David Witter

The smell of grilled onions is the first sign of the rivalry between The Express Grill, at 1260 South Union, and Jim's Original "Maxwell Street" next door. But this battle to see who has the best Polish and onions, the best bone-in pork-chop sandwich or Maxwell Street dog only intensifies during February. For in honor of Black History Month, both franchises sell all sandwiches on weekdays for one dollar between 3 and 5pm.

At 2:45pm, the busy intersection is even more congested, as double-parked cars wait like racers at the starting gate. The near-carnival atmosphere features vendors hawking everything from Richard Pryor and Coretta Scott King memorial T-shirts to porno DVDs with titles like "Back Alley Ho's-- Street Sex Caught on Hidden Cameras."

At Jim's Original, the rivalry is brought right into the open, as a sign reads: "We are not affiliated with any other hot dog stand in the area." But this afternoon, a definite boundary forms between both places. Jim's customers seem to be more professional, while The Express Grill, which offers free fries with every sandwich, seems to attract a more populist following.

At 3:05, a customer emerges from the Express window with a giant paper bag steaming in the cold Chicago air. Counting his change, he is approached by a sock vendor. Bargaining takes place, money changes hands, and the customer walks to his car exclaiming, "For fifteen bucks I fed my entire family and bought them all socks--it's a beautiful day!"

(2006-02-28)

Also by David Witter

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My parade, part 1
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How does your garden grow?
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The Life Aquatic
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Last of the Slaughterhouses
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