A lot of American cities have an iconic sandwich. In Philadelphia, it’s the cheesesteak. New York’s got pastrami on rye, New Orleans: the muffuletta. In most cases, these sandwiches are well known enough outside their respective cities that tourists hunt them down and imitators attempt to introduce them in new cities with limited success. But there are also sandwiches that manage to escape national recognition and remain untainted by Subway (unlike The Big Philly Cheesesteak).

Often eclipsed by the Vienna hot dog in the national sandwich dialogue, the Italian beef is the most famous Chicago sandwich that no one outside the Midwest has ever heard of. After moving to New York, I was shocked to find out that none of my East Coast friends had ever tried a beef. The only way I can explain it to outsiders is by comparing it to a French Dip, although the ingredients in these two sandwiches are similar, the end results are entirely different. The Italian beef at its most basic level uses thinly shaved roast beef that is allowed to soak in its own garlicky, seasoned juices for hours until it has fully absorbed the flavor of the gravy. The beef is then piled inside chewy Italian bread and topped with sweet or hot peppers. Of course, this foundation allows for a number of different sandwich combinations, and every beef stand in the city offers its own flavors and variation on the classic style.

By some lucky twist of fate, I grew up a few blocks from the greatest Italian beef place in the Chicagoland area (and, therefore, the world). Johnnie’s Beef in Elmwood Park offers an ethereal sandwich that must be tasted in order to be fully understood, because in this case, looks can be deceiving.

Johnnie’s beef is not attractive. When made properly, and by that I mean soaked in gravy after assembly, it barely even resembles a sandwich. It is a beige, green, and brown mess that falls apart after your first bite and leaves your hands and arms covered in meat juice. But its salty, greasy siren song beckons to me from across the country and it’s one of my first stops when I go home.

In the summer, the line outside the tiny stand snakes around the corner and down the block. The guys behind the counter work hard to keep everything moving, and call out orders with a few code words. For instance, “beef juicy hot” means dipped in gravy and served with hot giardiniera, a mix of pickled hot peppers and vegetables. “Beef juicy sweet” is the same, but with sweet peppers. There are a few other things on Johnnie’s menu, besides the beef. There’s the obligatory hot dog, as well as a fantastic, charred Italian sausage that can be ordered as a sandwich on its own or added to a beef to form a “combo”. Sides include greasy fries and tamales, another hot dog stand staple that can’t really be found outside Chicago. On Fridays, Johnnie’s serves a pepper and egg for Catholics and anybody else who wants it, and they are nearly as famous for their lemony Italian ice as they are for the beef sandwich.

Chicagoans sometimes complain that Johnnie’s beef is too small, but that’s only in comparison to other gut-busting beefs around the city, from places like Al’s, Portillo’s, and Mr. Beef. Over the holidays, my Johnnie’s lunch of a juicy beef sweet, tamale, and fries was enough to put me out of commission for the rest of the day, but not so large as to stop the cravings from New York City. —KATE DULIN

LA-based Icon is one of those companies that I try to avoid. I mean this in the best possible way. I avoid it all because I want one of those fucking trucks really bad. I actually think it has transcended want, I need one of those things. The truth of the matter is, it ain’t happenin anytime soon. Unless I win the pick six next time I am at the track (Luck, anyone?), an Icon truck is sadly far away on the horizon.

Being aesthetically awesome (and retro), but still functioning well enough to be a daily driver is the whole point of the company. The guys over at eGarage caught up with Icon founder Jonathan Ward about the mission of the company and a little program that it is launching called Derelicts. Want to know more? Watch the film. Want an Icon? Get in line. [ICON]

My appreciation for the hyper-specialized Italian menswear brand Slowear is no secret. While in Italy between Pitti Uomo and the watch show in Switzerland I stopped into the brand’s cozy flagship in Milan. The shop houses a great representation of each of the labels that make up the Slowear brand, with an impressive selection of trousers from Incotex that really caught my attention. Individually, Incotex is by far the most widely known brand of the bunch and the pants have reached icon status in both Europe and Japan. I’m told that the business in America is strong as well. I believe it too, because the brand is strong to me.

