George Wendt Was a True Chicago Food Ambassador
For years, Chicago-born George Wendt was one of the faces of the beer industry thanks to his legendary role as Norm Peterson, everyone's stoic yet lovable lager-loving bar regular on the '80s TV comedy Cheers . Wendt enjoyed a long career in Hollywood and also served as an ambassador for Chicago, extolling the virtues of its food scene as one of the core members of Saturday Night Live's Superfans, the merry band of friends — which included the late Chris Farley — united by their love of Polish sausages, pork chops, and da Bears and da Bulls.
Wendt, a Beverly native who moved in 1985 to LA, died on Tuesday, May 20, at his home. He was 76.
As Superfan Bob Swerski, Wendt would use an exaggerated Chicago accent to make outlandish claims, like on an episode of SNL when he said Chicago was the 'birthplace of the baby back rib.' The portrayal wasn't a stretch from Wendt's true persona. Scott Goldstein, owner of acclaimed Logan Square restaurant Daisies, has deep ties to Chicago's comedy community, including Second City, where Wendt emerged in the 1970s. Goldstein, who lives in California, recalls a 45-minute conversation in 2021 with Wendt where the two debated how much it would cost to ship sausages to LA from Chicago's beloved Paulina Market.
Goldstein reviewed his conversation from four years ago: 'I looked back and he ordered Weisswurst and wieners,' Goldstein texts. 'He was the best, the kindest, most humble true blue Chicago.'
Sausages were vital to Wendt. Goldstein said he enjoyed talking about nuances, such as the differences between Polish sausages like kabanos and kielbasa. In 2011, Wendt made it a point to visit Hot Doug's encased meat emporium in Avondale, which shuttered in 2014. WGN's Marcus Leshock brought him to the stand where he met owner Doug Sohn, and the two immediately exchanged loving glances before staff brought Wendt a foie gras dog. In 2014, the two appeared in a short video where they battled in the style of old kung fu flicks. Wendt hilariously chastised Sohn for closing his restaurant, which meant the end of a lifetime of free sausages for anyone with a Hot Doug's tattoo. The implication was that Sohn was breaking his promise by closing. The 'fight' resulted in a draw, with Wendt saying at least he tried.
Sohn says making the video is 'one of the great moments' he had at the restaurant, recalling standing across from Wendt and watching the fight being choreographed. Sohn famously says he opened Hot Doug's after a friend had a tragic sausage experience: 'One day a friend of mine had a bad hot dog, and now I'm filming a kung fu battle with George Wendt,' Sohn texts. 'Life is funny. RIP, George.'
Like Pope Leo XIV, Wendt was a South Sider and a supporter of the White Sox. He loved baseball. Harry Caray's owner Grant DePorter on Tuesday posted a photo of two of them at the River North restaurant. Chef Pat Sheerin, formerly of Trencherman in Wicker Park, posted a photo of Wendt's visit during the recording of a podcast. Likewise, Glenn Fahlstrom, proprietor of Fahlstrom's, a shuttered seafood restaurant in Lakeview, posted a photo of a Wendt visit.
Wendt's death has even softened Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Wendt's role on Cheers linked him to Boston. When Top Chef spent 2014's Season 12 in Beantown, Wendt made a cameo and judged a Quickfire Challenge where contestants had to make a delicious bar snack. Chef Katsuji Tanabe, who has opened restaurants in Chicago, also appeared on that season. But despite that Boston connection, there was no mistaking Wendt's love for his hometown. And his hometown loved him back. George's Deep Dish in Edgewater, one of the city's best pizzerias, features a special pie, Wendt's Barstool, on its menu. There's nothing fancy with the ingredients: Italian sausage, Italian beef, and giardiniera. It was supposed to be a limited-edition item that started in January, coming off the menu in March. But owner George Bumbaris says he's been too busy prepping to open a second location to take it down. The new Harwood Heights location will debut on Thursday, May 21: 'I have a feeling it's going to be a permanent part of the menu now,' Bumbaris says.
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