DOMINIC ARMATO

Chicago eats for World Series celebrations

Dominic Armato

The Republic | azcentral.com

A slice of Lou Malnati's famous deep-dish pizza.

The Cubs are in the World Series.

(Buckle up. I'm going to use every excuse I can to write that sentence.)

And while Phoenix shares connections with many parts of the Midwest, Cleveland included, its ties to Chicago are especially strong.

Put another way, we're not hurting for Chicago sports fans in the Valley. And neither are we hurting for Chicago-style eats.

As the Cubs take on the Indians, whether you're celebrating a victory or drowning your sorrows after a tough loss, here are some of the best places around town to get your Chicago-style grub on.

Chicago-style hot dogs

An all-beef frank on a poppy-seed bun with yellow mustard, chopped onion, neon-green relish, tomato, pickle spear, dash of celery salt and optional sport pepper is the new canon, but it can be difficult to convince people — even Chicagoans — that it wasn't always this way. Many stands in Chicago, some of the oldest in particular, sling a more minimally dressed frank, often called a Depression Dog. That's what you get at my favorite spot, Dazzo's Dog House in Glendale, where a little mustard, relish and onion is all that's needed to spruce up a snappy, natural-casing Vienna sausage. If you're looking for its contemporary descendant, Chicago Hamburger Company is a good option for a fully dressed dog (though they use a skinless Vienna frank); and the dog at Portillo's is equally correct, if a lot less charming.

DETAILS: Dazzo's Dog House, 6143 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale. 623-934-3536, dazzosdoghouse.com. Chicago Hamburger Company, 3749 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-955-4137, chicagohamburger.com.

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The hot dog at Dazzo's is a minimal, "depression dog," closer in style to those served in Chicago before the '60s.

Italian beef

For all of its Chicago ties, Phoenix is weak when it comes to Italian beef, roasted, shaved, stuffed into a roll, topped with sauteed green bell peppers or a fiery pickled hot pepper mix called giardiniera — and if you know what you're doing, dunked in a bath of seasoned beef broth so it's a delicious, drippy mess. Sadly, owner Joel del Principe shut down Taylor Street, home of the finest beef sandwich in town, shortly after the Tempe branch of Portillo's opened up nearby. And while Portillo's serves a solid beef sandwich, the better bet is Luke's of Chicago, which is run by Joel's brother Cary. Also, the Italian beef at Johnny's Burgers & Dogs will do in a pinch, and the Chicago-style hot roast beef at Guido's Chicago Meat & Deli has its charms, but it's more of a homey corner market version of the sandwich than its gut-busting, beef stand brethren.

DETAILS: Luke's of Chicago, 1602 E. Indian School Drive, Phoenix. 602-264-4022. Portillo's, 10574 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. 480-451-2888. Also, Tempe Marketplace, Loop 202 and McClintock Drive. 480-967-7988, portillos.com. Johnny's Burgers & Dogs, 3141 S. McClintock Road, Tempe. 480-755-3833, johnnysbgr.com. Guido's Chicago Meat & Deli, 10893 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-951-0636, guidosofchicago.com.

Portilo's, a Chicago chain with two locations in the Valley, slings an Italian beef that's shy of excellent, but always good.

Deep-dish pizza

Lou Malnati's has invaded the Valley, and this titan of Chicago deep dish is always packed (with good reason). But lost in the brouhaha is a mighty fine deep-dish pizza joint, if you're willing to truck down to Queen Creek. Buddyz Chicago Pizzeria crafts a highly commendable specimen, with a buttery crust, just enough cheese and bright, chunky tomato sauce on top. Vito's Pizza in Glendale also make a respectable deep dish, though their sauce doesn't share the fresh flavor of Buddyz. Oregano's Pizza Bistros are strewn all over the map, but while their not-quite-Chicago-style thin crust is tasty, their deep dish (which they call pan pizza) will leave most Chicagoans wanting. (h/t Tara Russell & Karen Reale)

DETAILS: Lou Malnati's, Uptown Plaza, 100 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-892-9998, loumalnatis.com. Buddyz A Chicago Pizzeria, 18423 E. San Tan Blvd., Queen Creek. 480-822-1225, buddyzpizza.com. Vito's Pizza, 4318 W. Northern Ave., Glendale. 623-930-1644. Oregano's Pizza Bistro, Valley-wide locations at oreganos.com.

Buddyz, in Queen Creek, makes a very good Chicago deep dish pizza, with a buttery crust and bright, chunky tomato sauce.

