A Maxwell Street Polish consists of a grilled or fried length of Polish sausage topped with grilled

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s and yellow mustard and optional pickled whole, green sport peppers, served on a bun. The sandwich traces its origins to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Maxwell Street Maxwell Street is an east–west street in Chicago, Illinois, that intersects with Halsted Street just south of Roosevelt Road. It runs at 1330 South in the numbering system running from 500 West to 1126 West.Hayner, Don and Tom McNamee (1988). ...

market, and has been called one of "the classic foods synonymous with Chicago".

History

This

sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

is widely said to have been created by Jimmy Stefanovic, a Macedonian immigrant who took over his aunt and uncle's hot dog stand in 1939 (now called Jim's Original) located at Maxwell and Halsted in Chicago's old Maxwell Street market district. The Express Grill, which is located right next door to Jim's, advertises itself as the "Original Maxwell St. Polish" on its marquee, although it arrived after Jim's and serves almost an identical menu. Due to their virtually undivided storefronts and 24-hour service at the original Halsted Street location of both stands, Jim's Original and Express Grill had an added element of confusion for the casual observer not attentive to the change in signage a matter of feet in distance. Despite the competition, the Maxwell Polish sausage sandwich soon grew to be one of Chicago's most popular local offerings, along with the Chicago-style hot dog and the

Italian beef An Italian beef is a sandwich of American origin, originating in Chicago, made from thin slices of roast beef simmered and served with a thin gravy on French bread. Common toppings are a choice between spicy giardiniera (called "hot") or mild ...

sandwich. Due to the University of Illinois Chicago's South Campus development the Maxwell Street market district was razed and the two stands moved in 2005. After decades of coexisting at the intersection of Halsted and Maxwell Streets, the two have relocated their side-by-side competition a half block east onto Union Avenue, adjacent to the Dan Ryan Expressway on-ramp at Roosevelt Road. Maxwell Polish are a staple of hot dog stands and today are found throughout the city and suburbs, including at restaurant chains such as Portillo's and Brown's Chicken, and is available at most sports venues in the area serving concessions. Most of the 24-hour stands (such as the original Express Grill and its neighboring competition, Jim's Original) also serve the pork chop sandwich popularized alongside the Polish sausage sandwich during the days of the old Maxwell Street market. As of September 2021, the Jims Original stand announced that they will be closed from 1-6am due to pressure from the landlord, UIC over "neighborhood safety reasons". Image:Polish Shop.JPG, The sign at the original Express Grill location on Halsted File:Maxwell Prices 2005.JPG, Price list at the Express Grill File:Maxwell street polish prices 2010.JPG, The menu at Jim's Original.

Sausage

The main feature of the sandwich is the sausage, which is widely available in grocery and specialty retail stores throughout the Chicago area. It is typically marketed as the "Maxwell Street" variety, which is a Chicago-specific variation of ''kielbasa'' distinguished by it being typically more seasoned and made from a combination of both

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

and

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

. The two largest manufacturers of this particular style of Polish sausage in Chicago are Vienna Beef and the Bobak Sausage Company.

In media

* Jim’s Original on Halsted was in the film '' Brother 2''.

References

External links

A famous Chicago Maxwell Street Polish sign

The survivor: Jim's Original accepts no imitations.

Lazic Deli/Harczak's Sausage Company has been making their own Polish sausage since the 1950s and uses it for their Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich.
{{Sandwiches American sandwiches American sausages Cuisine of Chicago Hot dogs Macedonian American history Sausage dishes

History

Sausage

In media

See also

References

External links