Here are the ten most popular A Sandwich a Day posts from out short stint here in 2011. Turns out I completely underestimated Chicago's sandwich scene, as there are great sandwiches in just about every neighborhood. The diversity was also striking. Sandwiches were overloaded and excessive, or sleek and minimal. More
Birchwood's croque vert ($9.25) is a vegetarian-friendly take on the French classic croque madame. Featured exclusively on the weekend brunch menu, this sandwich is a locavore's delight of regionally grown market vegetables and Gruyere cheese pressed between crisp, fresh-baked slices of sourdough bread. More
You can tell the folks at the Artisan Cellar are proud of this sandwich—they named it after their shop, for one thing. And rightly so, this hearty stack of imported Italian meats and tangy spreads, tucked between fresh and crispy pressed bread, should be a role model for lesser panini to look up to. More
A relative newcomer to the barbecue trail, Chicago's Smoque has quickly made a name for itself with meticulously studied barbecue staples. Believe the hype: The Irving Park smoke joint's beef brisket sandwich ($7.45), a standout in what is historically a pork rib town, is perfectly executed. More
Tucked away in the windowless basement of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) is a cafeteria known as Cellar's Market. Even though it's in the basement of the CBOT, it's open to the public and often frequented by office workers in the vicinity. I heard about it from some excited coworkers who were looking for variety in their lunch options. Contrary to popular belief, we don't eat deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, and Italian beef every day. More
Rick Bayless, the respected patron of haute Mexican cuisine, has plenty of well deserved achievements and accolades in his trophy case. And he can add another for this egg and chorizo torta ($9) at his Tortas Frontera restaurant in Terminal 1 (near gate B11). While eating it, I was actually glad to be subjected to a one-hour layover in O'Hare airport. 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
Cemitas Puebla in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago is known for their unique cemitas sandwich. You may have seen it on a certain bleach blond, spiky-haired, er, guy's show somewhere? The cemitas are served on a flat sesame-seed bun with avocado, your choice of meat (pictured here is the milanesa, the breaded pork cutlet), adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese, and, when in season, papalo, a Mexican herb similar to cilantro. 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
