Chicago’s best sandwiches: The fine-dining edition

Sandwiches sure are putting on airs, said Chicago magazine. Yes, this lunch-pail staple got its name from an English earl and has enjoyed some fine moments at ladies’ teas. But the transformation it’s undergoing in 21st-century Chicago might represent its “sharpest swerve yet” toward “the land of fine dining.” To get a handle on the phenomenon, we fanned out across the city to find the very best of today’s offerings. Here are our top three.

The BLT, at Old Oak Tap This “truly inspired” take on a classic comes with “snappy” applewood-smoked bacon, “fresh and peppery” arugula, and a cornmeal-jacketed fried green tomato. Even smeared with pimiento cheese, the grilled ciabatta “somehow stays crisp,” providing “three distinct layers of crunch.” 2109 W. Chicago Ave., (773) 772-0406

Fried Bologna, at Au Cheval Pork-based mortadella is the original pale pink lunch meat from Bologna, Italy, and Au Cheval’s “luscious” house-cured version gets a showcase in this sandwich—“dotted with black pepper, sliced thin, and piled into layers on a spongy brioche bun.” 800 W. Randolph St., (312) 929-4580

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Woodland Mushroom, at Xoco We should have known that celebrity chef Rick Bayless and his crew could come up with a vegetarian sandwich as satisfying as everything else on Xoco’s “meat-packed” menu. The solution: “garlicky roasted mushrooms commingling with tangy goat cheese and sharp arugula.” 449 N. Clark St., (312) 334-3688