In Chicago, our most prominent permanent restaurant showdown takes place on South Union Avenue, where two Polish sausage joints, Jim's Original and Express Grill, stand shoulder to shoulder. For people driving north on 90/94 into the city, this pairing is the last thing you see before you arrive downtown. Ever since I moved to the city, I've wondered which one was better. I decided to order every item on both menu and find out. More

A precious few pasta dishes grace the menu at Davanti Enoteca, restaurateur Scott Harris's rustically appointed wine bar and shared-plates Italian restaurant. I couldn't help but take this relative dearth of noodle options as a sign of the kitchen's confidence; if pasta is the measure of a good Italian food, then these chefs have chosen to hang their toques on a pretty narrow hook. More

Urban Union's pastry chef Mitsu Nozaki has created an elegant homage to the Kit Kat bar. She replicates the flavors and basic texture of the candy bar without crumbling an actual Kit Kat all over the plate. More

I wasn't expecting much from Lucky's Sandwich Co, a local shop that is probably best known for appearing on the first season of Man vs. Food, when host Adam Richman ate three of Lucky's towering turkey sandwiches. Fortunately, that is not the case...at all. More

Let's say you were out last night, and you lost your keys, pants, and girlfriend somewhere on your alcohol-fueled adventure. You're going to need some fuel to get all three back. Head over to Hash Browns in the University Village neighborhood of Chicago to get a Maxwell Street Omelet and some Killer Hash Browns. The omelet contains slices of Polish sausage, grilled onions, grilled pork chop, and your choice of cheese. More

Soggy bread is a sin among sandwiches, but when said bread is a springy Italian roll soaked with jus from slow-roasted, thinly sliced, and heavily seasoned roast beef at Al's #1 Italian Beef, be prepared to forgive. More

Dough Boys is only two months old and it's already home to some of the best stuffed pizza and New York-style slices in Chicago. The stuffed pizza crust is made with lard, which means an even flakier and crispier end crust and an added burst of fatty flavor running through the whole pie. More

I set out to sample 11 different Italian Beefs with three friends. We came with eager stomachs and a fairly wide array of experience. I've been eating the sandwiches for at least 25 years. At each stop, we each ate about three inches of a sandwich, each of which was topped with giardiniera and dipped in the thin gravy. Our goal wasn't to crown the best Italian Beef in the city—that cannot be done in just one day. Find out the results. Spoiler: it's not Al's. More

Where's the best Italian sub in Chicago? Nick Kindelsperger, Blake Royer, and Daniel Zemans go on a five-hour, six-deli tour to find out. More

If you're looking for churros in Chicago and want to go straight to the fried source, you'll end up at Don Churro, the churro factory. They're only $1, served hot, about a foot long, and you won't have to wait forever in line for them. More

"It's not everyone's favorite beef, but it just happens to be mine." Al's #1 Italian Beef 1079 W. Taylor Street, Chicago IL 60607 (map); 312-226-4017 The Short Order: The original Italian beef, in all its tender glory. Want Fries with... More

For the past month or so I've been questioned, repeatedly, about when I'm going to write about Mario's Lemonade. The Chicago institution has been serving seatless customers for about sixty years. More

"I'm not a native of the region, so my introduction to the sausage came through Chris Farley's antics on Saturday Night Live." Jim's Original 1250 S. Union Ave, Chicago IL 60607 (map); 312-733-7820 The Short Order: Perfectly grilled polish sausages... More

We asked Michael Nagrant, our normal Chicago go-to guy, to handle this week's Serious Eats City Guide. From deep-dish pizza to the best taqueria and meatiest Eastern European butcher, Michael tells how a missionary of the delicious should visit Chicago. As always, chime in with agreement, or feel free to alert us to any Chicago eats we've overlooked. More