America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches

Forget who piles pastrami highest or fits the most varieties of cold cuts onto one hero roll. A great sandwich has come to mean more than just bigger, better and meatier. Across the country, a new breed of sandwich artisans are taking lunchtime to a whole‘nother level. From California to New England, here are Endless Simmer’s top ten favorite new sandwiches.

10. The Spuckie— Cutty’s, Boston

Spuckie is aterm used by old-school Bostoniansto identify any sub sandwich, but it’s increasingly associated withthis year-old Brookline shop. It’s also probably the one sandwich that most successfully merges the old-school method of overdoing it on Italian meats with the new world of artisan, veggie-centric goodness. Super-thin slices of fennel salami, hot capicola and mortadella are layered on an oversize ciabatta, then topped with gooey, hand-pulled mozzarella and a fresh olive-carrot salad. For even less traditional sandwich-lovers, there’s also an eggplant spuckie available.

9. Bulgogi Steak Sandwich— Koja, Philadelphia

At the risk of outraging an entire city, we’re going to say it: the Philly cheesesteak is boring. With no disrespect meant to the age-old art of slathering fake cheese on top of a mound of meat, we just think this is one classic sandwich that is ready for a creative update. Enter University City sandwich truckKoja, where the chewy cheesesteak meat is replaced with bulgogi, Korea’s signature thinly-sliced, spicy BBQ beef. It’s served on a hoagie roll that’s coated in sweet chili oil and accented by sauteed peppers and onions. Koja also offers bulgogi pork and bulgogi chicken variations, but the best part is the unbelievable price— $3. Read more about this amazing sandwich atMy Inner Fatty.

8.Crispy Drunken Sandwich— Baguette Box, Seattle

Have you ever dug into a steamy styrofoam container of General Tso’s chicken and thought,“this is delicious, but it would be even tastier on a bun?” Of course you haven’t, that’s the most insane thing we’ve ever heard. But crazy is sometimes genius, as is proven at this tiny Seattle sandwich shop, where hunks of tender chicken are deep-fried and glazed in a tangy brown sauce, then served on a crispy baguette with caramelized onions and cilantro. The result is a supremely sticky, but utterly satisfying sandwich. (Photo:Sevius)

7. Cheesy Mac and Rib— The Grilled Cheese Truck, Los Angeles

Another new West Coast outpost that achieves genius results by thinking outside the bun,LA’s great cheese-on-wheels purveyoroffers several list-worthy grilled sandwiches, but none is more awe-inspiring than this. Sharp cheddar mac-and-cheese, strands of sweet BBQ pork and caramelized onions are all stuffed into two perfectly buttered-and-fried slices of white bread. Yes, it sounds like the horrifying 3 a.m. creation of a stoned college student. Yes, it actually works. 
(Photo:Grilled Cheese Truck)

6. Pibil Torta— Xoco, Chicago

Upgrading Mexican street food has suddenly become a hot task of haute chefs around the nation, although the results often have us pining for the real thing. Not so atRick Bayless’ Chicago sandwich shop, where tortas baked in the wood-burning oven take Mexican to levels we didn’t know existed. In this sandwich, silky strands of roasted suckling pig are served on crusty bread spread with black beans andachiotepaste, then finished with a layer of pickled onions and habanero salsa. The Pibil may be one extra ingredient away from being a Top Chef disaster story, but as is, it’s perfection on bread.

5.  Fried Chicken Sandwich— Bakesale Betty, Oakland

Perpetually purple-wigged owner Alison Barakat started out as a pastry chef at the ultimate farm-to-table temple: Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in neighboring Berkeley. Fooling around on her lunch breaks, she whipped up these extra-crispy buttermilk fried chicken patties for her co-workers, topping them with a savory slaw of sliced jalapenos, pickled red onions, and high-quality olive oil. Her McChickens-for-foodies grew so in demand that she soon openedher own lunch counter spot, which runs through 1,000 chicken sandwiches daily. Get there early— they almost always sell out.

4.The Maple– Meat Cheese Bread, Portland (Oregon)

Put down that Egg McGriddle and behold a breakfast sandwich that does right by the maple tree. Three-year-oldMeat Cheese Breadmay be simply named, but Portlanders known their creations are anything but. And it’s breakfast time that draws the most loyal following for this outrageous creation— two hot-from-the-oven slices of maple-current bread pudding loaded with savory sausage, chipotle cheddar cheese and tangy shavings of fresh fennel.

3. Lasagna Bolognese— Paesano’s Philly Style, Philadelphia

If the thought of a Philly-style lasagna sandwich has you expecting an overstuffed, over-cheesed hot mess, think again. Chef Peter McAndrews’ Italian-inspired lasagna sandwich is surprisingly refined. Thin layers of pasta are delicately brushed with a bacon-y bolognese sauce, lightly breaded and fried, then slipped between a doughy roll and joined by sweet peppers, smoked mozzarella and sharp provolone. The optional runny fried egg on top is an obvious yes for us. Read aboutPaesano’sother award-worthy sandwiches atunbreaded.(Photo:unbreaded)

2. Brussels Sprouts Sandwich— No. 7 Sub, New York

We know that“vegetables so good, you don’t even need the meat” is already a cliche, but still, it’s pretty notable when one of our very favorite new sandwiches has not a drop of flesh on it. At thisnew midtown Manhattan shop, mad scientist chef Tyler Kord dreams up sandwiches with inventive ingredients like fried broccoli, pine nuts, pickled blueberries and potato chips. His menu changes frequently, but the best thing we’ve tasted so far is this one. How he thought to bring together brussels sprouts, granny smith apples, and crushed peanuts on a sandwich roll we’ll never know, but we’re sure glad he did.

1. The New Luther— ChurchKey, Washington, D.C.

It takes some chutzpa to reinvent what Endless Simmer has already called thebest drunk food in America, but chef Kyle Bailey is not afraid. Named for its alleged creator, Luther Vandross, the original Luther sandwich consists of a bacon cheeseburger wedged between two halves of a Krispy Kreme donut, but that now seems rather simple in comparison. AtChurchKey, a house-made brioche donut is glazed in savory maple-chicken jus and topped with warm pieces of oven-baked pecans. While that sounds like a meal already, the brioche is cut in half and stuffed with a hunk of buttermilk fried chicken and wedges of applewood smoked bacon. Perhaps realizing that serving these daily would be a public health hazard, ChurchKey’s Luther is somewhat of a speakeasy sandwich; unlisted on the menu, it’s available only by request on Sundays, from noon to 8 p.m.

Feed Us Back: What’s your favorite new sandwich in America?

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