By leah jones
If you are headed to Chi-Town for the first time, you owe it to yourself to try some of the iconic Chicago food that is synonymous with the Windy City.
Here are some of the city’s classics and where locals say you should go to get them.
Arguably the most famous Chicago food is the deep-dish pizza. This thick-crust pizza is baked in a pan and filled with layers of cheese, sauce and other toppings. Visit Lou Malnati's for an authentic experience.
The Chicago style hot dog virals as the city’s staple. It traditionally is an all-beef frank served on a poppy seed bun, with mustard, relish, onions, tomato slices, a pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt.
Head to Portillo's for a classic Chicago dog and remember it is well known that ketchup is not allowed.
The Italian beef sandwich is a Chicago classic with debates surrounding its origin. Thinly sliced seasoned roast beef, simmered and served on a French roll, topped with au jus sauce and your choice of sweet peppers.
Al's #1 Italian Beef is a historic spot to savor this sandwich where you can customize how much sauce/gravy you want from “dry,” “wet” or “dipped.”
Garrett Popcorn was founded in 1949 for only a few cents a bag. Decades later the shop is still running and selling their famous “Garret Mix," a blend of caramel and cheddar cheese popcorn.
You can find Garrett Popcorn Shops in several other cities in the US but head to one of its Chicago locations for an authentic experience and to see what the hype is all about.
The Jibarito is a unique sandwich created by the Chicago Puerto Rican community. It features thinly sliced steak, lettuce, tomato, cheese and garlic mayonnaise nestled between two fried plantain slices.
Several restaurants like Jibaritos y Más and Papa’s Cache Sabroso specialize in making this flavor-packed sandwich you won’t find anywhere else.
Chicago’s signature dessert is the Rainbow cone. This ice cream cone stacked with five flavors includes orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House (New York vanilla with cherries and walnuts), strawberry and chocolate.
As the originator of the Rainbow Ice Cream cone, Chicago has an appropriately named spot for you to get this sweet treat called The Original Rainbow Cone.