Eleven City Diner: The Jewish deli is alive and well
Carnegie Deli in New York set the pace for Jewish delis back in the ‘30s serving heaping portions of corned beef and pastrami, and luckily the South Loop’s Eleven City Diner (located on the corner of 11th Street and Wabash, hence its name) is one of the few places in Chicago that recognizes the importance of that tradition.
The trendy two-floor diner is divided into two sections: the restaurant area with a bar and booths, and the take out deli side where one can order a turkey club or whatever the heart desires to go. Huge menus are posted on the walls along with a map of the U.S carved out of Hebrew writing.
Besides serving latkes, matzoh ball soup and a loaded meat sandwich named after Woody Allen, the diner has a vast array of other options, including fish, pasta, salads and breakfast items available all day. The beauty of the diner is not only in the food but in the drinks and desserts. A soda jerk whips up classics of root beer floats, chocolate and cherry phosphate drinks, giant malts and shakes, sundaes and banana splits.
If sipping on decadent delights isn’t what the stomach craves, alcoholic beverages of vodka lemonade, beers on tap and night cap drinks flow freely. The menu is so huge, it’ll involve several return trips to even come close to trying everything, and since the portions are so plentiful, there will probably be enough leftovers to take home for next day’s lunch. Hopefully the salty meats won't induce a heart attack, but death by cured meats isn't necessarily a terrible thing.
HelloChicago Tip: Eleven City Diner offers a wide array of catering options, with the standard meat menu priced at $13.50 for a minimum of 10.
Posted by Garin Pirnia
