15 restaurants that turn bologna into haute cuisine

Nestled in a corner of Atlanta's Westside neighborhood across from a dive bar and burger joint sits Marcel, one of the city's best steakhouses. From oysters to filet mignon to escargot, there is no shortage of high-class fare to be sampled. But after 11 p.m., the menu changes. Gone are the steaks, replaced by elevated takes on more down-home classics. The star of this late-night menu is Marcel's Stack. It's a high-class version of a baloney sandwich, made with fried homemade bologna, house-made white American cheese and pickles.

For one month, Chicago's DMK Burger Bar has added its own fried bologna sandwich to the menu. The Chump sandwich comes with mustard, Cheez Whiz and crispy onion strings. It's also for a good cause — while it's available, a portion of the proceeds go to the Chicago Foundation for Women. If you needed another excuse to visit one of Chicago's favorite burger bars, DMK is more than happy to oblige with this simultaneously high- and low-class sandwich.

Yes, we promise, there's baloney in there. Kinda. Osteria Morini's famous, fatty, delicious meatballs are made using a combination of prosciutto and mortadella, the cured sausage that originally inspired the lunch meat we all know as bologna. The meatballs are baked in tomato sauce, giving them a deep, wonderful flavor. At the same time, there's still that nostalgic bologna note in there, among the mortadella.

Speaking of mortadella, Virgola, also of New York, prepares its delicious salumi two ways, as part of a charcuterie plate alongside a paired cheese and some bread, as well as sliced thin in with marinated artichokes in the restaurant's Mortadella e Carciofi sandwich.

For some reason, the tradition of putting tasty salted pig parts in a cone and serving it to customers hasn't taken off in America the same way it has in, say, Spain, Italy or really anywhere else in Europe. Boccalone is doing its part to spread this brilliant culinary idea to the West Coast with its salumi cone, featuring assorted hams, sausages, cured meats and, of course, mortadella as well.

Bologna, fried, draped in a cream sauce and served with jalapenos atop a cheddar waffle. Need we say more? The newly opened Grey Ghost Detroit elevates the humble bologna to new heights, and the plating is absolutely spectacular. It's a far cry from the fried bologna of your youth and proves that bologna deserves a spot in high-class cuisine.

B.S. Taqueria bills itself as "authentically inauthentic," and its menu bears that out. From a deep-fried take on rice and beans to spicy crackers the proprietors call "duritos," the menu is lighthearted and playful. For main dishes, they offer a bologna taco that really elevates the humble meat product. The bologna is made in-house and then charred to deliciousness. The taco features both chopped and shaved pieces of the bologna, along with escabeche and mayonnaise all wrapped up in house-made corn tortillas. We're drooling already.

You'll find Balena a short walk from Chicago's North and Clybourn train stop, along Halsted Street, and you'll be floored by the quality of the restaurant as soon as you notice the sheer variety of port wine the restaurant has on hand. You'll be tempted by the fancier dishes on the menu, but don't overlook the Neapolitan mortadella pizza, served with pistachio pesto and mozzarella.

That picture says it all, doesn't it? Detroit's Angelina Italian Bistro serves an antipasti sampler, which, if you're lucky, will come with some paper-thin sliced mortadella alongside olives, cheese and breads. Finished with some balsamic vinegar and maybe a drizzle of oil, it's a perfect way to kick off a classy Italian meal.

Yes, "mortadella spread" doesn't really sound like the most appetizing thing in the world, but look at that photo and tell us your mouth isn't watering. The world renowned Purple Pig restaurant in Chicago serves its spread atop french bread, with arugula and pistachios. It's finished with a tangy-sweet balsamic reduction that brings the entire dish together. No wonder that Saveur magazine listed the spread as one of the top dishes in America at one point.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Croissaffle. You'll likely look at this and, at first glance, see a waffle, drizzled in queso and topped with pico de gallo. Look closer, friends. Inside the waffled croissant lurks salty, meaty, delicious bologna, and the pico de gallo that tops the waffle is made with strawberries for a welcome tangy sweetness. Houstonians, don't pass up the opportunity to try this creative culinary masterpiece at Bovine & Barley.

Don't be fooled by the way the sandwich looks. White bread, melty cheese and pink bologna — it's reminiscent of a sandwich packed for a school lunch, complete with bright red ketchup and fries. Not so. Remedy makes its bologna in-house and slices it thin before frying so it chars and crisps up pleasantly. It's finished with cheese and a peppery spread that ties the whole thing together. It's haute cuisine in thrift shop clothing, and it's amazing.

Bologna for breakfast might not be as crazy as you think. Nashville's Husk restaurant serves an eclectic eggs benedict dish served not just with fried bologna, but with fried house-made SPAM. They're also very liberal with the hollandaise sauce, a plus for fans of the unctuous sauce.

Kentucky seems to like bologna for breakfast as much as Tennessee does. Louisville's Gralehaus serves its both in biscuit and croissant sandwiches, but also in a savory crepe. The Haus Bologna crepe nestles the bologna in the classic French pancake and then tops it with hot sauce and green onions. 

Chicago's Fulton Market has exploded in recent years, thanks in part to the neighborhood's incredible restaurant scene. Au Cheval is one of the scene's crown jewels, offering some of the best meats in the entire Chicagoland area. It should be no surprise that its take on the bologna sandwich has become famous both locally and nationwide. Be sure to add an egg on top, and enjoy the way the runny yolk mixes with the melty cheese as you indulge.