10/23/18
I went to college in Chicago and while I was up there really fell in love with some of the classic casual food like Italian beef and Chicago-style hot dogs at places like Al's, Herm's, and Scooby's. Since moving from that area I've been disappointed by the selection of Chicago cuisine outside of Chicago. So I was very pleasantly surprised when I found Chicago Paulie's in Tampa, the city where I grew up. Paulie's is a tiny little kitchen with a window where you order that is attached to a gas station and isn't in the best part of town, and it is AWESOME! It's run by Paulie, a Chicago native, who mans the grill while his daughter handles the customers at the window. Both of them are enthusiastic, fun, kind people and it was really enjoyable shooting the breeze with them while they were putting orders together. I went with a Chicago dog, which was up there with the best I've had in Chicago (Paulie is proud to be the only licensed vendor of Vienna hot dogs in Tampa). I also went with the Italian Combo, which was a show stopper. This sandwich is usually my go-to at Al's in Chicago and Paulie's was better than Al's, no doubt. The combo is Italian beef plus a sausage all on one roll. I went with spicy giardiniera (pickled peppers and veggies) and had it dipped in the beef jus. The roll soaked up the jus but still kept its integrity. The thin-sliced beef was salty and tender, the sausage was slightly charred and meaty, and the giardiniera added a really balanced heat and a little crunch. Needless to say, Chicago Paulie's is on my list for lunch every time I'm back in Tampa. Note that it has somewhat limited hours, virtually no seating, and is closed Sundays.