Essentials: Southside Johnny sandwich, Tempesta Market, Chicago
A new classic from a neighborhood deli
Lists of essential dishes tend to glorify the tried and true, which makes sense. They’re tried and true for good reasons. But leave room for new classics in your calorie budget, like the Southside Johnny from a tiny-but-modern Chicago Italian deli, Tempesta Market. Unlike some of its old-school neighbors—it’s close to many classic Italian delis—the place goes bold and experimental with its flavors. The Southside Johnny has a lot of layers, none wasted: Porchetta is griddled with brun-uusto—an incredible baked “bread cheese” from Wisconsin via Scandinavia—and topped with chimichurri, broccolini, and pickled fennel. The rosemary broth on the side is almost gilding the lily, but dunk in it anyway. —Josh Modell
Josh Modell began his writing career with vicious critiques of his grade school’s cafeteria food. From 2000-2018, he worked in various editorial capacities for The A.V. Club, from copy boy to editor-in-chief to editorial director of the whole Onion Inc. empire. He is currently the executive editor of Talkhouse.