Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage

Even unadorned, the Italian beef at this bare bones Portage Park joint is quite serviceable indeed, built around jus-trapping shreds of subtly-spiced beef. But it’s the hearty house giardiniera that really elevates this sandwich; comprising substantial chunks of crinkle-cut carrot, green olive, celery, cauliflower, and pepper, it adds major crunch and a pop of acidity that balances out all that meatiness. If you want to up the ante, go for an Atomic Combo, which augments the standard beef sandwich with a fiery sausage created by none other than Hot Doug Sohn.