How Ernie’s Midtown Pub in Rockford’s Midtown selected and perfected its Italian beef sandwich

Rockford Restaurant Week Spotlight | Ernie’s Midtown Pub

Rockford Restaurant Week runs Jan. 23-Feb. 2, and we’re putting a spotlight on different locally owned establishments to celebrate the occasion. Today we feature Ernie’s Midtown Pub, 1025 Fifth Ave., Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — More than a year before Ernie’s Midtown Pub opened in 2021, owner Andrew Vowles was fine-tuning the way his restaurant would serve its Italian beef.

The slow roasted, thinly sliced black Angus beef topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoncini or giardiniera served on a hoagie bun has become one of the most popular items at Ernie’s, 1025 Fifth Ave., in Midtown.

“It’s a process in which we worked almost a year and a half before we even opened, perfecting and doing it at home,” Vowles said. “Then we brought it into the restaurant, and here we are a few years later we’re known for it.”

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The sandwich shines because of both the preparation — which starts with slow roasting for two hours before its tightly wrapped to soak and cool overnight and then sliced in-house — and the quality of the beef itself. Ernie’s supplier, Performance Food Group, brings the selection of black Angus in specifically for the restaurant.

“Nobody else in the region gets it but us,” Vowles said. “We went to many different food shows and tasted many different meat providers, so it was a process of picking it as well.”

The sandwich is then served with its savory au jus.

“Our auj just is just unmatched,” Vowles said. “A lot of places I go to it’s just a premade au jus base, it’s kind of a little bit salty. We make our base all in-house.”

The Italian beef grew so popular that Ernie’s also turned it into an appetizer with its Italian beef nachos.

“People come in from out of town, I feel like the first thing they say are where are the Italian beef nachos,” Vowles said.

Ernie’s is showcasing some of its staples such as the Italian beef and its Nashville hot chicken during Rockford Restaurant Week.

You can pair a sandwich with a premium side such as fried Cajun potato salad or fiesta potatoes with one of its specialty cocktails and a dessert from CheeseKake Ko. in Ashton for $30.

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The restaurant is a three-time winner in the Rockford Restaurant Week awards, taking the prize for best atmosphere twice and winning last year for best brew with its cherry bourbon sour last year.

This year Vowles and his team have a trio of specialty cocktails including the Old Fashioned Dilemma, a family recipe that came from his cousin’s restaurant, Cafe Calamari in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The drink features Old Forester 86 proof bourbon, Bitter Truth apricot liqueur and house bitters mix garnished with candied apricot and cherries.

“We just want people to come in and realize we have a lot more to offer than just our features that we do every single week,” Vowles said. “We wanted to do menu items that people could come back for from Restaurant Week.”

The restaurant offers brunch on weekends, and is showcasing its biscuit and gravy burrito with a mimosa or bloody Mary for $18 during Restaurant Week.

The pub stands out at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street with its Rockford-themed mural on the side of the building. That design, created by Vic Rivera and painted by muralist Brett Whitacre, is now also for sale on hoodies at the restaurant with $5 of each sale going back toward the Rockford Area Arts Council.

Vowles said Restaurant Week has been a bump for local businesses each year, helping introduce new patrons to menu items they haven’t tried or establishments they hadn’t yet visited.

“We really appreciate everybody supporting local,” he said. “If we could get that all year long we’d appreciate it even more.”

Fast facts | Ernie’s Midtown Pub

What’s the special? Get a sandwich, premium side and dessert for $25; or a sandwich, premium side, dessert and cocktail for $30. You can also get a dessert and cocktail for $14.

Restaurant Week menu: See it HERE

Location: 1025 Fifth Ave., Rockford

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday (kitchen closes at 8:30 p.m.); 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday (kitchen closes at 9 p.m.); 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Sunday (kitchen closes at 2 p.m.); closed Monday

Opened: Sept. 1, 2021

On Facebook: Go HERE

On Instagram: @erniesmidtownpub

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas