4 places for pepper and egg sandwiches in Chicago

At Freddie's, an old-school Bridgeport pizza place, the menu is overflowing with Chicago food nostalgia. On the board, the pepper and egg sandwich lists four eggs, which is maybe three too many eggs to include on a breakfast sandwich, so plan on sharing. The green and yellow bell peppers are sautéed until they're pliable and sweet before being wrapped between heaps of fluffy scrambled eggs and piled onto lightly buttered Italian sandwich bread. There's an option to add sausage, so if it isn't Friday or if you aren't Catholic, go for it. As with most of these sandwiches, you'll need a bite of heat or vinegar. Choose your poison: hot sauce or giardiniera (or both). $5.45.

Tucked into a neighborhood corner of the Ukrainian Village, this nondescript and worn deli wasn't the place we'd expect to find our favorite pepper and egg sandwich. Here, they generously butter and toast an Italian roll, melting the spongy interior into a dense chewy layer against the crust. The eggs are scrambled, impossibly light and a little bit sweet. Red bell peppers are cooked until tender, adding the perfect texture and another layer of tangy sweetness. You can't miss adding a slice of deli-sliced American cheese (50 cents extra), which amplifies the eggs with a creamy hint of salt. $4.25.

Flying out of Midway and missing your Tortas Frontera fix at O'Hare? Then swing by the airport early and stop in to this sweet little diner right across the street from Midway. Here the pepper and egg sandwich arrives as an egg omelette heavily stuffed with crisp green bell pepper bound together with a mess of melted mozzarella cheese. Grab a bottle of Crystal hot sauce and don't be afraid to apply it liberally. $5.25.