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Gepperths is a wonderful place owned by wonderful people. Agreed.

My favorite breakfast is Lula Cafe up in Lincoln Square- food is great. service can be touch and go, but if you're out for a slow Sunday brunch, no big deal, have a cocktail, it's the weekend :) expect a wait, and don't be surprised by all of the too cool for themselves hipsters.

Lou Mitchell's is just ok- but gives fresh donuts on the weekend as you wait and milk duds to kids

I am looking for a best breakfast place in Chicago . Funkyness encouraged since I am of the Friendly Toast, Portsmouth, NH school.

I GREW UP AROUND 18TH AND ASHLAND

THERE USE TO BE AN ITALIAN RESTRAUNT ON THE NORTH/EAST CORNER OF ASHLAND AND 18TH NAMED
DV'S PIZZA ATTACHED TO FOREMOST LIQUORS
ON THAT CORNER.

THIS WAS DURING THE 50'S AND EARLY 60'.

DOES ANY ONE KNOW WHEN IT CLOSED DOWN OR IF IT RELOCATED.

A MUST PLACE TO EAT IS ON 1079 TAYLOR AL'S BEEF.

THE COMBO BEEF/ITALIAN SAUSAGE IS A MUST WITH GREEN PEPPERS/GIADANER AND DIPPED IN THE GRAVY. A MUST.PLACE TO EAT.

U MUST GO TO HALSTED AND 12TH STREET MAXWELL FOR THE OUTSIDE EATERIES ON A SUNDAY. ALL KINDS OF GOODIES AND GREAT BLUES MUSIC ON THE STREETS

I AM NOW IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS, BUT STILL SEE MY CUBS ON CABLE TV WGN. BEST EATS CHICAGO

Oh, this is great! I'd love to see these city guides Google-mapped.

I've gotta say I've always called Chicago pizza deep dish not stuffed, too. I've always heard it called deep dish too. Then again, we canucks tend to be viewed as backwards. :P

Italian Beef:

As Detroit’s sage poet, Eminem, once said, “All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating, so won’t the real Slim Shady please stand up.” The Italian beef world is crowded with thousands of corner shacks serving up indiscriminate reheated pre-packaged beef from Scala or Vienna on a thick roll. As a result, a great beef rises when it has a few simple outlying qualities. In the case of the original Taylor St. location of Al’s, those qualities include freshly roasted meat with 11 herbs and spices, including a definite sweet nutmeg warmth, as well as hot fennel giardinara. Though, a close second is Chickie’s hot pepper topped beef version featuring wafer thin sliced green pepper and onion that offers a tongue satisfying crunchy textural counterpoint to the soft layers of meat. Though sometimes, beef needs a buddy, and the “combo” featuring a hunk of Italian sausage is best at Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park where the links are hardwood charcoaled fired and the beef is so thin, it’s almost translucent.

Nice to see that two Southwest Side places are on the list ... but nothing for the prime rib at Richie's?? It has got to be the best prime rib on the South Side - if not the city.

@banks: Haha I know a whole hell of a lot of Chicagoans under 30 who don't use the term "stuffed". I'd actually go so far as to say I don't know ANY Chicagoans under 30 who DO use the term "stuffed". "Deep dish" is Chicago, plain and simple.

I'm not here for an internet argument. I don't know a single Chicagoan under 30 who uses the term Deep Dish to refer to anything other than Dominos or Pizza Hut thick crust, thin topping travesties. I think if you did a man-on-the street poll, you'd find that regardless of the extra crust layer at Nancy's or Giordano's, Chicago pizza is called Stuffed by more people than me.

Here's my response to the list, following my earlier response to the idea of the list. Or you can just follow the link to see a picture of what Chicago pizza really is.

@codasco: We could argue "best steak" till the cows come back to life, but there's ultimately just not much difference between spots. I'm fine leaving it off; tourists will probably be happy with whichever place they go to.

@banks: Deep dish is a lot more common than stuffed, unless you count each and every Giordano's in town.

I agree with everyone that leaving out Italian Beef is a mistake. My personal pick would be the original Al's #1 on Taylor.

I'm not a fan of Hot Doug's Chicago dog -- it's average at best. Put me down for U Lucky Dog (aka the original Fluky's). And seriously, Aria Bar for sushi? Not Katsu?