Chicago’s culinary contributions go far beyond deep-dish pizza, and everybody knows it. I just returned from my first trip to the Windy City in more than a year, and while I was there, I finally satiated a craving for Portillo’s, the nearly 60-year-old street food icon. I feasted on a jumbo Vienna beef hot dog with those familiar, colorful veggies and toppings, a grilled Polish sausage smothered in onions and mustard and an Italian beef sandwich with giardiniera.
As soon as I returned to Vegas, I got this text from my mom: “Have you ever had Portillo’s hot dogs? Your brother sent me some for Mother’s Day. They’re from Chicago.” The photo of the Chicago dog she sent looked just as good as the one I ate days earlier.
Chicago dogs and fries
A full range of favorite Chicago foods has always been offered at Amore Taste of Chicago, a family-friendly joint that has been serving the western part of the Valley for years. Last summer, it opened a second location in Henderson in a former TGI Friday’s along Sunset Road while temporarily closing the original Durango Drive spot for an extensive renovation. The new version of the old restaurant is expected to reopen this month with new projection screens for sports and an open, airy feel, plus an expanded menu with burgers, pastrami sandwiches and more.
The Henderson location brings the same Chicago vibes, with images of the city’s skyline and landmarks like Navy Pier, plus all the obligatory sports paraphernalia. There’s a bit of Vegas sports creeping in as well, emblematic of the life of a Chicago transplant living in Las Vegas. Whether you’re rooting for the Bears or the Raiders, this will be the place to do it while sharing some of the city’s best deep-dish or stuffed pizza.
Amore also serves stellar Chicago-style Vienna beef hot dogs ($5 for one or $8 for two with fries), grilled Polish sausage ($7), gyros ($7) and Italian beef sandwiches ($8), and all are among the most popular items on the menu. Amore is also known for its barbecue ribs, which started as a Wednesday special, often selling out before dinnertime. During the pandemic, regulars began preordering Wednesday ribs for takeout, and now the restaurant serves a full rack with fries, cornbread, coleslaw and baked beans daily for $20.
Whether you’re heading east or west, or plan to watch a game or reunite with friends, plan on a big meal when you hit Amore, where there are so many comfort-food favorites from which to choose. Customizable pasta dinners can be smothered in marinara, meat sauce, vodka sauce or Alfredo, and the baked penne ($15) and lasagna ($16.50) are standouts. Chicken is done seven ways in this kitchen, including Amore-style ($18)—sauteed with bell peppers, pepperoncini and olive oil and served over cottage potatoes. Thin-crust pizza is just as buttery and delicious as the more robust pies, but first you have to get past appetizers like fried cheese ravioli ($8), breaded mushrooms ($8.50) and jumbo shrimp scampi ($13).
With two restaurants on opposite sides of the Valley, Amore is becoming a local institution while continuing to bring a true taste of Chicago to Vegas.
AMORE TASTE OF CHICAGO 4330 E. Sunset Road, 702-463-9163. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday- Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
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