *wink*

Thank you for the update sir.

Weenie Girl over and out

Bloozman, just when you think Slotkowski's were out of the picture, the Sun Times writes this article:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/food/foo-news-outta01s.html
www.sausagesbyamy.com/geninfo2.asp You owe me for this one!

Amy's Sausages are available in many Chicago retail stores, while Leon's Polish are available for foodservice sales at Restaurant Depot.

CSD
Born in Chicago
Raised in Chicago
Moved to Wisconsin
Seling Vienna Beef hot dogs & Polish

quote:

Originally posted by Bloozman

Someone needs to tell SDD that Jim's, the original Maxwell Street Polish guy, uses BOBAK's sausage...not Vienna!

Wonder why Jim's has Vienna Beef signs all over the front of the stand? Maybe just the hot dogs are Vienna. http://www.hollyeats.com/JimsOriginal.htm