What is the Chicago Lean?

What’s this Chicago Lean thing you were talking about?

Ah, we almost forgot. How to eat an Italian beef is an important art form, especially if you’re ordering your beefs “dipped, hot, mozz” style, so the whole affair is a gooey, dripping, delicious mess.

Now, we are working under the assumption that you know how to eat a normal sandwich already, so we’re not going to go over the basics. However, many beef joints contain long, thin counters without stools, and these counters are designed specifically for eating sloppy sandwiches without getting beef juice all over your work shirt, so you don’t have to come back from your lunch break looking like you did some engine work on your truck.

The Chicago Lean (a step-by-step guide): 1. Put your sandwich on the counter and stand in front of it, with your chest about 12 inches from the edge of the counter.

2. Lean forward so your chest is at a 45-degree angle to the counter (Note: if you’re wearing a tie, make sure it’s tucked inside your shirt).

3. Pick up your sandwich, resting your elbows on the counter.

4. Angle the sandwich at a 45-degree angle to the counter, with the top end towards your mouth. (Imagine making a triangle: the counter is the bottom, your head and chest are one side, the sandwich is another).

5. Eat and enjoy. For best results, keep the sandwich wrapped in the wax paper it most likely came in, unwrapping it as you go.