Though it opened back in August, the charming Toni Patisserie and Café feels like it's been in the Loop for years. Plus, thanks to its location near Millennium Park, this is the ideal sandwich stop before an impromptu picnic. More

On my inaugural visit to Cafecito, I went with the Cubano sandwich ($5.49), figuring I should start with the classic. But after diving into this utterly delicious sandwich, I'm not sure I could ever go there and not get it. The ingredients work together beautifully—there's subtly spiced roast pork, two layers of ham, acidic pickle slices, piquant mustard, and Swiss cheese that melts into every crevice. More

Slid across the counter encased in a styrofoam shell, the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($7.25) is standard order: oversized bun, sauced pulled pork, steak fries, and a side of coleslaw that I promptly dumped atop the pork. More

The underground dining operation you may or may not have heard of known as X-marx has decided to test the waters aboveground and will be opening a permanent spot in Logan Square in July called Flour and Bones. But before settling down, X-marx flexed their pop-up muscles one more time and offered a taste of the new menu at Sunday's Dose Market. More

Biscuits are unforgiving partners. No matter what you decide to top them with—great quantities of melty cheese, fatty bacon, breakfast sausage, etc.—if the biscuits are dry, chalky, and crumbly, the sandwich will suck. There's just nothing you can do about. But if the biscuit in the question happens to be tender and flaky—like Old Town Social's remarkable version is—then just about anything will taste good in between its buttery layers. More

Cheesie's Pub & Grub in Lakeview just recently doubled in size and includes a full bar and a menu of grilled cheeses, pizzas, and other bar food. I ordered The Popper ($6.95), which features sturdy sourdough with a perfect bronzing on top. More

At first glance, the Smoked Turkey Piadina sandwich ($5.25) looks a little, uh, flat. Like really flat. Flatter than Illinois' landscape flat. That's because the sandwich—all of Letizia's Fiore's sandwiches—are served on piadina, a thin, Italian biscuit-like bread that's both crunchy and slightly crumbly. More

Sometimes the whole experience and atmosphere surrounding a meal elevates an otherwise simple sandwich to extraordinary levels of satisfaction. That is definitely the case with the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bagel Sandwich ($4.95) from Bridgeport Coffee Company. More

As I found out recently, the Goose Island Wrigleyville Brewpub is a surprisingly solid option before or after a Cubs game. But as good as the restaurant's renditions of bar-menu classics may be (especially for the area), there is no question that Goose Island's Clybourn Brewpub steps up the quality of the service, the atmosphere, and, most importantly, the food. That's definitely true of the the massive Duck Reuben ($14), which trades the familiar corned beef for cured slices of duck. More

While not exactly a tradition of the Kentucky Derby—look instead to Derby Pie and mint juleps—the hot brown is probably Louisville's most famous dish, and it's one worth celebrating. Derby's version certainly looks the part, even if on closer inspection little details are off. More