Current:Home > MyA Chicago legend, whose Italian beef sandwich helped inspire 'The Bear,' has died -Excel Money Vision
A Chicago legend, whose Italian beef sandwich helped inspire 'The Bear,' has died
View
Date:2025-04-24 20:53:01
Who is he? Joseph Zucchero was the co-founder of Mr. Beef, a staple in Chicago's River North neighborhood that had gained a following for dishing out beloved Italian beef sandwiches. He died unexpectedly on March 1, according to his obituary. He was 69 years old.
- Zucchero and his brother, Dominic, started the business in the late 1970s, building a reputation as a classic spot for the Italian-American speciality.
- Their staple beef sandwich came from Italian immigrants in the early 20th century who could only buy less-tender cuts of the cow due to the price. They discovered that cooking those less-sought-after pieces for a lot longer would render a super tender final product.
- Zucchero's son, Christopher, had previously old WBEZ there are some crucial components to an Italian beef sandwich: slow-cooked slivers of beef, an Italian relish called giardiniera, good bread, and all sorts of customizable textures.
Want more journalism on people who made an impact? Listen to the Consider This episode on Colin Kaepernick
What's the big deal? Zucchero's beloved sandwich joint got attention and inspired many far and wide.
- The 2022 hit FX show The Bear, starring Jeremy Allen White as a young chef trying to sustain his family's failing Chicago sandwich shop, took direct inspiration from Mr. Beef. That included the show creating the set based on the restaurant.
- The popularity of the critically acclaimed series also led to a surge in business for Mr. Beef, Joseph Zucchero told NPR last year.
- Mr. Beef also has other ties to showbiz: Jay Leno has shared that as a struggling stand-up comedian, he would sleep in his car in the restaurant's parking lot. The shop now has photos of Leno on its walls, who has praised the food over the years.
What are people saying?
Christopher Zucchero, to WBEZ, on the identity of the Italian beef sandwich:
It's strictly our root food. It really is our food here in Chicago, as opposed to the Philly cheesesteak or a New York — I don't even know if they have a meat type of sandwich in New York.
Joseph Zucchero on Chris Storer, the creator of The Bear, recreating his restaurant for the show:
My son and a young man that he grew up with, Chris Storer, would come down here when they were kids. You know, they were kids, and I let them hang around the restaurant.
They built this [set] inside a building. And they took me to it. They wanted me to see it. And my mouth dropped. I was like, 'Oh, my God' — I mean, from the floor to the ceiling to the countertops to the equipment.
So, what now?
- According to Eater, Mr. Beef will continue under the leadership of Zucchero's daughter, Lauren, and friends.
- Production for season 2 of The Bear is underway in Chicago.
Read more:
- 'Sushi terrorist' and 2 accomplices arrested in Japan after viral prank
- No cow needed: Oat and soy can be called milk, FDA proposes
- For 2 chefs in Detroit, music is a passion they can taste — literally
veryGood! (9882)
Related
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Georgia election board approves new rules that critics fear could allow certification delays
- Mother arrested on murder charge days after baby’s hot car death
- Raiders go with Gardner Minshew over Aidan O'Connell as starting quarterback
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Taylor Swift brings back 2 cut songs, sings another for 10th time in acoustic section
- What Really Irritated Aaron Rodgers About Brother Jordan Rodgers' Bachelorette Run
- Second jailer to plead guilty in Alabama inmate’s hypothermia death
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Witness recalls man struggling to breathe before dying at guards’ hands in Michigan mall
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Over 165,000 pounds of Perdue chicken nuggets and tenders recalled after metal wire found
- The Most Unsettling Moments From Scott Peterson's Face to Face Prison Interviews
- Archaeologists find mastodon skull in Iowa, search for evidence it interacted with humans
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Archaeologists find mastodon skull in Iowa, search for evidence it interacted with humans
- DNC comes to 'Little Palestine' as Gaza deaths top 40,000
- 3 killed in Washington state house fire were also shot; victim’s husband wanted
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Yes, cashews are good for you. But here's why it's critical to eat them in moderation.
You'll Be Crazy in Love With Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Rare Outing in New York City
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling to host Democratic National Convention
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Shooting at a gathering in Baltimore leaves 1 dead and 7 others wounded, police say
Patrick Mahomes' Pregnant Wife Brittany Mahomes Shares Results of Pelvic Floor Work After Back Injury
Firefighters significantly tame California’s fourth-largest wildfire on record