Pastrami from Chicago Culinary Kitchen. (Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago Tribune)
The best pastrami in Chicago is not where I thought it’d be. Sure, the brined, spice-rubbed and smoked beef is still a mainstay at plenty of Jewish delis, and a few of those versions are genuinely worth your time.
But stunning pastrami is now popping up somewhere I never expected ― barbecue joints. Our local favorite is:
Chicago Culinary Kitchen
This suburban smoked meat destination offers all the barbecue standards you’d expect on its regular menu. But the lengthy specials are where the owners Kristina and Greg Gaardbo let their creativity run wild. One staple there is pastrami, which you can order sliced or on a sandwich.
The pastrami has an intensely bright pink color from the brine and is liberally covered in a rub heavy with black pepper. I initially worried that would destroy my taste buds, but the cure is light enough not to get in the way of the meat, while the smoke lingers mostly in the background. Next time I would ask for slices from the fattier end, but even the lean pieces were supple. (To make sure the pastrami is available before you go, check the restaurant’s website.)
2391 N. Hicks Road, Palatine; 847-701-8243; chicagoculinarykitchen.com
Read about the other 12 Chicago Tribune favorites here.
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