What I like about Slowear is how seamlessly it bridges the gap between the way guys dress in America and the way men in Italy dress. It’s dressed up, but still very casual. The clothing is also extremely well made and the fabrications go well beyond good. While in the shop (for more than an hour) I found myself  trying on unstructured jackets from Montedoro, sweaters from Zanone and all paired with those iconic Incotext trousers. Then it hits me: I want everything.

Each brand produces its own collection and it all fits together perfectly under the Slowear label. Eventually I ended up forgoing the sweaters and even all of the great jackets. I left the shop with a just one pair of wool trousers (in a fit that Slowear doesn’t offer in the states) and a scarf. I could have walked away with one of everything if my accountant would have let me. There’s always next time I guess. That’s of course assuming Slowear doesn’t set up shop in New York (which it likely will soon). If that is the case, I’d say my wallet is in trouble. [SLOWEAR]

Officina Slowear | Via Solferino, 18 20121 Milan, Italy | 02 63471384

The search for a camera strap for my DSLR is over for good. Finally someone came up with something that is both comfortable to wear (especially important while traveling) and functional when it comes to actually taking photos. The strap is called Cinch and it is designed and made by Portland, Oregon-based Luma Labs. The key to what makes Cinch special is the ability to easily make the strap longer so you can quickly bring up your camera to take a picture — then tighten it all right back up and be on your way. The other huge plus is the fact that the design puts the camera in a perfect cradle while you are on the go. This is a very important aspect if you are walking around all day, because no one likes a camera impaling you in the side the whole time. Or maybe you do get down like that, though probably better if we don’t talk about it.

I recommend this strap even if you already have something you think is good. I guarantee the Cinch is better. And don’t worry, I’m not pumping this up because they gave me one for free. I own another strap from Luma Labs and when they did the pre-launch for the Cinch they offered a existing customers a chance to buy Cinch early as a sort of beta test and I went for it. I’m glad I did.

In my opinion, it’s hard to find good camera accessories period — let alone ones made in America. So hats off to Luma Labs for doing things right. [LUMA LABS]

Let me just be completely clear right from the outset here; the Mr Porter HQ in London is the coolest office I have ever visited. I don’t want you guys to be at all confused about how I stand on this issue. The space so perfectly embodies the online shop stroke magazine (see how well I understand their language now) that part of me thought I was on a movie set. Name of the movie you are wondering? Gattaca.

Though seemingly perfect, the room was the furthest thing from pretentious — which is a sad ailment that many “fashion” companies suffer from. Not Mr Porter though, it couldn’t be further from that. There was a genuine sense of collaboration floating around the cavernous rooms as the legions of stylish folks worked away at newsroom style communal tables. Also notably unpretentious was Net-a-Porter / Mr Porter founder Natalie Massenet. As my little tour snaked its way through the space we eventually came to Natalie’s workspace and she took a few minutes to chat with me about how she got her start and how she built Net-a-Porter up from nothing into the admired company it is today. To talk with Natalie was both inspiring and refreshing at the same time. There are so many people in this world that have done seemingly nothing and are so full of themselves, yet then you meet someone like Natalie who couldn’t be more humble.

The Mr Porter offices are very appropriately situated atop one of the most massive shopping malls I have ever seen. Thankfully, American culture was not to fault for this carnival of consumerism, it was the Australians who are to blame. I’m thinking the Aussies saw it as some sort of modern day colonial revenge complete with valet parking. Interestingly, it is not everyday you see that in London. This point was illustrated by the fact that the valet required a sign explaining that they “park the car for you”.

It sort of makes sense for a company running an online store to be located so close to so much physical retail. It likely serves as a daily reminder of the need to think uniquely to serve the customer in a different way. I’m told though that the main reason the Net-a-Porter / Mr Porter offices are located at the Westfield is because of the availability of large footprint office space. These office space needs are obvious when you look at the growth and scale of things at the company.

