The history of Al’s #1 Italian Beef dates back to 1938 when Al Ferrari and his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Chris Pacelli, Sr., developed the original idea for the original Italian beef sandwich. The great Chicago sandwich was formed out of necessity during the Great Depression when meat was scarce.
During the Depression, people in the old Italian neighborhoods had come up with the idea of "peanut weddings" — low-budget celebrations held in church basements. Al had a bright idea: the beef will go a lot farther if we slice it really thin. Add in some secret spices and fresh bread and you had a first-rate sandwich.
Al, Frances, and Chris opened their initial neighborhood food stand in the early 1940s and delivered them to local businesses until they opened their current location on West Taylor Street in Chicago. The original recipe, which is still used in all Al’s Beef locations today, has been the subject of many awards and television shows from food critics and fans alike.
Awards and Shows Included: • Adam Richmond “Best Sandwich in America” and appeared on one of the first episodes of Man vs. Food • Esquire Magazine “One of the Best Sandwiches in America” • History Channel “History of Food in America” • Good Morning America “Chicago’s Best Italian Beef Sandwich” • TODAY Show “Chicago’s Best Italian Beef Sandwich” • NBC The Home Show "World's Greatest Beef Sandwich" • Food Wars – Al’s Beef Chicago with Camille Ford on Travel Channel • Travel and Leisure “America’s Top 10 Sandwiches” • Playboy's A-List: Voted "Top 10 Best Sandwich in America" • Chicago Magazine “The Best Italian Beef Sandwich” • Food Industry News “Silver Platter Award” • Awarded "Al's Italian Beef Blvd" for a Chicago Institution • Appeared on Bobby Flay's Food Nation Show with Bobby stating: "Big Al had the Right Idea" • The Daily Meal “#1 Sandwich Shop in America" • Buzzfeed "Top 14 foods worth traveling to Chicago for" • Thrillist “Top 50 things to eat in Chicago before you die” • Appeared on Andrew Zimmern's Travel Channel Show "Delicious Destinations" in Chicago. • Appeared on: Chicago Fire (2013), Chicago PD (2014) & Shameless (2015)
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