Italian beef sandwiches are the past, the present, and the future. While this iconic dish has been a household name in Chicago for nearly a century, the popularity exploded with the success of The Bear, a Hulu show centered on an Italian beef shop. Even before the show, fans of the sandwich were frequently passionate enough to spread the love by opening up their own spots in other cities.

At its most basic, an Italian beef has very thin slices of seasoned roast beef, served on a French roll, often topped with peppers—but it’s not exactly that simple. The first choice everyone has to make when getting Italian beef: Sweet or hot? This refers to the types of peppers you can add, sweet being green bell peppers roasted until soft, while hot is giardiniera, a spicy mix of pickled vegetables, typically including jalapenos, carrots, celery, onion, and cauliflower, marinated in oil.