Thin-crust pizza

Deep dish has the hefty reputation, but while mostly beloved in its native environs, some Chicagoans go so far as to call it "tourist pizza." On a day-to-day basis, Chicagoans eat a lot more thin than thick, and this "tavern-style" pizza, with a cracker crust that's buried in toppings and cut into squares, is as much a Chicago thing as deep dish. Salerno's looks more like a restaurant theater set than an actual restaurant, but the pizza is just right, with a dense, crisp crust and far too much cheese, which is to say the perfect amount. Johnnie's Chicago Style Pizza is another solid choice, a kitsch-rich environment that slings a cracker-thin crust and sausage that's spiced just right. Spinato's is a local favorite, with locations spread throughout the Valley, though I find the sauce too sweet. And the thin crust at Buddyz is almost as good as the deep dish. (h/t Chris Duffy)

DETAILS: Salerno's Restaurant & Pizzeria, 3921 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert. 480-892-0040, salernosaz.com. Johnnie's Chicago Style Pizza, 15443 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix. 602-867-0811, johnnieschicagostylepizza.com. Spinato's Pizzeria, Valley-wide locations at spinatospizzeria.com. Buddyz A Chicago Pizzeria, 18423 E. San Tan Blvd., Queen Creek. 480-822-1225, buddyzpizza.com.

Salerno's makes a strong "tavern-style" Chicago pizza, thin with a cracker-like crust and an abundance of cheese.

Gyros sandwich

I'm uncertain whether Chicago's status as birthplace of the processed meat cone should be a point of pride, but in an age of "artisinally raised" livestock, this cross-pollination of Chicago's Greek community and old-school meatpacking aesthetic has its charms. Z's Greek is the epitome of a Chicago-style gyros stand, wrapping its gyros meat in a toasty pita and topping it with fresh vegetables and a thick, creamy tzatziki. Avondale's Pita Kitchen also ventures into less processed territory, but its gyro pita should make any Chicagoan happy.

DETAILS: Z's Greek, 4026 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-955-7600, zsgreek.com. Pita Kitchen, 9915 W. McDowell Road, Avondale. 623-478-8900, pitakitchen.net.

Z's Greek does right by Chicago's signature processed meat cone, with fresh vegetables and a creamy tzatziki.

Maxwell Street Polish

Another bedrock of the Vienna Beef catalog, Polish sausages are almost as ubiquitous as hot dogs in Chicago, and are often dressed in similar fashion. The Maxwell Street Polish, a particularly unique subgenre, has a special cache. A Polish sausage, thick and juicy with a great snap, is served on a hot dog bun with nothing more than some yellow mustard, griddled onions and sport peppers. It's more than the sum of its parts, and its integrity is fiercely defended, as Portillo's discovered when it first tried serving them on crusty rolls. The eatery has since come to its senses, and now offers a proper Maxwell Street Polish, as does Luke's of Chicago.

DETAILS:Portillo's, 10574 N. 90th St., Scottsdale, 480-451-2888. Also, Tempe Marketplace, Loop 202 and McClintock Drive. 480-967-7988, portillos.com. Luke's of Chicago, 1602 E. Indian School Drive, Phoenix. 602-264-4022.

A subgenre of ways to present Polish sausage in Chicago, the Maxwell Street Polish is topped with griddled onions, mustard and sport peppers.

Mother-in-law

Also known by the less colorful name "tamale boat," variations on this dish are found strewn about Chicago, most notably the South Side. At its core is a chili-drenched tamale, though that's not at all what Valley residents think of when they hear it. In another nod to Chicago's industrial meatpacking past, extruded tamales, such as popular brands Supreme and Tom Tom, are more like mushy cornmeal surrounding a spicy meat paste. Something of a guilty pleasure (and perhaps something you had to be raised with), they're a popular fixture at hot dog stands, steamed individually in their plastic wrappers. Toss that tamale on a bun or in a Styrofoam cup, ladle on some chili, maybe top it with cheese or onions or sport peppers, and you've got yourself a mother-in-law. Jimmy's Hot Dogs sells it as a tamale boat, in a paper tray and topped with melted cheese.

DETAILS: Jimmy's Hot Dogs, 4022 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix. 602-759-8357, jimmyshotdogs.webs.com.

The tamale boat at Jimmy's, also known as a mother-in-law in parts of Chicago, is a corn roll tamale doused with chili and melted cheese.

Shrimp de Jonghe

This is another obscure Chicago dish with a long history but more universal appeal. Born roughly a century ago at De Jonghe's Hotel in Chicago, most would identify Shrimp de Jonghe as shrimp scampi, but for its crusty breadcrumb topping. Don & Charlie's, a chummy spring-training hot spot with a rich Chicago pedigree, lists it as shrimp scampi Chicago-style, presumably for the benefit of those who have never heard of the dish. Owner Don Carson also makes some mean ribs, sauced before being grilled to a lightly blackened crisp, in the style of Carson's ribs in Chicago (owned by his brother, Dean).

DETAILS: Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. 480-990-0900, donandcharlies.com.

Shrimp de Jonghe is similar to what most would call shrimp scampi, with the addition of a crispy breadcrumb topping.

Do you have a favorite Chicago-themed restaurant that we missed? Send us your favorites.

Reach Armato at dominic.armato@arizonarepublic.com; call at 602-444-8533 or interact with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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