Hey, we all love sandwiches, right? Lately I've been thinking a lot about heroes. Every region has its own spin. I asked Serious Eats correspondent Jenn Sit to investigate the sandwich mania. Here's her report:
WORDS BY JENN SIT | Hoagies, heroes, subs, wedges, po'boys, grinders, and the list goes on. We're here to talk about America's best hometown heroes -- hot and cold sandwiches on long bread or baguettes. From references to the people who eat them (Cubans, Italians) on over to descriptions of the shape (submarine, torpedo, zeppelin), this extensive list of monikers tells of the importance of this long loved, humble sandwich.
Submarines
Perhaps the most widespread term, a sub is a sandwich served on a long Italian roll, topped with a variety of meats and cheeses, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and maybe oregano. Some Philadelphians see subs as only a poor substitute for hoagies, which must be served on a roll that's crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Some also argue that a sub can only be cold with no lettuce, while others see hot subs as part of the pack.
Heroes
In the New York area, heroes usually can come hot or cold. Some have even theorized that New Yorkers purposely pronounce "gyro" incorrectly as to not confuse it with the hero. Ed has a lot to say about cold heroes: "A sandwich of cured Italian meats, layered into a forearm's length of fresh crusty bread, often with a few slices of Italian cheese and a condiment or two. Pepperoncini, yes; roasted peppers, yes; mayonnaise, an emphatic no. Also, perhaps, a splash of vinegar and certainly a drizzle of olive oil. Some ground pepper, a sprinkle of salt. But no more. No fancy pants ingredients at all."
Hoagies
Hoagies are said to have originated in Philly, where you may get laughed at if you ask for mayo on yours instead of oil. To make things more complicated, a cheesesteak hoagie is a cheesesteak with lettuce and tomato. The term is most popularly used not only in Philly, but parts of New Jersey.
Cosmos, Torpedoes, Bombers, Zeppelins, and Wedges
These sandwiches don't seem to be particularly distinct from those above, except perhaps for region:
- Cosmos: North Central Pennsylvania, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania
- Torpedoes: San Diego, California, and Reno, Nevada
- Bombers: Buffalo, New York
- Zeppelins or zeps: Pennsylvania and New Jersey
- Wedges: southeastern New York; Yonkers, Westchester County, and Fairfield County, Connecticut
Grinders
A term used in New England and the Midwest, "grinder" refers to toasted or warmed subs. In Philly, heroes, grinders, and subs are heated hoagies (depending on what part of Philly you're from). Some might distinguish grinders from toasted subs for having hot fillings to begin with. Jennie Grinders can be found in the Midwest, especially in the Des Moines, Iowa, area, and consist of Italian sausage, ground beef, green peppers, tomato sauce, and mozzarella melted in hoagie rolls (also known by the derogatory moniker: "Guinea Grinder").
Po'Boys
Found on Louisiana French bread around the Gulf Coast, po'boys can be filled with fried seafood (shrimp, catfish, oysters, etc.), sausage, roast beef, or many other types of meats. A "dressed" po'boy can come with mustard, mayo, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, while the "undressed" comes plain.
Cheesesteaks
A long sandwich deserving a category of its own: thinly sliced steak, browned on a griddle and topped with cheese (for Philly authenticity: Cheez Whiz). Other cheese options are American and Provolone, and there're always onions, green and hot peppers, and mushrooms, if you like. With pizza sauce and mozzarella, you've got a "pizza steak." In the New England area, a cheesesteak with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and Genoa salami or sausages becomes a "steak bomb."
Roast Pork Sandwiches
The other Philly sandwich favorite: roast pork, garlicky broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone cheese. Just this spring, Philly Magazine critic Joy Manning did a serious rundown of Philly's best for Serious Eats.
Banh Mi
A remnant of French colonialism rears its head in this Vietnamese sandwich: pork roll, pork pâté, pickled slivers of carrots and daikon, sliced cucumber, cilantro, mayonnaise, Sriracha and hot peppers — all stuffed into a toasted baguette. Other versions can include roast pork, meatballs, chicken, and sardines.
Italian Beef
A popular sandwich found in and around Chicago: thin slices of juicy roast beef in a long Italian roll, topped with sweet peppers or hot giardiniera (a spicy Italian relish that includes peppers, celery, cauliflower, carrots, oregano, and garlic). If you ask for it dry, the juices will be allowed to drip off of the beef before it gets put into the sandwich. The next step up is "wet" (juices left on beef), then "dipped," where the whole sandwich gets a quick dunk into the roasting juices. Ask for it "juicy" and it'll take a longer dip, while "soaked" will be as sloppy as it can get. Eaten with the "Chicago lean," the Italian Beef can also be topped with mozzarella or provolone. Some proud Italian Beef fans may claim that the only means for authenticity is to have it at least dipped — but over at ItalianBeef.com, they say "Real Chicagoans eat their sandwiches any damned way they want to." Not going to argue with that.
French Dip
A neater version of the Italian Beef, French Dips are served au jus — its hot juices on the side and without the giardiniara. Although two different restaurants in Los Angeles claim to have invented the French Dip, they both originally dipped the sandwich in the juices rather than serving it on the side.
Cuban
A sandwich that makes me want to hop on a flight to Miami: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, sliced pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread, toasted in a plancha. Traditionalists may frown upon them, but other versions may include salami, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato.
Spuckies
Native to certain Boston neighborhoods like the North End, the term comes from the roll used: the spucadella, which tends to have pointier ends than subs and are top-split. Other spelling variations include "spukies" and "spukkies."
Maine Italian
This Maine version of subs can refer to any variety of fillings (such as Roast Beef Italian, Veggie Italian), but the regular Maine Italian gets ham or salami, cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, black olives, sour pickles, oil, salt & pepper, served on a long soft roll (sometimes top-split).
French Bread Pizza Sub
Serious Eats' own managing editor Adam Kuban ventured out on a very cold night in Ithaca, New York, to try the original French bread pizza sub at the Hot Truck—French bread split and slathered with tomato sauce, cheese, and all sorts of toppings, then baked open-faced.
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