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.

Need your deep-dish fix? Head to Pequod’s, where you’ll need a knife and fork to delve into the pan pizza. The pie is baked in a well-seasoned cast-iron pan lined with a sprinkling of mozzarella, so when the pizza comes out of the oven, it has a crust of crispy, salty, caramelized cheese.

This pub focuses on three of life's greatest pleasures: sausage, bacon and beer. The meatiest dish on the menu is the 5-pound meatloaf, The Bomb. Thick-cut bacon is woven together in a lattice pattern, then slathered with a hearty layer of housemade beef-and-pork sausage. Next comes a drizzle of beer-based barbecue sauce and a flurry of cracked pepper bacon. To give The Bomb that classic "loaf" shape, the chefs roll the woven bacon around the meaty fillings before the dish is smoked over apple wood.

During happy hour, locals pour into this spot for the sliders that are sold with a beer on a sliding scale based on the hour — $5 at 5 o’clock, $6 at 6 o’clock and so on. Opt for the Buffalo chicken slider. This tiny sandwich is big on flavor, thanks to the fried chicken whose corn flake-studded crust is both crunchy and sweet. Buttery Buffalo sauce and creamy blue cheese kick up the richness.

Bobby calls Gibsons’ cuts (like the 48-ounce porterhouse) some of the "juiciest steaks around.” Also try the dessert: The Macadamia Turtle Pie features mounds of caramel-drizzled ice cream, while The Meaning of Life features five layers of chocolate cake, rich mousse and raspberry preserves.

This former bank vault is now stocked with a coveted item of a more delicious sort: the Buttermilk Old Fashioned Doughnut. Locals flock here for these dense, cakey treats that are hand-cranked using an old-school hopper. After a quick dunk in hot oil that results in a crisp exterior and signature crown shape, each doughnut is drenched in a buttermilk glaze that soaks right into the treat.

This chophouse serves up irresistibly juicy steaks that are butchered and hand-cut in-house. Order The Duke: This tender rib eye is brushed with beef butter and seasoned with an herby, housemade salt. It’s cooked in a Josper oven with coal for smokiness and served with pickled cherry peppers. If steaks are the star of the menu, the burgers are the sleeper hit. "Their burgers are the best in the Windy City," says Sarah Grueneberg, who is a fan of both the Dry-Aged Steakburger and the Lamb Burger.

Classic brunch fare is creatively reimagined at this spot, which lures diners with dishes like the Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Two halves of a cinnamon-laced brioche roll are dunked in an egg bath and cooked until golden brown before being layered with a rich Neufchâtel filling and fresh fruit.

Comfort food options in Chicago may seem overwhelming, but the chicken and waffles dish here really stacks up against the competition. A honey-based brine adds sweet notes to the bird, which is dredged in a spicy flour mix and fried in beef fat before being served on maple syrup-laced waffles.

Customers line up out the door for this craft brewery’s inventive pub menu. One genius creation is the mozzarella cheese curds, which are fried in a tempura batter made with one of 3 Floyds’ most-popular brews, the Zombie Dust pale ale. The fried curds come smothered in a tangy homemade kimchi aioli, creating a one-two punch of flavor that makes for one irresistibly funky fermented snack.

This garage-turned-restaurant offers innovative brunch dishes like the sweet-and-savory mash-up known as the BLT Dutch Baby Pancake. A puffy, pastrylike base made from pancake batter is topped with aioli and bacon jam, then loaded with peppery strips of bacon, marinated tomatoes and fresh greens.

This Decatur institution may have moved to Buckhead, but it’ll never change its recipe for fried chicken. Head here on a Wednesday to grab a plate of this uniquely porky chicken (the meat is shallow-fried in pork fat). Be sure to order biscuits and to arrive early — chicken this good runs out fast.

Naming his restaurant Yardbird is proof enough that Chef Jeff McInnis stands by his signature dish. The skillet-fried chicken takes 27 hours to prepare, leaving the chicken supremely tender with crispy skin. Make sure to order buttermilk biscuits with pepper jelly or the Tabasco-spiked honey.

Chef-Owner Jeremiah Bullfrog set out to bring delicious made-from-scratch food to the people of Miami, and he succeeded with this no-frills food truck, where he slings standouts like the Old Dirt Dog. This hot dog starts with ground short rib (made from grass-fed meat to boot) that’s seasoned with a shower of spices, then poached in beer and grilled to order. A heap of tangy coleslaw and a squirt of spicy mayo complete the dog.

At this pizzeria, a secret family recipe is followed to make the more than 1,000 pounds of dough produced here daily. Try the signature White Clam Pie, which was invented in the 1950s. Baked in a coal-fired pizza oven, this mouthwatering pie comes complete with fresh cherrystone clams.