Just prior to the Mr Porter launch I mentioned on the twitters how intrigued and excited I was to see the site for the first time. It was an interesting time to see the convergence of editorial and retail in one place. It wasn’t just happening at Mr Porter, but I think there was significant interest in the property (from all over) because of where Net-a-Porter had started and what it has become. Jeremy Langmead came over from Esquire UK to lead the editorial team and Toby Bateman was brought in to lead the buying team, establishing a strong team right from the start. Aesthetically, Mr Porter is basically as good as it gets. The difficulty with online stores is creating an experience that translates the merchandise to the consumer in a compelling way. There are so many online stores out there that are selling interesting product, but are coming up short in the presentation of that merchandise. This is something that Mr Porter has navigated very well. One thing no one can deny is the fact that the site is beautifully produced. It’s just a question of whether or not there is a market out there to truly support a menswear shopping operation like Mr Porter. It’s my thinking (for sometime) now that guys want and deserve their own channel and deserve shops that are specifically geared for them. I also think that Mr Porter raises the bar for everyone and us guys are the ones that reap the benefits. Not a bad trade off. If only we could get them to come and kit out our office too. [MR PORTER]

Style guide.

Meeting pods.

One of the many in-house studios.

Mr Terry Betts.

Amazing magazine archive.

More meeting nooks.

You might recognize these shoes from a previous post.

That old Land Cruiser I saw in Aspen a couple of years ago? I haven’t forgotten it and haven’t stopped watching the used market for them (I’m not a buyer, just a lurker). Yesterday I discovered this fully-restored 1978 truck and had to show it off here. It’s a pristine ride, but not going to come cheap at nearly $40,000. Though, I suppose that’s the price when you don’t do any of the work yourself. Either way it is more affordable than this bad boy.

The old 40 Series FJs are really great looking old trucks. Even though they are sort of Jeep / Land Rover clones, they still look great, especially when restored as nicely as this FJ40.

My love of Red Wing began early one Saturday morning when I was thirteen years old. My father came into my room and woke me up and drove me to the Red Wing store in my hometown on the East Side of Cleveland to get my first pair of work boots. The excitement of the gift of work boots from my dad quickly faded when I realized that I was then being conscripted into weekends and summers of manual labor. What I leaned about working for my dad was sort of surprising to me; I loved working outside and I loved manual labor. When the job was done, you are done. And each day held huge feelings of accomplishment. It was through this experience that my life long appreciation and connection to the Red Wing Shoe Company was forged.

A great part of buying a Goodyear-welted boot was the fact that I could have them re-soled, and even have it done multiple times. When you are doing physical work on your feet all day, it doesn’t take you long to realize that breaking in new boots adds a seriously unwanted wrinkle into earning a paycheck. My solution was to own two pairs of Red Wings. When the soles on one pair would wear out, I would send them in to be re-soled and would wear the back up pair while they were away. So if a pair was at the factory being re-crafted, the other pair would be comfortably on my feet. For me, breaking in new boots on the job was a thing of the past.

In 2005 I picked up the pictured pair of 100 year anniversary 875s at the Red Wing work store in my hometown. Back in ’05 I was living in New York and was no longer harnessing the wonders of hydraulics to smash things (professionally anyway), but I still loved wearing my Red Wings. Eventually my 875s needed to be redone and I shipped them straight back to the factory in Minnesota. Since we (my marketing company Paul + Williams; full disclosure) work with Red Wing now, I asked some folks there to snap some photos of my 875s while they were being re-crafted so I could share the transformation here.

The process is pretty significant as you can see from the photos below. The truly amazing thing is, the boots come back literally better than new. They fit you perfect and are as comfortable as ever — but have an entirely new outsole. It’s a wonderful thing. For this service Red Wing charges $95 (which includes shipping both ways). To me it is like getting a brand new pair of the most comfortable boots. I’ve had boots go through this process five, six, seven times and they only get better with age.

Little did I know that my dad would impart so much wisdom that fateful Saturday morning, but I sure am happy he did.

The New York Times today published a startling article discussing the manufacturing of the Apple iPhone and the economic impact of the company’s production decisions over the past several years. The crux of the piece centers on Apple’s global supply chain and the dominance of Asia when it comes to electronic manufacturing. The article also questions whether it would be possible to make the iPhone in the United States and how the shift of manufacturing by U.S. companies has impacted the American economy and the middle class. As an American, the article is utterly terrifying.

