#385 Weekend Assignment #79 - Chicago

The Weekend Assignment from John Scalzi at "By The Way...":

Chicago! It's a toddlin' town. Share some of your favorite things about the City of Big Shoulders. If you've ever been to Chicago, memories of your visit would be a topic. If you live in or near Chicago, some hometown favorite things would be good. If you've never been, share your favorite Chicago-related thing, from the Jordan-era Bulls to the Blues Brothers to Ferris Bueller. As long as it's tangentially related to Chicago, it's all good.

In the early 70s I worked in St. Louis, as a Programming Support Rep in the Field Engineering Division of The Company.  We had to keep current on all the new (big iron) computer hardware and software, so we spent a good one third of our time in 2 to 4 week classes, and the Field Engineering education center was in Chicago.  As the lowest in seniority in my department, I got last choice on the schedule, so I always ended up spending most of every December, January, and February in Chicago. 

The classes were held in a building right on the river, a block or two from the lake, across the river from the Wrigley Building (the one that looks like it's made of Chicklets).  The Company always put us up in nice hotels, but everyone would immediately go on per diem and move into really cheap residential hotels ("hooker hotels") on State Street, so we could cook/pack our own breakfast and lunch and save money to take home.  

Cold.  Cold, cold, cold.  The wind off  the lake was brutal, especially when it was full of snow and sleet, which was usually.  Snow always "fell" parallel to the street.  I wore an ankle length hooded wool coat all those winters, and sometimes the wind was so strong the coat would turn into a sail, and, at 4'10" and 104 lb. I couldn't walk into the wind, or stay upright walking with the wind.  I spent much of my outdoor time in Chicago leaning at a 45 degree angle.  I was usually the only female in the class, so the guys took good care of me.  I often had one man on each arm, towing me along through the wind.

What I remember of the Chicago of the 70s is wind, sleet, hookers, many great bars with fantastic live music, and the pizza.  Best in the country.

Extra Credit: Chicago Deep Dish Pizza -- the best pizza ever? Your thoughts.
Everybody keeps mentioning Gino's East.  In the 70's, they came in third in deep dish.  First was Uno's, second was Due's (pronounced Do-ways).  I don't know if Uno's and Due's are still around.

There does exist something even better than deep dish!  Across the street from the site of the famous Valentine's Day Massacre there was (and may still be) a place called The Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Factory.  (An oven grinder is a roasted sub or hoagie.)  They served an upside-down pizza, which I have never seen anywhere else.

They take a large dish about 2 inches deep, and put cheese in the bottom, then layer the rest of the deep-dish-style fixings up to the top, cover it with the crust, which overlaps a bit, and bake the whole thing.  When they bring it to the table, it looks like a traditional apple pie with a flat top.  Then they flip it upside-down onto a large plate and lift off the dish, and the cheese spreads out, and it's absolutely wonderful!  Baked inside the crust on top, the flavors mix, the crust stays crispy, and the cheese is softly melted but not browned.  Yummy perfection.

~~Silk
Link in this entry:
http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/entries/4837