What tastes, smells and foods do you associate to Chicago?

Question

If you had to describe any tastes, smells or foods that remind you of the city you live in, what would they be? What things strike your senses as saying "wow, I love living here"

Answer 1

Stuffed pizza, Vienna hot dogs, italian beef...all washed down with Green River (soda pop)

Answer 2

The soothing aroma of cookies emanating from the Nabisco plant on Kedzie. . . . sometimes contrasted by the chemical-like smell wafting from the Rheem plant near Nabisco . We lived south of Nabisco and Rheem, but the good thing was that only Nabisco's aroma would actually make it as far as our neighborhood .
The faint smell of fish along the lakefront.. .only occasionally was it foul .
The stifling smell from the manufacturing plants on the Southeast side. . . whoa !!
The smoky and sweet smell of BBQ Ribs encompassing a perimeter of about 50 yards around any ribhouse !!
Sausages !! Polish, Italian, Thuringer, etc. Now that's something you can only experience as words do not rise to the occasion !!
Carnivals and festivals everywhere in the summer . Especially Taste of Chicago !!!
The smell of sulphur anywhere in Chicago on the 4th of July !!
P.S. - We don't observe fireworks laws and neither do the police !!
CTA buses. . .gross, but there is worse. . You could have the misfortune of standing on a curb in the winter and have a CTA bus drive by and splash a wall of dirty slush all over you !!
A Chicago White Sox or Cubs game !! Peanuts, popcorn, Italian Beef, sausages, and everything else all mixed together .
Here's an odd one that some may remember. . . Go to Brookfield Zoo and get one of those plastic molded elephants or dolphins . A coin-operated machine would use heat to mold it after you put your coins in . They smelled something like plastic and rubber intertwined .
The many bakeries. . . . same as a ribhouse. . . they had about a 50 yard perimeter of aroma heaven !!

Answer 3

Chicago is clean so this will be better than my New York answer. Pizza is definitely one. Second I think would be sausage. Third would be popcorn. Chicago has the best gourmet popcorn on the planet. To optimize the taste and smell sensations, visit during the Taste of Chicago.

Answer 4

As a life long Chicago girl , I associate Maxwell street polish sausages, Italian beef, deep dish pizzas (Geno's is the best), Garrett's popcorn and breakfast at Zorba's in Greektown...mmmmmm. I now live in Florida, and we get WGN on tv. My husband and I get misty eyed when we see people at Cub's games chomping on Maxwell street polishes or Vienna hot dogs. Luckily, a woman who's originally from Chicago opened up a take out place 5 minutes from here and serves not only Italian beefs and polish sausages, she does many Greek faves like spanikopita and souvlaki as well. It helps me not miss home so much. Green River soda? Urgh- I remember that stuff. It's like thick green syrup sliding down your throat.

Answer 5

The cinamon smells of Ferraro Pan candy atomic fireballs along the CTA track. The smell of marihuana near the big post office downtown. The smell of diesal busses. The urine smells of the underground tracks and walkways.

Chicago has great food. Stuffed pizza from Giordanos. Great egg skillet breakfasts with Greek toast at Lou Mitchells, Eli's Cheesecake, gyros, Greektown, Peterson's ice cream, Chinatown...You name the ethnic food and Chicago has it somewhere.

I don't count the corn dogs or Chicago hot dogs because I prefer hot dogs and brats from Wisconsin.

Answer 6

Deep Dish Pizza...
Hot Dogs (no ketchup!!!) from Maxwell street
Billy Goat's cheez-burrrgherrr!!!
Gyros
Al's Itallian beef
Italian Ices!!!
Churros from Cicero Ave
Harold's Chicken-with mild sauce
Pound cake from the corner store...
Pizza Puffs...
Pete's chicken wings (3 for $1)
White Castle's (don't have them here in Seattle)
Popcorn at the ball park...
Did I mention hot dogs? Well give me Devil Dogs under the Fullerton El Station exit.
OOH-there's a chocolate factory just as you leave downtown on Ontario to take the expressway headed west...at night you can smell the chocolate.
The smell of oreos in the air 3 times a week from the nabisco factory on the south side
The smell of carmel popcorn on state street downtown in winter (and summer)
The smell of the Chicago river as you walk over the bridge on michigan ave.
The smell of rubber being made on western ave and roosevelt
The smell of fresh bread from the bakery on 55th & state every Sunday...
The smell of BBQ on the lake front-and the smell of the water at the beach.

Answer 7

Pizza, Maxwell Street polish sausage, Harolds Chicken

Answer 8

Deep-dish pizza and hot dogs...

If you live in the city, then you've smelled the chocolate that's made a few times a week on the near west side. YUM!

Answer 9

Italian beef, Polish sausage, Deep dish pizza, & Maxwell St hot dog

Answer 10

We have a grain processing plant and down town has grow around it. Down town often smells of fresh baked bread. Which makes me smile and think of home when I was a child. Mother would give me the heel off of the warm straight from the oven bread and slather it with home make strawberry jam. I love mommas bread.