I moved from the suburbs of Chicago to California fifty years ago. Before leaving, for close to 5 years, I ate at Portillo's pretty much every day. After I moved to California, thing I missed most was Portillo's Italian Beefs. Around 45 years ago, I wrote Portillo's a letter, yes an actual letter, begging them to come to California. I'm not sure that letter had any influence but eventually two Portillo's opened in Southern California around 2006. Sadly I moved to the mountains in Central California in 1997. They were still closer than Chicago and I visited Southern California often and made a point to get my beloved sandwich, Big Beef, dipped, with Giardinera, every time I could. I was aware that I could get the makings of an Italian Beef on-line for many years but never pulled the trigger. I had concerns about how it would survive shipping and always seemed like it wouldn't be the same. I was wrong. It arrived still frozen and met all my expections. Hallelujah!!!
John Klang, Shipped to Oakhurst, California