FOOD NEWS
Chicago's Gym Shoe Sandwich Is A Fusion Of Classics
BY JOHN TOLLEY
Chicago is home to iconic foods like deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and Chicago-style hotdogs. The Gym Shoe sandwich is lesser-known, but just as tasty and unique.
The sandwich consists of a hoagie loaded with corned beef, shaved gyro meat, Italian roast beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, "gyro sauce," and optional giardiniera.
The sandwich's name, sometimes spelled "Jim Shoe," speaks to its working class origins and spirit. It evolved in the sandwich stands of Chicago's West and South Side neighborhoods.
The resulting sandwich is like a combo of an Italian beef and a gyro. The corned beef adds extra salt and tang, while the gyro meat imparts all of its delightful seasonings.
The white "gyro sauce" is much like tzatziki, while the giardiniera is made of pickled peppers, olives, celery, cauliflower, and carrots. Mayo is another optional addition.
If you’d like to try a Gym Shoe, it's easiest to find it in Chicago. Head to the West and South Sides for a more authentic take at places like Stony Sub or Super Sub & Gyro.