'Ghetto Fries' Offend Some Appetities: North Side Italian Beef Restaurant Criticized for Name

WCBS ^ | 8/23/05

[gopwinsin04]

A culinary concoction at a North Side Chicago beef stand came under fire Tuesday as some say it's name, Ghetto Fries, is politically incorrect. The fries are thinly sliced potatoes smothered in Italian beef gravy, BBQ sauce, onions, cheddar cheese, and hot peppers.

Some customers at Max's Italian Beef at 5754 North Western Avenue have raised their eyebrows at the name.

Other customers say they don't have a problem with it.

The owner says that the fries were named after the employee who came up with the combination. He says it was the employee's nickname, and it was done in fun.

[B Knotts]

I guess I must be out of the loop. I've never heard of someone putting ketchup in chili. Yuk.

[the invisib1e hand]

thanks, Clemenza. I always thought it would be good to have a friend named "Clemenza."

[bird4four4]

Dumpster .... Ghetto .... What's the difference

[Andrewksu]

For Chi Town pizza, try Bacino's on Lincoln. That'll get the job done. Chicago was responsible for me putting on 20lbs while on a 7 month internship, and that was with riding everyday, walking everywhere, playing on the champion Architecture league soccer team, and high intesity bar hopping!

If these people are offended by "Ghetto Fries", I hope they don't stop in at the Weiner Circle hot dog joint @ 3am, where foul launguage is as plentiful as the nuke green relish!

[uncitizen]

Don't you mean the Ghetto Kool-Aid?

[Graymatter]

Dumpster .... Ghetto .... What's the difference

Big difference. Potatoes smothered in "Italian beef gravy, BBQ sauce, onions, cheddar cheese, and hot peppers"---I defy anyone to find that combination anywhere but at the bottom of a dumpster. Ghetto residents cook better.

[Rastus]

Lame article. We are told that certain people are offended, but given no clues as to how they are supposedly offended. Since it's an Italian place, I'll assume they came from the Jewish ghetto of Venice that someone mentioned in this thread. How they are offended by this, I don't know.

And, yes, I do know what the author is really getting at, but it'd be nice if they didn't just assume that for their article.

[Graymatter]

Re pic in post #21. I am a native of the NY metro area and I say that is a pic of a biohazard.

[Graymatter]

It doesn't get any more Sicilian, does it?

(Lou: "Sicilian?? I am Calabrese, you #$%@#!!")

[HitmanLV]

Nope! Haha!

That's one of my favorite songs, too. It always makes me smile how most people know the tune and song, basically, but have no idea what it's about. It's a bona-fide X rated folk song!

PS - I am FBI, actually full blooded Sicilian, which means my hobbies include women, good food, and revenge! ;-)

[HitmanLV]

Rutt's Hutt rules, paisan!

[Clemenza]

I miss that place. I may have lived 15 minutes from Nathan's via bus to Coney Island, but it was worth it to bum a ride from a friend to Clifton for the best hot dogs in the world.

Runner up: The "Italian Hot Dog" at Dickie Dee's on Bloomfield Avenue.

[Graymatter]

...women, good food, and revenge! ;-)

You forgot to mention the dirty mind! :) Monte's big hit (pardon the expression) was in '62, when...I don't know about YOU but I was a child and even we kids we had a dirty interpretation for his "mouse" doing the cha cha. :D
But is that what he meant? Now you tell me!

[SuzanneWeeks]

Yummmm Rutt's Hut.

A must stop for dinner before a Giants or Devils Game.

Or, tonight for dinner.....

S

[HitmanLV]

No question - a dirty mind comes natural to me, too!! Haha!

Lou Monte's Pepito is pretty obvious, I agree with you. Kid's weren't nearly as naive as a lot of folks, think. It's all done in a funny enough way that its charming. I like it.

I was born in 1968 but I am pretty oldschool. I knew 'C'e' la Luna' by heart at a young age, but I didn't appreciate its more raw elements until later - probably by age 11 or 12 or so!

Non-italian speakers know the tune well, it shows up in TV and movies all the time, but almost nobody knows the sexual subtext, which is what makes it such a funny song. I have explained the lyrics many times to people, who are surprised that its not just a cute little song (it is a cute little song, it's just not 'just a cute little song).

I like Lou Monte's version, of course, though it confuses the issue since many non Italians are familiar with that version, and I have to first undo that the song has nothing to do with Lazy Mary getting out of bed, or anything like that. If anything, it has to do with what a young woman is going to do when she gets into bed, but thats another story! :-)

Are you FBI?

[HitmanLV]

Lucky! ;-)

[T Lady]

'Further proof the left has no awareness or knowledge of our Constitution.'


BUMP!

[Little Bill]

What is that horrible crap that the French Canukistanians eat, poutain?, french fries cheese and diarrhea, isn't poutain a prostitute?

[DumpsterDiver]

Over here we call that Dumpster Fries.

< sniff > My feelings are hurt! < /sniff >

[Revolting cat!]

In the restaurant the cat worked as a small kitten, the chef who was black and forbade waiters to order sandwiches on "black" bread - they were to call it dark rye or pumpernickle - whenever he accidentally dropped a hamburger patty on the floor, he'd say after picking it up and serving it on a plate: "Soul food!"