5 iconic local dishes and drinks you must try at Time Out Market Chicago

You didn’t think we’d open Time Out Market Chicago without a classic Chicago-style hot dog, did you? At Duck Inn Dogs, you can sample the ultimate take on the time-honored tradition, which has been gussied up with elevated ingredients. The sausage—a decadent blend of all-natural beef and duck fat—is grilled and topped with house-made relish, beer mustard, pickled serrano chilies, a fat pickle, garden-fresh tomatoes, raw onions and a dash of celery salt. Open wide!

Though the origin of deep-dish pizza is often debated, the city’s devotion to the delicacy is uncontested. If you want to try a perfect version of the dish, order pie master Art Shabez’s namesake slice, which is layered with gooey mozzarella, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green pepper, and onion. It’s all covered in a red sauce that bursts with vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh herbs. It won’t take more than a few bites for you to realize why this pizza joint has hit institution status.

You can't open a bar in Chicago without Malört on the menu. Get your fix here with the Fulton Market Handshake, a clever twist on the classic Chicago Handshake (a can of Old Style and a shot of Malört). This elevated sipper blends the iconic bitter booze with Apologue persimmon liqueur, grapefruit soda, lemon zest and a splash of Hopewell Lil Buddy lager. You get to hold on to the can to refill your drink or wash it down. Of course, you can also get straight to the point and down a shot of Malört at any of our bars.

Kevin Hickey is a bit of an overachiever. Aside from gracing Time Out Market Chicago with a killer dog, he's also debuting his first-ever Italian beef concept, cheekily named Decent Beef. After devouring this downright messy but absolutely quintessential local delicacy, you might consider asking Hickey to change the name to Superb Beef. The star of this dish is juicy shaved prime rib that's bursting with flavor. Make it a combo by adding an Italian sausage; hot giardiniera and sweet peppers are a must.

There are few flavor combinations more Chicago than cheddar and caramel, made popular by Garrett Popcorn's namesake mix. The mad scientists at Pretty Cool translate the savory-sweet sensation to ice cream with their Chicago Mix pop. Salted caramel ice cream is enrobed in a sweet-cheesy shell that's studded with bits of popcorn. The addictive flavor combination is hard to explain but easy to love—and you'll only find them at Time Out Market Chicago.