Back in the early 2010s, Hank Tibensky cast off his corporate suit on a mission to introduce Chicago Italian beef to New York City. It was all going well until the pandemic shut his restaurant down – but it didn’t put him out of business.
Instead, he regrouped to sell his signature giardiniera nationwide.
This Oak Park native’s dream became a reality in 2015 after he opened Hank’s Juicy Beef. It was the first Italian beef joint in the city, according to Tibensky. The store developed a following of Midwestern ex-pats, such as comedian Bo Burnham and actor Joseph Sikora. But New Yorkers were hankering for Hank’s too. Busta Rhymes, he said, was a regular.
Italian beef was a revelation to the east coast, and the giardiniera was a hit, too.
“I was making all the jars,” Tibensky said. “I was chopping up all the veggies and pickling it in the walk-in fridge.”
This was no Johnny-come-lately project for Tibensky. He learned his craft from uncles Frank and Vito, who ran Vito’s on Chicago’s west side at North Avenue and Pulaski Road. Their place was known for Italian beef and pizza for more than 40 years.
“So, it’s really a family thing. We use eight veggies, all grown in the Midwest. They’re pickled in brine for six months, then we bring in Serrano peppers, which are pickled in Mexico. It’s really a good Chicago, Midwest, taste.
When the pandemic closed the doors aHank’s Juicy Beef’s – and Manhattan became a ghost town – Tibensky tried to keep it afloat. Eventually, he had to let his lease go, just as he felt the flavors were catching on.
Trying to figure out what to do next, Tibensky realized that his giardiniera was a product that the rest of the nation just didn’t know it needed yet.
Rebranding as Hank’s Giardinera, he set out afresh with the motto “From the Windy City to the World.” The vegan, certified kosher, gluten-free medley is now made locally in Cicero.
The brining process takes six months.
“That’s where you get the extra crunchiness and crispiness to it,” Tibensky said. “That crunchy factor, I think helps to differentiate from other giardinieras. My only problem now is educating everyone else what Chicago-style giardiniera is.”
He got a big boost from a certain TV show that has made Italian beef a topic of conversation from coast to coast: The Bear. His connection to The Bear also runs deeper.
“We catered beef for The Bear cast at a party in New York,” Tibensky said. “And I got to hold two of the Emmys that The Bear won. It was incredible!”
His garden-in-a-jar comes in two strengths, mild and hot. With both on hand, Tibensky started doing demos in grocery stores, giving out samples, advising that the relish goes not only on beef, but also on pasta, pizza, hamburgers and other dishes. Tibensky said that his mom, Linda, goes through two jars of the mild variety each week. She especially loves putting it on her scrambled eggs.
With perseverance, Hank’s Giardiniera has caught on. It is now stocked at Sprouts Farmer’s Market grocery stores in 23 states and at locations in New York and Michigan. Locally, it’s on the shelves at Carnivore.
“Not only do we stock it,” Brad Knaub, co-owner of Carnivore, said. “We serve it in our Chicago combo brat. We use it because Hank is a son of Oak Park; he’s a nice guy; and the giardiniera is really good. Everyone needs a bit of zip standing by in the door of their fridge.”
“It’s a Chicago secret,” Tibensky said. “Everybody in Chicago believes it’s everywhere, but when I tell them there’s no giardiniera out there, people are like, that can’t be. I’ve been trying to get the word out for 10 years, across the country. When you put giardiniera on food, it just otherworldly. Oh gosh, it’s good.”
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For more information:
hanksgiardiniera.com
carnivoreoakpark.com