Leave it to a Philly girl to show the world what it really means to love sandwiches. Last week, in the critically acclaimed, utterly hilarious 30 Rock, Tina Fey’s character Liz Lemon rattled off the following raison d’etre:

All of humankind has one thing in common: the sandwich. I believe that all anyone really wants in this life, is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.

But this isn’t the first time Fey has professed her love for the sandwich. In the second season of the show, the cast celebrates “Sandwich Day” when Teamsters bring in sandwiches for the office from a secret shop in Brooklyn. When Liz Lemon realizes her coworkers have devoured her sandwich, all hell breaks loose:

Lemon follows up with:

I don’t know how, but you’re gonna get me another sandwich. Or I’m gonna cut your face up so bad, you’ll have a chin. YOU’LL ALL HAVE CHINS!

Finally, in last night’s episode, Lemon tackles a gigantic sandwich as seen above. So, we salute you Tina Fey, as a lover of sandwiches, we welcome you into our arms; a warm embrace of salty meats, cheeses and condiments.

If you happen to spot sandwiches in TV, movies, or any other media, please contact us, we’d love to hear all about it!

Union Trust is one of the most dramatic restaurant spaces in Philadelphia, and their new $7.17 menu is a dramatic deal for budget-conscious diners.  Featuring a kobe beef burger (in addition to other drink and food specials,) Union Trust is making the classic steakhouse burger more affordable and accessible.

Chef de Cuisine Chaz Brown’s 8oz kobe burger is served on a brioche bun with a sweet onion jam, tomato compote and cheddar.  The Akaushi beef (a direct descendant of the Mount Aso herds from Japan) is sourced from Heartbrand Beef in Texas.  The meat is all natural and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than other brands of beef.

Also on the Union Trust menu, though not part of the $7.17 special, is a ribeye sandwich dusted with cajun seasoning and cooked to temperature, served with crispy fried onions and choice of cheese on a torpedo roll.  Vegetarians can savor the marinated portobello sandwich with roasted red pepper, spinach, basil pesto and a heaping slice of Claudio’s fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Gallery

Union Trust Steakhouse
717 Chestnut St. – Philadelphia, PA 19106 (Google Map)

When Annie Tran opened Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich a year ago, she wanted to offer a banh mi that was closer to the authentic sandwiches than anything she could find in South Philadelphia.  And to ensure that the food was true to the traditional, she brought in her mother, whose recipes come directly from cooking at her temple in Vietnam.

Having  tried all of the local bread producers, Annie settled on a bakery in New Jersey whose rolls are crispy, soft, and “not too bready.”   Lightly toasted before serving, it is a perfect canvas for the mayo, cucumber, pickled carrot, jalapeno and cilantro that accompany the selection of proteins.

The house special, a combination of Vietnamese ham (cha lua), slow cooked BBQ pork (nem nuong), and pork ears (thit nguoi), is served with a spread of pork liver pate.  Other meat options include pork, chicken or beef that is marinated in lemongrass and fish sauce before being grilled.  Vegetarians have a couple options of fried tofu sandwiches – which are kept entirely separate from meat sandwiches – prepared either with a lemongrass marinade or sautéed with onions and mushrooms.  And for those who still cannot decide, ask for a half-and-half with two fillings.

Gallery

Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich
48 N. 10th St., Philadelphia PA 19107 (Google Map)

Today marks the 291st birthday of John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. The story goes that this noble fellow was quite the gambler, so much so that he would go on nonstop benders seated at the card table. As one can wield a meal of meat and cheese between bread in one hand, and cards in the other, obviously the combination was the perfect meal for Montagu. Thus, the unconfirmed, unofficial name was given: sandwich.

It is vital to note that the Earl must not be credited with the invention of the sandwich. This simple creation has been serving as a quick and satisfying meal for thousands of years. Still, to commemorate the anniversary of the great Earl of Sandwich’s birth, November 3rd is officially National Sandwich Day. Who creates these “holidays” anyway?

How will you celebrate National Sandwich Day? Are you packing your normal weekday lunch of turkey and cheese on wheat, or will you head out to indulge in a delicious sandwich at the local deli, or burger at the closest pub? Let us know in the comments!

In light of the economic downturn, many have turned to the most affordable, satisfying and customizable meal: the sandwich. But how much are you really saving by packing a sandwich to bring to work or school? To answer that very question, Rob Cockerham set out on a mission, which eventually turned into a project for his website, aptly named How Much is Inside a Sandwich.

Cockerham has a knack for this sort of thing; his website Cockeyed.com boasts over 40 different How Much Is Inside investigations. Analyzing the individual variables that make up the cost of a sandwich; ingredients, seasonal prices, volumes, wasn’t an easy task, “When pondering the price of a sandwich, it is tempting to consider each homemade sandwich as a unique snowflake, with a amorphous value” says Cockerham.

From bread to condiments, meat, produce, and cheese, Cockerham explores many possibilities and uses powerful skills of deduction to weigh, and measure himself to determine the price of a sandwich. The result of this investigation has turned into the Sandwich Price Calculator, a brilliant tool to determine the cost of an individual sandwich. Building a sandwich of turkey, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato on rye priced out at an economical $1.80, according to the calculator.

Although not everyone will agree that the ingredients and bread choices Cockerham priced out are the best quality, we found the article to be extremely interesting, and helpful for the pennywise.

How Much Is Inside A Sandwich?
Sandwich Price Calculator [Cockeyed.com]

It is fitting that on a street as rich with history as Philadelphia’s Camac Street that Terra’s Chef Eric Paraskevas channels his own history in the form of a trio of miniature sandwiches.

