Results, we got results. Here are the Beef scores.
Condiments and sides:
What a difference a tasting makes! Is it just me, or were the sweet peppers much better at these places? Johnnies had the best, but not by much, and Jay's, Buona and Carm's were all close behind. All were fresh and pretty tasty. Johnnies are cut smaller than the others, which seemed to work better. Carm's were big, fat chunks and enjoyable on their own, but not so good on a sandwich.
Giardinera: Again Johnnies comes in first (get used to it), with Carm's (be sure to get extra hot!) and Buona a bit behind.
Fries: Just say Frannies. The group gave these a 9.5 out of ten, and the only argument was about why some did not give them a 10. Very good. And much, much better than any of the others, with the next highest score a 5.8, just mediocre.
The parts of a sandwich:
Gravy: Nothing exciting or different. Johnnies would not serve gravy separately for us (part of their "Give the customer what they want policy", not), but still got scores from many of us and won this category. Go figure.
Bread: Carm's uses a different bread, that apparently is the same as Portillo's. From Ariana, I think. Better crust and crispier than most. Johnnies seemed better to me than last time, and I think they switched from Turano to Gonnella which I prefer (better crust). VI thinks we were just wrong about Turano the first time. Who knows? If you like bread go to Johnnies or Carm's. Buona is not bad. Jay's and Frannies were not good.
Beef: There is something magical about Johnnies, darker and rich. Another very high score - 9.1 out of ten. All of these were thin-sliced. Steve Z provided a brief workshop on beef, gravy and how they go together. Ideally you cook and then cut the beef. It then meets up with the gravy for a brief period before getting to your sandwich. Too much time in the gravy makes it overcooked, tough, stringy. Too little time, and you do not get enough flavor in your beef. Ideally the beef is dipped for a few minutes and then onto your sandwich. If the place is not busy, and the beef is floating in the gravy, just go home. Carm's had good flavor, but was a bit overcooked. Some found this very objectionable, while most enjoyed it. Buona was bland, with nuggets of garlic that one would hit from time to time.
The atmosphere:
Hey, we like our food. To my mind the food heavily influenced the perception of the atmosphere - which makes sense. For atmosphere, try Johnnies, Carm's (slickly suburban for some) or Frannies, which is the perfect beef stand, IMO, though it came in third. The Oak Park Buonas is just unpleasant.
The sandwich and the winner:
I am dropping the dry sandwich. The consensus is that you should never have a dry sandwich, so why are we rating it? You always have some gravy on your sandwich, even if it is not dipped and dripping. Go with it.
No surprise. Johnnies won by a mile, with a score of 9.1, roughly the same as last time. Nothing else came close, with Carm's in second (7., Buona (6. and Frannies at a surprisingly high, to me anyway, 6.4. Not bad. Combining the first two tastings, we now would have the following rating of sandwiches:
Johnnies
Chickies
Then a bit of a gap to
Mr Beef
Patio
Carm's (Hillside)
Boston BBQ
Buona
Al's
Nothing else worth mentioning, other than the standard Al's disclaimer. You will love or hate their sandwich, as it is unique, so you should check it out. Well, one other thing - my memory is not so good. I like Chickies, but forgot how highly it was rated. And I do not much like Mr Beef, and also forgot how highly it was rated.
Overall, for the whole experience, Johnnies still won easily, with a slightly higher overall score of 8.2 compared to 7.9 in November. Then a big drop off to Carms at 6.5, Frannies at 6.2, and Buona at 6.0 Don't go to Jay's. Brief note on Frannie's - go, enjoy the signs and counter ("Virgin Beef"), buy some fries and a cantaloupe ice, sit on the deck and enjoy. The beef is only okay.
Combining both sets of ratings, for the overall experience you have, if you are interested in more than just a sammy:
Johnnies
Chickies
Freddy's
Patio
Al's
Mr Beef (some really disliked the atmosphere and lousy service - but if you are a Jay Leno groupie, I guess it is totally cool)
Carm's
Frannies
Buona (other locations would rate higher for atmosphere, since this place was downright grim, but that would only get it ahead of Frannies)
Clearly, for the final round so far it is Johnnies and Chickies, (which will be the reference point for the south/southwest jaunt, I suggest). After that, one can make an argument for inclusion of Al's, Patio and Mr Beef, I think, though I would, and do, only argue for Al's. I also find the comparison between Al's and Patio interesting because of the very different styles and close proximity.
I look forward to others' opinions.
North or south come next.
d
Feeling (south) loopy