Some excerpts from How U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work:

For over two years, the Apple had been working on a project — code-named Purple 2 — that presented the same questions at every turn: how do you completely reimagine the cellphone? And how do you design it at the highest quality — with an unscratchable screen, for instance — while also ensuring that millions can be manufactured quickly and inexpensively enough to earn a significant profit?

The answers, almost every time, were found outside the United States. Though components differ between versions, all iPhones contain hundreds of parts, an estimated 90 percent of which are manufactured abroad. Advanced semiconductors have come from Germany and Taiwan, memory from Korea and Japan, display panels and circuitry from Korea and Taiwan, chipsets from Europe and rare metals from Africa and Asia. And all of it is put together in China.

In its early days, Apple usually didn’t look beyond its own backyard for manufacturing solutions. A few years after Apple began building the Macintosh in 1983, for instance, Mr. Jobs bragged that it was “a machine that is made in America.” In 1990, while Mr. Jobs was running NeXT, which was eventually bought by Apple, the executive told a reporter that“I’m as proud of the factory as I am of the computer.” As late as 2002, top Apple executives occasionally drove two hours northeast of their headquarters to visit the company’s iMacplant in Elk Grove, Calif.

But in the last two decades, something more fundamental has changed, economists say. Midwage jobs started disappearing. Particularly among Americans without college degrees, today’s new jobs are disproportionately in service occupations — at restaurants or call centers, or as hospital attendants or temporary workers — that offer fewer opportunities for reaching the middle class.

“We shouldn’t be criticized for using Chinese workers,” a current Apple executive said. “The U.S. has stopped producing people with the skills we need.”

I hear a lot of Americans say that we don’t need manufacturing anymore, but the truth of the matter is: jobs at Wal-Mart rarely turn into anything better than low wage retail jobs. And they certainly don’t hold much promise of economic advancement. As the Times points out, it’s all about job multipliers.

Read the full article here.

One more thing while I am on my soap box. Reporting and news like this is the reason why The New York Times is worth supporting through digital subscriptions, or better yet, through traditional subscriptions. Just my two cents.

Nick DeWolf spent nearly his entire life carrying around a camera and documenting the places he went and the things he saw. The scale and scope of this is incredible, especially when you consider it was all done in a time before digital photography. Over the past four years I have been following his life, roll by roll and slide by slide, through Flickr. The photos are being shared with the help of DeWolf’s son-in-law Steve Lundeen, who has been methodically scanning and cataloging DeWolf’s life’s worth of photos — a project nearly as daunting as the original.

The photos have been working their way through the 1960s into the 1970s until recently when pictures from a vacation to Europe in 1959 began playing out through the Flickrstream. The trip begins in May of 1959 on an SAS flight from Idlewild Airport (now called John F. Kennedy International Airport) to Stockholm, Sweden. From there the adventures continue on through France, Switzerland and Italy. The images from this journey are some of my favorite from the tens of thousands that have been published by DeWolf.

View the entire photo collection by Nick DeWolf here.

Talking about Shelter Half a while back, I noted the further development of L.A.’s La Brea Avenue as a new little area of interest for retailers. There have been great stores in this part town for a long time, Union and American Rag being probably the two best known and most widely respected. General Quarters is one of the newish shops to join the menswear fray on La Brea. The store got a lot of call outs when I was working on an update to the LA shopping map and it wasn’t until recently that I had a chance to stop by. While the store is not “just opened,” I think it was worth highlighting here for those that don’t spend much time in LA.

General Quarters is sort of hitting on a lot of retail hot buttons that we have all seen over the last few years from a décor standpoint, but the shop carries a tight selection of brands — many of which are known — and some small and quasi-undiscovered stuff. It’s a digestible mix, so would probably say that the shop is light on product. I didn’t think so, I saw it more as non-threatening. I think also that General Quarters had a lot of strong personal touches that seemed done in a way to represent the owner’s taste; it didn’t seem done to fit the mold or work within a trend. It seemed natural and unpretentious unlike a lot of shops that I visit. That said, it wasn’t ground breaking either.

General Quarters (good name too) is a good shop that will get better with time. That and some hard work I think it will grow into something really great and become a shop that will rival its neighbors. If you happen to find your self on La Brea in LA, stop by and take a look.

General Quarters | 153 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, Ca. 90036 | (323) 937-5391