The hit FX series The Bear has brought Italian beef into the global spotlight, but in Chicago, the sandwich has been a beloved staple for decades. Long before Jeremy Allen White’s Chef Carmy made it TV-famous, Italian beef was already a Windy City icon. “It’s not iconic because it’s in The Bear,” London sandwich shop owner Max Halley told Radio Times. “It’s in The Bear because it’s iconic.”
Today, you can find countless variations of the classic Italian beef sandwich across Chicago. They’re a staple in the city’s beloved delis and sandwich shops, which are just like The Beef, Carmy’s fictional family restaurant before its fine-dining reinvention. And yes, even plant-based versions of the legendary sandwich have made their way onto menus. But before we get to those, let’s take a look at how the Italian beef sandwich came to be.
Jeremy Allen White as Carmy in ‘The Bear’ | FX
The birth of Italian beef
The earliest Italian immigrants in America faced xenophobia, ridicule, and exclusion from mainstream society. In Chicago, the tougher, less expensive cuts of meat were often the only option available to Italian-Americans. But from these challenges arose a legendary culinary creation: the Italian beef sandwich.
Since they could only afford less tender meat, Italian-Americans developed a method to make it tender and flavorful themselves. They slow-cooked the beef in broth for hours and sliced it thin to stretch it further. The bread added texture and extra sustenance, making it a hearty meal.
One of the first places to serve this iconic sandwich was Al’s #1 Italian Beef, which opened in the 1930s. After that, the sandwich quickly became a Chicago staple, earning its place alongside other local culinary classics like Chicago-style pizza.
How to make a Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich
The best Chicago Italian beef sandwiches start with a Turano French bread roll, culinary experts told Food52 in 2023. “They’re fresh enough where they taste good, but they also kind of have that commercial component where they can soak up the juice,” Illinois-based chef Emmett Burke explained.
The beef must also be slow-cooked in broth, thinly sliced, and well-seasoned. It’s traditionally served after being dipped in the beef’s cooking broth, which makes it extra moist and juicy. Typical toppings include sweet peppers and pickled vegetables, but many also opt to smother the sandwich with provolone or mozzarella.
Buona
Where to find a vegan Italian beef sandwich in Chicago
The clue is in the name: this iconic Chicago sandwich is not plant-based. Beef, of course, is the key ingredient. But that hasn’t stopped some Chicago restaurant owners from trying their hand at creating delicious vegan versions of the umami-packed lunchtime staple.
In 2021, restaurant chain Buona made headlines when it started trialing a meatless Italian beef sandwich. Instead of beef, it’s made with thinly sliced Upton’s Naturals seitan, which is dipped in vegetable gravy. Creating the sandwich wasn’t an easy journey. Even Upton’s Naturals was skeptical that the two companies could come up with an authentic version of Chicago’s beloved sandwich.
“As advanced as meat alternatives have gotten over the years, there’s just something about Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches that seemed impossible to recreate,” Upton’s marketing manager Natalie Slater told Eater after the sandwich hit the menu.
“That chewy beef, well-seasoned broth, and of course the gravy—they all felt out of reach with plant-based ingredients,” she continued. But they persevered, and the sandwich was a hit. In its first week, Buona sold 2,000 pounds of vegan beef. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that the sandwich is still on the menu today.
“We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with Buona to finally do justice to one of Chicago’s most quintessential foods.”
Buona isn’t the only place where Chicago Italian beef fans can find a plant-based version of their favorite sandwich. Local vegetarian restaurant chain Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat also offers its own twist on the classic.
Per the eatery’s website, the dish features “vegan thinly sliced beef cooked in sweet peppers and house-made au jus topped with mild giardinera peppers and cheese served on a warm French roll.” There’s an option to add Italian sausage to the mix, too.
Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat
Again, the sandwich is a hit. One HappyCow review reads: “Incredible flavors, big portion sizes. We’ll be back.” Another raves: “First had the Chicago style hot dog, obviously great. Couldn’t resist coming back later to try the dipped Italian Not Beef, unreal.”
As plant-based alternatives continue to gain popularity, even the most traditional Chicago dishes are evolving to meet changing tastes. Could we see Carmy join the trend and add meatless Italian beef to his fine-dining menu?
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
