Chicken Vesuvio

This classic Italian-American dish is unique to Chicago's kitchens and restaurants.

No one is too sure where this recipe came from, but it was possibly created and made famous by Vesuvio Restaurant, a downtown venue that operated in the 1930s.

It's traditionally made with skin-on, bone-in chicken, garlic, oregano, olive oil and white wine,which is oven roasted till the skin is crispy and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and served with potato wedges and peas.

At the suggestion of my "Roadfood" book by Jane and Michael Stern, and because I LOVED him, we stopped by Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse for lunch so that I could enjoy and share their version of this dish, which Michael (a native Chicagoan) claims "sets a gold standard."

Even though it's the only version I've tried, he must be right, because this was one of the best restaurant meals I've had in ages. Caray's offers both bone-in and boneless options (I chose the latter), and you can even order just the potatoes as a side dish if you prefer.

Thankfully, there are LOTS of recipes available online, so I'll certainly make this dish at home. But, if you're heading to Chicago sometime soon, definitely seek it out at one of the city's many fabulous restaurants.