TRIP REPORT: Indirect Travel Fun – Food Legends, Mannys Deli

Food Legends – Mannys Deli
Indirect Travel Fun

• How much is it this time???
• Early Morning National Express, Mid Moring Terminal 3
• Elegantly Lounging around Terminal 3 (Cathay Pacific and American Airlines Lounges)
• American Airlines AA99 London Heathrow to Chicago (Main Cabin Extra)
• Into the USA, Crowne Plaza O’Hare
• Hyatt Regency O’Hare
• Airplane Art Extra: From the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
• Chicago Classics: Mannys Deli and Cafeteria
• Bench Test and First Impressions: Canon EOS R50
• Rebuilding a Legacy: Central Camera, Chicago
• Chicago Classics: Peaquod’s Pizza
• Back to O’Hare, Swissport Lounge Chicago T5
• Finnair AY10 Chicago O’Hare to Helsinki Vantaa
• A quick ground-side visit, and an even quicker stop at the Finnair Lounge
• Finnair AY1337 to Helsinki Vantaa to London Heathrow
• The Unexpected Coach Home
• Expect the Unexpected

I’m mixing up my Fooding around Chicago segment, as it’s time to enjoy some different things. Welcome to a new spin on this series. As usual, this comes out of my pocket, rather than paid-for reviews. 

First on the list is Manny’s Deli, on the South Loop.

It’s reachable via the usual methods – and if you fancy a 15-minute walk, it’s walkable from Roosevelt L Station (although you might wish to combine it with a bus ride, depending on Chicago’s weather). 

Mannys Deli describes itself as a Jewish-style cafeteria and Deli and has been covered multiple times. 

I wanted to see what it was about. I headed there for a bite to eat. 

Going in, it is a classic cafeteria. You grab a tray and cutlery, then you select your dishes. And there are plenty. 

I was more interested in the hot sandwiches they had – and the choices were A Mannys Classic, A Ruben or the classic Corned Beef. 

I went for the Ruben on this trip.  

I kind of knew what I was expecting in this sandwich I just was in shock when I saw how pilled up the Reuben sandwich was. This was served with pickles and a potato pancake. 

There were other things too – but I added a refillable soft drink to the side too. 

Salads and Cake, for example. 

The damage? $30 – a little expensive for a sandwich you would think, but considering how much beef was in it – I wasn’t objecting. The $3 for the refillable soft drink… meh.

So onto the sandwich – it’s a hot rye bread sandwich, filled with corned beef (and no, not the kind you find in a can), Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut and dressing.

To say the beef was spilling out of the sandwich would be an understatement. 

If I open it up… you can see how deep you can go – this could easily feed two people – or a hungry writer who had spent the morning fighting his packing earlier in the day (or maybe bagging some of it to eat later on during the day). 

Taking a bite, yes, the beef dominates – but also, the other flavours of the rye bread and the sauerkraut come through – providing much-needed acid to cut through the beef.

The pickle provided a nice counterbalance to all of this, whilst the potato pancake added a lovely crisp element to the dish. 

As for the atmosphere it’s very much a cafeteria with rows of seats and tables. I found a spot to sit that was a little high up and allowed me an overview of the place. 

There’s also lots of memorabilia around the restaurant, with Guy Ferieiri being a recent pride of place.

And here’s the video:

Me? I learned about this place on Food Insider, which gives a much deeper look at the lore and history of the place, as well as the sandwiches. 

Overall:

A word of advice – come hungry. There are a variety of sandwiches and foods to try – which can represent reasonable value depending on what you’re looking for. 

Whilst $30 for a sandwich and drink is on the high side, I felt I got reasonable value for money, a full stomach and a lack of hunger until I landed in the UK.

And considering the food offerings I had further on this trip – yeah… this place had no competition.

Next:

A Quick Bench Test – Featuring the Canon R50

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