Matthew "Vinnie" Mulholland was such a die-hard football fan that he would regularly travel to Chicago to catch Bears games after the football Cardinals left St. Louis for Arizona. Little did he know, these trips would inspire him to bring a little bit of Chicago cuisine back home.
See Also: Vinnie's Italian Beef and Gyros Brings Chicago-Sized Flavor to St. Louis
Mulholland fell in love with Italian beef sandwiches on his regular jaunts to the Windy City, sampling as many versions as he could in a weekend. He was dismayed that he couldn't find this classic dish in St. Louis, so he began experimenting in his home kitchen. Eventually, he perfected his recipe and opened up his own shop in south city, Vinnie's Italian Beef & Gyros (3208 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-644-7007).
Mulholland has nailed this hearty Chicago treat. The Italian beef sandwich at Vinnie's is a monstrously large pile of seasoned, slow-roasted beef stuffed into an au jus soaked loaf of crusty bread. A few slices of melted provolone cheese are barely visible under the generous topping of spicy housemade giardiniera. Vinnie's keeps a roll of paper towels on the tables; they are necessary for this knife-and-fork behemoth.
Previously: #60: The Egg Rolls at Bek-Hee Chinese Restaurant #61: Pumpkin Maple Latte at Kaldi's Coffee #62: Casconcelli at Giovanni's Kitchen #63: Athlete Eats' Bibimbap Bowl #64: Salt + Smoke's Beef Brisket #65: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites at Lulu's Local Eatery #66: Home Wine Kitchen's Shortbread Sea-Salt Biscuits #67: Death in the Afternoon's Grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich #68: The Brisket Burger at Three Flags Tavern #69: Siam's Kimchi Hot Pot #70: Urban Chestnut's "Strammer Max" #71: "Mom's Special" at Mom's Deli #72: Broasted Chicken at Frank & Helen's Pizzeria #73: Parmesan Chicken Broth at Bocci Wine Bar #74: "Burger" at Small Batch Whiskey & Fare #75: Smoked Salami Sandwich at Adam's Smokehouse #76: Gyro on Pita at Olympia Kebob House & Taverna #77: The Johnny Cake at TreeHouse #78: A Classic Glazed Doughnut from Pharoah's Donuts #79: Skordalia at the Purple Martin #80: Beef Brisket Birria Taco Taco at Mission Taco Joint #81: Cappuccino from Sump Coffee #82: The Salted Caramel Croissant at Pint Size Bakery #83: Gnocchi at the Good Pie #84: Truffled Tater Tots at Blood & Sand #85: Marinated Feta Cheese at Evangeline's Bistro and Music House #86: Chorizo and Egg Sope at Spare No Rib #87: Duck Burger at Planter's House #88: WildSmoke's Smoked Chicken Wings #89: The Duck Prosciutto Flatbread at Bella Vino #90: The "Dam Burger" at the Dam #91: The "Hog Mess" at Blind Tiger #92: Khao Soi at Fork & Stix #93: The "Smokehouse Club" Sandwich at Bud's Smokehouse #94: Cafe Natasha's Yogurt Dip #95: Macarons at La Patisserie Chouquette #96: The Libertine's Fried Chicken #97: Pork Belly at Element #98: M'Lwee at Baida #99: Breadbasket at Juniper #100: Bucatini All'Amatriciana at Pastaria
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