Rex Italian Foods - Norridge, IL

 

4431 N Harlem Ave

Established 1993

 

Visited March 25, 2018

 

TV Exposure: Diners Drive-Ins Dives Season 15 Episode 1 Unconventional Comforts originally aired August 5, 2012

What:  Sicilian foods. Schiacciata

You can rest assured an eatery is pretty good when a on duty veteran cop eats there.

Chicago has the third largest Italian population in the US. An outfall of that distinction is a plethora of Italian restaurant putting out high quality variety of authentic Italian food that's unlikely to be found in smaller cities.  Such is the case with Rex.

 

Walk in and you'll see a display full of Italian/Sicilian foods with names that haven't rolled off your tongue like what I eventually ordered.

Sicilian Schiacciata comprises ham, pepperoni, peppers, mild giardiniera, and mozzarella. This had been made earlier in the day and sits in the display case. The gal takes one from the case and heats it up for about 5 minutes which appears sufficient to re-melt the cheese into a gooey comforting mess.

Italian American subs tend to run salty catering to the oversalted American palate. In the back of my mind, I know authentic Italian food is less seasoned and less adventurous. With that said, the less salty ham and pepperoni are welcome ingredients. The first few bites are almost bland but as my tongue wakes up and acclimates, I'm able to taste the components as they are meant to be appreciated. The bread with the crunchy exterior and soft interior holds and complements the filling. This is a sandwich where the whole exceeds the sum of the parts.

 

Food: ★★★    Service: ★★★

Probability of making an out of the way return: 10%
Probability of returning if in the area: 80%

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