Mudgie’s Deli and Wine Shop

Mudgie’s does not announce itself. It sits on a Corktown corner a short drive off the Michigan Ave drag, looking more like somebody’s house than a nationally ranked sandwich shop, and you come in through the gate on Brooklyn. What’s behind it unfolds in stages: a wine shop and carryout counter first, then a small bar with a handful of stools, then a few steps down into a compact dining room with a handful of tables and decor we could have studied all afternoon. The service was warm and fast in a way that made the whole thing feel easy.

We ordered the Madill and the Mudgie, both warm, both enormous, both very good — and the house pickles, heavy on the garlic, which is our love language. Andrea had an Aperol spritz; Mike had the Czech Czech 1,2 1,2 pilsner from Batch Brewing down the block, which was exactly the right amount of crisp for the day. The patio — outdoor bar, bistro tables, twinkle lights — was too hot to sit on when we went, so we owe it a return trip. It’s one of the better reasons to point out-of-towners toward Corktown.