Le Reve's menu evokes a French bistro with plates such as crepes and the Filet de Boeuf sandwich (beef tenderloin with Cambozola cheese). But it was the restaurant's patisserie that led to a visit from Jeff Mauro. How could the Sandwich King pass up giant macarons spanning 8 inches across?

This is where Jeff Mauro found the perfect provolone and aged cheddar for his grilled cheese sandwich. With more than 350 cheeses and a variety of beers and meats housed in a castle-like building (turrets included), Mars Cheese Castle deserves to be called the "Kingdom of Cheese."

On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Troy Johnson celebrates his love of a Wisconsin favorite with none other than beer-battered fried cheese curds. Also try the Old Fashioned House Burger. Made from local beef, it’s topped with fried onion, bacon, cheddar cheese, garlic sauce and a soft-cooked egg.

Jeff Mauro visited Graze for its "spot-on" veggie burger made with beets and walnuts. This Madison, Wisconsin, restaurant sources its ingredients from local small farms, and its eclectic menu includes Asian dishes such as bibimbap and pork buns. The Korean-Style Nachos topped with beef bulgogi and kimchi are a popular pick.

With a cafe in Elmwood Park and a takeout spot on Navy Pier, Massa is renowned for authentic paninis, pizza, fried dough and other Italian specialties. Jeff Mauro swung by for the Italian stuffed Panzerotti, and locals recommend concluding any date night here with authentic, otherworldly gelato.

For more than 30 years, Jeff Mauro's favorite place to get an Italian beef sandwich has been Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park near Chicago. The thin-sliced roast beef is dripping in au jus and topped with sweet peppers, creating a hot and juicy sandwich that has been a local favorite for decades.

Burger Boss brings a new level of dedication to burgers. Meat is sustainably raised and is served with eco-friendly containers and utensils. When Sandwich King Jeff Mauro visits the Burger Boss, he opts for the bologna burger topped with an adobo-chipotle honey sauce.

Russell's Barbecue in Elmwood Park has served barbecue to loyal Chicagoans since 1930. It has loads of history behind it. In fact, Jeff Mauro's love affair with barbecue pork began here years ago. Douse everything on your plate — from ribs to beef to fries — in Russell's barbecue sauce.

At Jimmy's Place, everything is made in-house from scratch daily using family recipes for authentic Chicago-Italian food. Jeff Mauro went to this popular restaurant searching for the secret to its delicious bone-in Chicken Vesuvio to create an inspired Chicken Vesuvio Sandwich.

When Sandwich King Jeff Mauro craves a thick slice of pork, he heads to Publican Quality Meats. Known for their choice cuts, Publican Quality Meats also dishes out an ever-changing sandwich menu that features mouthwatering options like braised pork belly, smoked trout and adobo pork shoulder.

Jam quickly became Jeff Mauro's go-to brunch spot, not only because the chef is named Jeffrey Mauro, but also because he’s a fan of the breakfast sandwiches and other morning staples. The menu is loaded with creative twists on brunch classics, like Malted Custard French Toast. This popular dish is topped with a macerated cherry puree laced with pink peppercorns for a floral note.

Jeff Mauro went to Peoria Packing Butcher for the freshest possible pork tenderloin for his schnitzel sandwich. Peoria Packing Limited launched in 1990 to provide Chicago grocery stores with local meat, and in 1993 the retail shop opened to sell high-quality meat to the public at wholesale prices.

Paulina Meat Market is the oldest sausage shop in Chicago. The sausages are made with fresh ingredients by hand. Jeff Mauro went there looking for the perfect Polish sausage to complete his Maxwell Street Polish sandwich; he found the sausage with the help of store owner Bill Begale.

Showcasing artisan cheese, bread and wine in all their high-quality, earthly glory, Pastoral Artisan Cheese is a Chicago specialty shop with four locations. It views artisan sandwiches as a lovely way to pair flavors, so when the Sandwich King stopped by, he went for the Sinfully Healthy Sandwich.

When Jeff Mauro was in the mood to make comfort food on Sandwich King, the first place he went for inspiration was the Palace Grill in Chicago. The Ultimate Grilled Cheese is stuffed with three types of cheese and four strips of bacon, and the meatloaf sandwich is served with gravy on the side.