Since Jeff Mauro is known as the Sandwich King thanks to his Emmy-nominated show on the Food Network, it doesn’t surprise us one bit that his final meal would include, you guessed it, a sandwich. But of the numerous sandwiches out there, not just any sandwich will do. Will it be tuna on wheat? An Italian sub? Nope, he wants pastrami on rye with mustard. “I’ll get two,” he admits, “crispy fries and a Diet Coke. It’s my death meal,” he continues with enthusiasm. “That with a side of pepperoni pizza.”

The pizza is a surprise coming from the man known for winning season seven of “Food Network Star” thanks to his innovative sandwich recipes. But once he tells us that even though he’s known as the Sandwich King, he really loves pizza, it makes perfect sense that a slice would be part of his final meal. 

Being from Chicago, the city known for its deep-dish and stuffed pizzas, we were sure his choice would be some amazingly decadent pie loaded with plenty of sauce and mozzarella cheese. But Mauro surprises us again by picking “thin crust, of course.” The thin crust the award-winning chef refers to is that other Windy City pizza staple: A Chicago tavern-style, thin-crust pizza that comes from chefs rolling out the dough rather than tossing it in the air.