Hot Salami: Gioia’s Deli (St. Louis)
This property named sandwich is spicy in multiple ways. Gioia’s renowned hot salami is served fresh on Italian bread with Provel cheese and chosen condiments. Since 1918, it has been considered St. Louis’ favourite sandwich. The daily preparation of salame de testa from a combination of beef and pig components results in a product that resembles a terrine or pate more than a typical salami. The slightly earthy and peppery beef is sliced to order and served on hot Italian bread (get the garlic-cheese bread) with lettuce, tomato, and spicy giardiniera.
Fluffernutter: American Fresh Brewhouse (Somerville, Massachusetts)
Marshmallow creme, the spreadable mixture of marshmallow and corn syrup, was not new in 1917, when entrepreneur Archibald Query began selling “Marshmallow Fluff” to candy manufacturers in Somerville, Massachusetts. But, none of its predecessors had the same durability as Query’s invention. By the 1960s, “Fluffernutter” sandwiches were found in lunchboxes throughout the United States. The combination of peanut butter and fluff on white bread is so popular that there is a National Fluffernutter Day (October 8) and the town where it originated holds an annual Fluff Fest in the autumn. For those who are unable to attend, American Fresh Brewhouse offers an upmarket alternative throughout the year. On toasted brioche, the mix of almond butter and marshmallow fluff creates a delectable delicacy.
Beef on Weck: Charlie the Butcher (Williamsville, New York)
Beef on weck may sound elegant and exotic, but at its core, it’s just a pretty tasty roast beef sandwich from Buffalo, New York. What distinguishes it from other regional variants is the freshly grated horseradish placed within the distinctive kummelweck (or kimmelweck) roll, which resembles a kaiser but is seasoned with fragrant caraway seeds and an abundance of pretzel salt. As with all regional symbols, this delicious, heavily spicy sandwich can be found all throughout the city. Locals and visiting chefs favour the version at Charlie the Butcher, where the beef is slow-cooked for 18 hours, cut, soaked in au jus, and sandwiched with all the typical fixings.
Salami and Cheese: Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop (Detroit)
Ham and cheese are one of the most traditional American sandwich filling combos. However, many Italian Americans prefer spicy food, so they substitute mild ham with spicy salami. Greg Mudge, the proprietor of Detroit’s Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Store, is one of these individuals. His rendition, which he refers to as Leggo, is one of his favourites. It is comprised of hot Genoa salami, Asiago cheese, housemade olive tapenade, pepperoncini, pickled red onion, roasted tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and mayonnaise on an Italian hoagie freshly baked at the adjacent Golden Wheat Bakery.
Smoked Trout Salad Sandwich: Union Loafers Cafe (St. Louis)
One might believe there is a lack of seafood in areas without direct access to the ocean, however, trout can be found in most rivers and lakes in the United States. This delectable freshwater fish is available from Montana to Tennessee in a variety of delectable preparations. Among these staples is the fish salad sandwich. The sandwich-obsessed chefs at Union Loafers Cafe in St. Louis smoke the fish over apple wood and combine it with homemade mayonnaise, lemon, capers, and fennel. This strong, artisanal-leaning recipe is spread on freshly baked ciabatta bread, a naturally leavened, Old World-style local variant.
Chicken Biscuit: Biscuit Love (Nashville, Tennessee)
This always-crowded counter-service restaurant in Nashville is all about sharing the love – of biscuits. Chef-Owners Karl and Sarah Worley began Biscuit Love as a popular food truck in Music City before expanding to various brick-and-mortar locations. From burgers and ham to French breakfast, guests can choose from a vast array of biscuit-hugged cuisine. But, East Nasty is the best option. This Nashville take on the gravy-covered Nasty Biscuit mixes fried boneless chicken thighs, aged cheddar, and sausage gravy within a flaky buttermilk biscuit.
Chicken Spiedies: Lupo’s S&S Char Pit (Binghamton, New York)
The immigrants who migrated from the Italian boot to New York carried family recipes for the speedo, the Italian word for a spit. Once upon a time, the lamb was marinated, skewered, and roasted on a spit until crisp, after which it was served on a bed of chewy Italian bread. Spiedo, however, evolved along the road, as was the case with the majority of foreign imports. Residents of Three Cities, who cherished the dish, substituted chicken for lamb and Americanized its name to “spiedies.” Visit Lupo’s S&S Char Pit in Binghamton for a taste. There, the meat is marinated for 24 hours in a mixture of oil, vinegar, and secret Italian spices, then grilled and nestled in a 6-inch Italian-style roll from Felix Roma Bread, the original spiedie bread bakery.
Country Ham: Fulks Run Grocery (Fulks Run, Virginia)
Ham and cheese is an American classic, but in the South, salty country ham reigns supreme. This grocery store constructed in 1949 cures its pork according to a family tradition that extends back more than half a century. Each ham is hand-rubbed with a unique mixture of salt, brown sugar, and saltpetre, and hung to cure only during the winter months when the natural temperatures are optimal. After at least five months, and maybe longer, the tasty flesh is removed from the bone, soaked in hot tap water, dredged in flour, fried till golden brown, and piled high on a substantial bun. Although the shop is open seven days a week, its famed fried ham sandwiches are only available on Fridays from February to November. Therefore, it is best to contact them before travelling.
Turkey Sandwich: Cochon Butcher (New Orleans)
At a restaurant whose name literally translates to “pig butcher,” a turkey sandwich is easy to overlook. At Cochon Butcher, an Old World butcher and charcuterie store owned by Donald Link, this would be incorrect. It is on the menu for everyone, not just vegetarians. “With so many heavy sandwiches on the menu, we wanted to feature a lighter, brighter sandwich that yet had a robust flavour,” Link explains. Its flavour is achieved by smoking enormous turkey breasts in-house and stacking slices of them on locally baked seed bread with avocado, tomato, and fresh local sprouts, all topped with vivid basil aioli.
Hot Chicken: Hattie B’s Hot Chicken (Nashville)
According to local legend, a scorned lover of a man named Thornton Prince developed Nashville hot chicken to get revenge for his prowling ways. The paramour of the prince gave his fried chicken a devilishly dark red hue and hellishly spicy flavour by adding a stomach-churning amount of pepper. Prince adored the scorching fish and made it the main attraction at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, thwarting her revenge scheme. In the past few years, the dish has spread like wildfire from Louisville to Los Angeles. In its hometown, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is available in sandwich style at several locations.
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