Illinois - "The Prairie State"

Illinois is a state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 5th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area, and is often noted as a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago (Illinois' largest city) in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a diverse economic base and is a major transportation hub. The Port of Chicago connects the state to other global ports from the Great Lakes, via the Saint Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean; as well as the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via the Illinois River. For decades, O'Hare International Airport has been ranked as one of the world's busiest airports. Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics. Although today the state's largest population center is around Chicago in the northern part of the state, the state's European population grew first in the west, with French Canadians who settled along the Mississippi River, and gave the area the name, Illinois. After the American Revolutionary War established the United States, American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s via the Ohio River, and the population grew from south to north. In 1818, Illinois achieved statehood. After construction of the Erie Canal increased traffic and trade through the Great Lakes, Chicago was founded in the 1830s on the banks of the Chicago River, at one of the few natural harbors on southern Lake Michigan. John Deere's invention of the self-scouring steel plow turned Illinois' rich prairie into some of the world's most productive and valuable farmlands, attracting immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden. Railroads carried immigrants to new homes, as well as being used to ship their commodity crops out to markets. Springfield is the capital of Illinois with a population close to 150,000 people. It is the largest city in central Illinois. As part of our journey of "Eat in All 50 States Without Leaving the Valley", we decided to try the cuisine of Illinois. Although the Deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs is nationally the most famous signature of Illinois; the Italian Beef Sandwich is a winner among old-schools and natives of this state. Italian beef is a thinly sliced, briefly simmered in heavily seasoned beef broth and loaded on a dense Italian roll - cane be topped with sautéed bell peppers or an oily mix of pickled hot peppers and vegetables called giardiniera, but it must be juicy. Pro's way to order Italian beef is to requesting it "dipped" so the entire sandwich is briefly dunked in the rich juice. A few place were recommended to try the Italian Beef such as Lobby Burgers, Chicago Hamburger Company and Dazzo's Dog House which are located in different part of the valley. However, we chose Defalco's Italian Eatery in Scottsdale, AZ. The DeFalco's family has based their business on three basic principles; always use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, make DeFalco's Italian Deli & Grocery a place like no other, and always treat people like family. For over three generations, these three principles have embodied what DeFalco's Italian Deli & Grocery is all about. The DeFalco family emigrated from Abuzzi Italy, into Toronto Canada, in 1903. There, the first DeFalco's Italian Grocery was born. After many successful years, John DeFalco moved to Michigan, where he met and married Dora DeAngelis. Dora's family Immigrated to the United States, from Rome Italy, several years before. John and Dora opened up a well known, neighborhood tavern, called the Venezia Inn. Here, Dora began serving home made pasta dishes while John made home made Italian sausage for the hungry patrons. Dora would use the same recipe for the sauce that her Nonna (grandmother) had made many years before. John had learned the art of sausage making from his father when he was a young boy in Italy. Their son Geraldo (Jerry) and his wife Judith DeFalco, have nurtured the old recipes, which are still used today. Although Defalco's has changed quite a bit over the past 32 years, the commitment to use only "the highest quality" ingredients to make their sauces, sausage, and pasta dishes will never change. Today DeFalco's is in Scottsdale and is STILL family owned. Geraldo and Judith can still be seen there making the same recipes that have been handed down for over 100 years. They have passed their vast knowledge on to their son, Anthony, who feels blessed to be able to carry on such a rich tradition of food, culture and family. Walking into the place, the use of the taste of the "old world" and the "new world" combined, at DeFalco's, can clearly be seen. John and Dora moved to Phoenix, Arizona where they had planned to retire. John and Dora's son, Geraldo, however had the desire to keep the family's legacy, for authentic Italian food, alive. Defalco was opened in 1972 in Phoenix, AZ.