The Cubano represents his background in Latin cuisine from his time at Lolita.  It features sliced house-roasted turkey, pulled pork carnitas in Chef’s own chipotles, and adobo seasoning with a pickle and cheese, on a buttery crisp toasted ciabatta.  The local beef burger, which speaks to his support of the local foods movement, is served simply with tangy cheddar on a brioche bun.  As a nod to Chef’s Greek heritage, a lamb burger is paired with fig aioli, and served on a Parker House dinner roll.

And now, bursting with World Series excitement, Chef Paraskevas has added a plate of mini Schmitters to the menu; though in our experience, when it comes to Schmitters, bigger is better.

Terra
243 S Camac St Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Google Map)

Nothing says baseball like a hot dog.  So to celebrate the Phillies competing in the World Series, Paesano’s chef/owner Peter McAndrews has created an original hot dog inspired by the traditional ballpark fare, but with a “Philly Style” upgrade.  Starting with a beef hot dog with kraut and brown mustard, the dog is paired with scrapple, sharp provolone, long hots, onions, tomatoes and a fried egg.  Chef McAndrews is still playing around with the recipe, trying out little improvements to get it just right.

Known for now as “The Phanatic”, Paesano’s is soliciting name ideas from all of their customers.  Just stop in, try one, and suggest a name for the permanent menu.  A name will be selected at the conclusion of the World Series and the winner will earn a free sandwich at Paesano’s once a week for a year. Once you’ve submitted your name, leave it for us in the comments!

Gallery

Paesano’s
152 W Girard Ave – Philadelphia, PA 19123 (Google Map)

On a sunny corner of South Street that straddles Washington West and Bella Vista, seemingly miles removed from the blaring car stereos a few blocks to the east, Supper’s new lunch menu boldly re-imagines classic sandwiches with a welcoming, come as you are attitude.

Acclaimed Chef Mitch Prensky strives to create “the ultimate version” of iconic sandwiches, adding his own stamp to a Reuben, a French Dip, a Hot Dog and a Banh Mi.  Having once worked as Sous Chef for the lunch service at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (in addition to his classic French training and New York fine dining experience,) Chef Prensky truly loves the action at lunch and needed to get his ideas for sandwiches out onto plates.  Now available Monday through Saturday, Supper’s lunch menu has some serious sandwich action.

Supper’s version of the Reuben is served on Famous 4th Street rye bread, sliced thick and brushed with bacon fat and a mustard aoili.  Fried carnitas-style pork belly is tossed with thousand island dressing, and toasted with cooked sauerkraut under a layer of gruyere.  Chef tops the open-faced sandwich with apple chutney because pork, apple and gruyere work so well together, even when served as a reuben with a side of pastrami chips.

The Banh Mi features crispy fried Malaysian-inspired squid with bits of spicy Sichuan sausage, heaps of cilantro, lettuce and pickled peppers on a baguette that was baked fresh a few blocks away at Ba Le Bakery, paired with five spice chips.

The Supper Dog is made in house from 100% pork shoulder – “all killer, no filler” – on a house baked, buttered bun.  Wrapped in bacon and deep fried, it is served with grain mustard, BBQ onions, kraut and buttermilk fried pickles.  The Lamb French Dip, served with Herbs de Provence chips, is made from house-prepared lamb pastrami and lamb jus, is served with feta and olives on a baguette cut on a bias to help with the dipping.

The menu also features a burger borrowed from the dinner menu with horseradish cream, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, gruyere and a side of duck fat fingerlings. The lobster roll is served as a tried and true classic and paired with Old Bay chips.  Traditional fresh steamed lobster is mixed with lemon aioli, chopped celery, salt and pepper on a top-loaded buttered bun.

Chef Prensky is openly enthusiastic about sandwiches because in his opinion, the layers of ingredients combine to make each bite the perfect bite.  Among his local favorites are John’s Roast Pork, Sarcone’s, Jim’s Steaks, Ba Le Bakery, even a late night panini at Old Nelson.  He stresses that people should not overlook the bread when making sandwiches – you want the right type, the right thickness, and sometimes, like with their house made charcuterie, older bread can better than fresh.

Gallery

Supper
926 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)

Tomorrow, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is hitting the road to share Philadelphia’s favorite sandwich, the cheesesteak with the people of Manhattan. To kick off Game 1 of the World Series, GPTMC will land at Shorty’s, a cheesesteak shop and sports bar, and will be handing out 500-750 free cheesesteaks to hungry New Yorkers.

The With Love World Series party starts at 4:00pm, with free Shorty-sized cheesesteaks for all until game time. Then, fans are encouraged to stick around and watch the game on Shorty’s five televisions, while GPTMC hands out a variety of With Love, Philadelphia XOXO prizes, one of which is a $100 gift certificate to any Garces Restaurant Group restaurant if the Phillies hit a homerun.

Manhattan-based Phillies fans, come out to perform your civic duty, and claim a free sandwich. Yankees fans, we know you love cheesesteaks too, and you’re more than welcome to come; you just might want to leave that A-Rod jersey at home.

Shorty’s
576 9th Avenue – New York, NY 10036 (Google Map)

[Via: Philadelphia Inquirer]

One of Philadelphia’s best value-priced sandwiches is disappearing at the end of the month.  The Kibitz Room’s October special $4.95 hot corned beef sandwich has warmed our hearts and stomachs these past weeks, and the clock is ticking before it vanishes.  A half-pound of Kibitz’ steamed corned beef and a pickle for just five bucks is a bargain for the consumer, and we just hope there’s another killer deal next month.

The Kibitz Room
1521 Locust St, Philadelphia PA 19102 (Google Map)