Portillo's with Jon Gabrus & Christine Nangle (LIVE)

"Portillo's with Jon Gabrus & Christine Nangle (LIVE)" is Episode 198 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Portillo's with Jon Gabrus & Christine Nangle (LIVE)" was released on April 11, 2019.

## Synopsis

The 'boys hit Chicago and are joined by Christine Nangle (*The President Show*, *Inside Amy Schumer*) and Jon Gabrus (*Raised by TV*, *High & Mighty*) to review a midwest chain specializing in hot dogs: Portillo's.

Recorded live at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, IL.

## Nick's intro

*"You know we're just struttin' for fun / Struttin' our stuff for everyone / We're not here to start no trouble / We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle"*

On December 3, 1985, the Chicago Bears released "The Super Bowl Shuffle," a charmingly amateurish hiphop-adjacent music video with the team's players rapping as they execute a crude dance routine. Recorded before the playoffs even began, the track was an act of hubris that, thankfully for the Chicago faithful, did not end up backfiring and the Bears did in fact make the Super Bowl, where they'd post a dominating 46-10 win over the New England Patriots.

The champion '85 Bears remain a legendary franchise known for an historic defense led by Mike Singletary, the punishing ground game of Walter Payton, and an oddball supporting cast including Jim McMahon and William "Refrigerator" Perry, but the team's biggest star was arguably its coach - a Polish-American retired player with the looks and cadence of a gruff police chief, Mike Ditka.

The man nicknamed "Iron Mike" became a national celebrity and Windy City legend in the 1980s, and in 1990, Ditka parlayed his fame to compete on a new playing field, the fast-casual restaurant-chain sector. In December of that year, he opened the first Ditka Dogs in Naperville, Illinois, one of ten planned locations. But the outlet sported a menu that was suspiciously close to another Chicago-area institution, a beloved local chain that was founded in 1963 as The Dog House by a man named Dick.

Originally a trailer without running water, in 1967, Dick moved his concept into a brick-and-mortar location where he gave it his last name, gradually growing his menu beyond hot dogs into Italian beef sandwiches and legendarily decadent shakes. By the time Ditka Dogs came on scene, Dick's chain had double-digit locations, and when Ditka Dog didn't stop at merely copying his menu, literally hiring away many of his employees, Dick, a man who possesses a degree from "Asphalt University," fought back.

In his recently-released memoir, he describes how he paid Bears star Refrigerator Perry to make in-store appearances, flew a banner advertising his chain over Soldier Field during Bears games, and offered cash bonuses to lure a wave of his employees back just before the weekend rush - leaving Ditka Dogs flailing and, ultimately, failing.

Dick considers forcing Ditka Dogs' closure one of his proudest career achievements, and while Ditka later found success with an upscale steakhouse concept, the chain Dick founded rules the local fast-casual scene, as it has become as entrenched with Chicago's identity as those Super Bowl Shufflin' '85 Bears.

This week on *Doughboys*: Portillo's.

## Christine's intro

The year is 2005.

And Miss McMenamin's eighth-period Home Ec class at Chicago High School is just letting out. She wishes her students a good weekend and slips out to the faculty lounge for a much-deserved cigarettes and coffee break.

Her mistake of not locking the door to her classroom would become one of podcastdom's greatest gifts, as two students who'd never met each other would soon come to lock eyes while sneaking in to salvage some sad student's failed scones from the standard-issue public school's trashcans.

"*I'm Nick. I just moved here from California.*"

"*I'm Mitch. I just moved here from Quincy.*"

"*Do you not have enough to eat at home?*"

"*Oh yea. We definitely do. I'm just disgusting.*"

"*Wow. Me too.*"

Cut to fourteen years later where they host a popular podcast, while also managing to run Monkey Paw Studios and pay UCB performers out of their own pockets.

This is...

## Fork rating

   A number of Portillo's, including the one the Doughboys and Doiboys visited, share space with a Barnelli's Pasta Bowl, and they did order some items from their menu as well. Nick factored that into his rating.

* Grilled Portobello Sandwich
 Mike Mitchell
* Hot Dog
 Jon Gabrus
* Hot Dog
* Beef-N-Cheddar Croissant
 Christine Nangle
* Veggie Dog
* Grilled Portobello Sandwich
 shared
* Classic Caesar Salad
* Big Beef Sandwich (Dry + Hot Peppers)
* Combo Beef & Char-Grilled Sausage Sandwich
* Char-Grilled Maxwell Street Style Polish Hot Dog
* Onion Rings
* French Fries
* Chocolate Malt
* Chocolate Cake Shake
* Strawberry Shortcake

With these scores, Portillo's makes the Golden Plate Club!

## Snack or Wack

In Snack or Wack, The Doughboys have a snack, and decide if it is 'good' or 'bad.'

For this episode, they have some flavors of Garrett's Popcorn (Buttery, CheeseCorn, Buffalo Ranch), which comes in a Chicago Bulls tin.

 Mike Mitchell
 Jon Gabrus
 Christine Nangle

## Quotes

**Nick:** Yea I would describe it as a 'corn-cob method.'

**Jon:** That's an inside joke for people who have seen your dick.
**Christine:** How can it be an inside joke for nobody?

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