Like us, you’re undoubtedly tired of the sideways looks you get from fellow diners at the restaurant when taking photos of your food with your phone. But now, thanks to ShareUrMeal, every food photo you take can help feed a less fortunate person. Sign up for the site and you’re given a custom e-mail address to send your pictures to. For every food photo uploaded, sponsors including Drexel University, Philly Startup Leaders and more, will donate $1 to United Way’s LIVE UNITED: Food for Thought initiative which supports local food banks.

During this holiday season, it’s very important to reflect on our lives and spend time helping those in need. We applaud ShareUrMeal for creating a site that is both fun to use, and supports charity. Please, sign up for an account today and start uploading your sandwiches and other food photos; the more, the better.

[ShareUrMeal]

A round up of exciting sandwich news and links from around the web.

• The Great American Smokeout 2009 is today and hopes to help people kick their tobacco habit. The American Cancer Society suggests restaurants and work places to offer “cold turkey sandwiches” to remind people it’s time to quit. [American Cancer Society]

• The excellent With Love Letters series continues, this time featuring James Beard Award-winning chef Marc Vetri. When he’s not at Vetri, Osteria or working on his new concept, the chef enjoys a Geno’s cheesesteak whiz wit’. [Uwishunu]

• Tweeting fiend Tommy Up let it drop last night that his burger joint PYT will begin a burger of the week special. First up: The Thanksgivin’ which features a turkey burger, topped with stuffing, cranberry relish and smothered in gravy, served next Monday through Sunday (they are closed on Thanksgiving day). We’ve heard rumors of a Wagyu beef burger with pickled daikon and wasabi mayo hitting the menu in coming weeks. [Tommy Up/Twitter]

• Royal Tavern’s Beer and Burger Bash was such a hit last night, that an encore production will play out this evening. Grab special burgers and craft beers starting at 5pm. [Uwishunu]

Public House’s new Great American Pub menu gives Chef Al Paris the opportunity to show off his passion for sandwiches.  Chef Paris calls Philadelphia a true “sandwich city” and recognizes that sandwiches are one of the most identifiable elements of our collective civic identity.

The stack burger features two 3oz patties of black angus beef griddled on a flat top with thick cut bacon, pickles and American cheese on a toasted Le Bus bun.  It’s a fresher take on the classic bacon double cheeseburger found in fast food restaurants across the country.  By contrast, the 9oz Public House burger is loosely packed to retain a juicy, tender texture, and served with your choice of cheese and toppings.

The BBQ pulled pork sandwich is slow cooked overnight at 210 degrees in a braise made with orange, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes.  The after resting for a few more hours till the pork butt cools and absorbs the flavorful liquid, the fat is trimmed off and the pulled meat is tossed with a BBQ sauce made with coffee and root beer.  Served with crispy fried onions and a drizzle of sauce on a toasted bun, the sandwich offers a lot of complimentary textures and flavors.

The filet mignon sliders deliver three 3oz portions of tender center cut filet mignon on brioche buns with sautéed onions and a blue cheese cream sauce.  The Greek style chicken pita is Chef Paris’ interpretation on the classic gyro.  The chicken is grilled with the skin on, then removed before serving on a Kontos flatbread with carrot, tomato, tzatziki, roasted peppers and olives.  And Chef Paris’ cheesesteak springrolls – sliced ribeye with shredded provolone, sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers served with a smoky BBQ ketchup – taste remarkably like an authentic cheesesteak (at least, on the inside.)

A resident of the Bella Vista neighborhood, Chef Paris loves many of the great sandwich places in and around the Italian Market: Sarcone’s, Geno’s, George’s, Ba Le, South Street Souvlaki and the South Street Diner.  But even in a foodie’s paradise like South Philadelphia, Chef Paris occasionally ventures out to Burger King to get a good, old fashioned, flame broiled burger.

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Public House
2 Logan Square Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)

Its origins are subject to debate, but there is no question that the Reuben is one of the country’s most popular and most delicious sandwiches.  Crispy buttered rye with russian dressing, sauerkraut, corned beef and swiss, the Reuben is a staple of deli cuisine, but two different Reubens claim to have created the eponymous sandwich.

Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocery owner from Omaha, is often credited with creating the sandwich at a poker game in 1925.  Arnold Reuben, a German-Jewish delicatessen owner in New York, also is believed to have invented the sandwich as early as 1914.  No matter what the true history of the sandwich may be, the Reuben can now be found on menus around the country, and is a quick and easy sandwich for the home cook.

But for those who really want to go the extra mile, try making your own corned beef or sauerkraut.

It’s been an interesting season so far for football fans, with upsets, surprises and plenty of drama to boot. But one thing keeps us prepared for both a win or a loss, and that’s amazing game day sandwiches. One man, Mark Krajnak of JerseyStyle Photography has managed to pull together his love of food, football, and photography to create an amazing series of dishes for the past three seasons.

Focusing on the Philadelphia Eagles, Mark creates dishes that are reflective of the team they are playing that week. A “red, white, and blue burger” topped with salsa and stuffed with blue cheese to represents a game against the Washington Redskins, and a plate of pulled pork sliders to tackle the Carolina Panthers.

Mark’s photos and recipes are shared every week on one of our favorite Philly sports blogs, The 700 Level. Head over there for some great sandwich ideas for the rest of the season!

