Sandwich Of The Week: Windy City Red Hots' Italian Combo

Who knew Chicago style sandwiches could be found in Virginia? At Windy City Red Hots, you can find their Chicago-style Italian Combo right in Ashburn, Virginia.

Meat lovers will fall hard for this sandwich. It's packed with homemade mild Italian sausage, Italian beef, and the spicy concoction known as giardiniera, vegetables pickled in vinegar. And lastly, the sandwich comes on an Italian roll, just like Chicago sandwiches do. There's no cheese, but there's plenty of beef juice that plays a key role for flavor.

You can find other Chicago classics such as their Windy City Red Hots, a pure beef hot dog with toppings from the green relish to a sport pickle, or the Cheesy Beef sandwich. You have your choices to sides of chili cheese fries or chips.

Owners Angel and Sia said on their website that they "grew up eating hot dogs, Italian beef, and pizza puffs." They were born and raised in Chicago and then moved to Northern Virginia. Both of them were shocked they couldn't find any real Chicago-style hot dogs in D.C., claiming that the closest hot dog joints were Costco and 7/11.

Their first store opened in 2008 in Ashburn, Virginia "in a kitchen trailer with outdoor seating," according to the owners. With its increasing popularity, the place outgrew their original trailer and moved into a larger black trailer. Two years later, another Windy City Red Hots was born in Leesburg, VA. This time it's an actual restaurant with classic Windy City decor such as pictures of the Bears, Cubs, and Bulls.

For Chicago ex-pats looking for the real deal or for locals looking for a true Chicago experience, head to Windy City Red Hots.