Maxwell Street

Chicago is known for different things like tall buildings, green river on St. Patty's Day, Electric Blues music, pizza, hot dogs, Polish Sausage, and so much more. A few things from this list come from Maxwell St.

Maxwell St. is on the Near West Side of Chicago. This is a staple to Chicago. Electric Blues music was essentially invented here. Maxwell St. is also called Jew Town. This is because it was an area where Jewish immigrants lived once upon a time, but then it later turned into a market where one can haggle the price, or "jew down the price." It was not a nice place to be, day or night. It was text book example of a "ghetto." But it's okay, because it all adds to the experience. Besides haggling, why would anyone go there? Food.

2009 marks seventy years of Jim's Original. 70 years! Besides the hot dogs and pork chop sandwiches, they're known for the Maxwell St. Polish Sausage. One can go to almost any hot dog stand around Chicago and its burbs and find Maxwell St. Polish on the menu. Many people don't realize why it's called that. Once I was in Arizona, and I saw a place selling Maxwell St. Polish. (Very poorly done.) But this is the original. What makes it "Maxwell St." besides the location? The obvious thing are the onions. When driving there, you can smell them in the air from several blocks away. Just follow your nose. In the past few years, Chicago has renovated that area, and Maxwell St. is no more. But they did preserve Jim's (and their competitor next door called Express Grill) and moved it over a block directly next to the highway. I went there a few weeks ago, and I was able to smell them, even driving 70MPH on the highway. I was also pleansantly surprised to see their fries improved drastically. The fries actually were some of the worst, but now they're actually crispy and tasty. You will notice the sign advertising "pop." I didn't know that this was a Midwest thing. When traveling to other parts of the country, people don't realize it means "soda." These two 24-hour establishments continue to live on. ChinaTown, Little Mexico, Little Italy, and other ethnic neighborhoods are all very nearby, but these are the places that need to stay open all day/night.

Here's a clip from another Chicago classic, The Blues Brothers from 1978. Notice from :35 - :40:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn_PF4L470w

Though the "Italian Stance" was started from eating the Chicago Italian Beef, you'll see people eating that way in many places; Jim's was no exception.

Italian Stance
http://dudesonfoods.blogspot.com/2009/01/answer-to-cold-cold-day.html

Here's a cool story I like to share - many years ago, my friend picked me up from my Parents' house where I used to live. (I told you it was a long time ago.) Her friend was with us, and we were hungry. I told them to go somewhere that's about 45 minutes but well worth it. As we were approaching Maxwell St., my friend's friend, Jodie, knew exactly where we were going. I learned moments earlier that she is from Wisconsin and was in town visiting. It turns out, her grandfather is the actual Jim Stefanovic of Jim's Original that started this place! In fact, they share the same last name! We pull up (among the crack heads trying to sell us underwear, pornographic movies with rocks/bricks substituting for the movie, etc.), and all the workers knew her. Amazing! Dinner was on the house for the three of us. This is something I'll never forget. What are the odds???

Due to its location, it was tradition for me, and whomever was with me, to eat there before &/or after a Bulls or Sox game. We used to race cars at ChinaTown, and that would be a stop, too. Just so many memories at this historic location.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Street_Polish


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Street