To kick off BarCampPhilly, a user generated conference about collaboration, the organizers have put together an event that focuses on beer. Hosted by Two Guys On Beer’s Dave Martorana and Johnny Bilotta, BeerCamp Philly will focus on the creative and collaborative nature of DIY homebrewing. Local homebrewers will come together to pour tastings of their creations, as well as discuss the art and geekery that goes into every beer. Great local craft brewers will be on the scene as well including Stoudt’s Brewing Company, Sly Fox Beer, and Flying Dog Brewery. Proceeds from the event benefit Philabundance.

What’s beer without a little snack? Kick those peanuts and pretzels to the floor, as Unbreaded will be on the scene to pair each of these delicious brews with sandwiches from our friends at Paesano’s. We’ll be tweeting from the event to talk about the flavors of each beer and sandwich, so be sure to follow us.

That leaves us with this final thought for the weekend: what is your favorite beer and sandwich pairing? Perhaps a burger with a hoppy IPA, or a tuna sandwich with a nice crisp, wheat beer. Let us know in the comments!

At Philadelphia’s acclaimed Cypriot restaurant Kanella, you will not find fusion, which Chef Konstantinos Pitsillides calls “confusion.”  Rather, you will experience the diverse culinary influences of the world cultures that have occupied and settled the chef’s native Cyprus over the centuries: Turkish, French, Venetian, Arab, North African, English and Greek, each of whom have left their imprint on the island nation.  Chef Pitsillides strives for authenticity, simplicity and freshness that reflect his passion for traditional ingredients and preparation.  Sandwiches are available at lunch, served Thursday through Sunday.

The grilled tuna sandwich exemplifies a North African influence (Morocco, Tunisia) with a robust spice rub that is paired with preserved lemon, olives, capers, garlic, slow roasted tomatoes and cilantro on a 7-grain roll (the same roll is used for each sandwich.)  The lamb sandwich offers a slow roasted shoulder or leg that is sliced thin then fried, served with spinach, scallions, dill and Greek feta.  The grilled Haloumi and Lounza sandwich is like a Cypriot ham & cheese.  A traditional cheese made of goat and sheep’s milk is grilled and tossed with tomatoes and a vinaigrette, paired with a thick-cut slice of smoked Canadian bacon.

All of Kanella’s meats and cheeses are organic, and the fish is always wild, never farmed.  Chef Pitsillides values nose-to-tail cooking because using the entire animal shows respect.  His commitment to Mediterranean cuisine is, in his view, the opposite of a trend; it is a stable, healthy way of life.  And aside from Kanella, where he thinks the value for the price is virtually unmatched, Chef thinks the best sandwiches come from your own kitchen.

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Kanella
1001 Spruce St. – Philadelphia, PA 19107 (Google Map)

The po’ boy is the quintessential New Orleans sandwich. The crusty French bread, and toppings varying from breaded shrimp, and soft-shell crab, to roast beef au jus, help to tell a story of the sandwich makers behind the counter. In ten days, The New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival will bring together 40 restaurants to share their sandwiches and stories with attendees. Scheduled events range from storytelling of New Orleans history, the art of streetcar maintenance, and even “Ultimate French Bread Fighting”, a mysterious showdown that pits Jared Fogle of Subway fame against a representative from John Gendusa Bakery.

To countdown to the event, John T. Edge journeyed in and out of some of N’awlins most famous po’ boy shops. He finds that many are keeping it real, building sandwiches the same way they were 80 years ago. Others are struggling to survive, using lower quality ingredients, resulting in lower quality sandwiches, that appeal only to tourists buying into the hype, not the tradition. Still, shop owners are adamant about standing up against the impeding chains, as Subways and Quizno’s are slowly creeping into the area. We must fight to keep these iconic shops alive, or the history and culture of the land will die with the sandwiches that represent them.

Saving New Orleans Culture, One Sandwich at a Time [The New York Times]

The term “food porn” generally refers to stunning close-up photos of food, but over at Heavy.com, they’ve adopted the more literal definition and conducted a national survey to determine which sandwich America most wants to… um… make babies with. Dubbed the search for America’s sexiest sandwich, Heavy.com enlisted the services of a market research firm to survey ordinary Americans about which type of sandwich would make the best sexy time.

The survey offered the choice of copulating with six different photos of sandwiches, including a BLT, a Meatball, a Ham & Cheese, a Meatloaf, a Chicken Salad and an Open-Face Roast Beef. The winner, earning 1-in-3 votes, was the Ham & Cheese sandwich. According to one of the respondents, “It seems like it would like to cuddle afterwards.”

So we ask you, what sandwich gets you hot under the covers? A roast pork? A hot pastrami? A French dip? Let us know what gets your heart pounding in the comments.

What Is America’s Sexiest Sandwich? [Heavy.com]

Submitted by Unbreaded reader Shane D. Have a sandwich you love? Submit it to us and we’ll post it on the site.

Philadelphia might be the home of the cheesesteak, but again, and again, we are seeing a rise in popularity of the Italian roast pork sandwich. According to Shane D., you don’t have to be downtown to find a delicious take on this sandwich:

Wasko’s, located at 223 Gay St. in Phoenixville, Pa. has, in my opinion, one of the best roast pork sandwiches in Chester County. I’m a regular customer and have consumed a number of the sandwiches there (the Ultimate Italian, Hot Italian and meatball), but by far the roast pork is the marquee item. It starts with a great, fresh roll from the Conshohocken Bakery. Jim Wasko, the proprietor, then lines the roll with some fresh onion slices before dipping each slice of pork au jus, but that’s not the end of it. The sandwich is then topped with sharp provolone and placed in the oven until the cheese melts. The final touch is the roasted long, hot Italian peppers, which are made in-house. You could opt for broccoli rabe instead, but I prefer the hots. The end result is absolutely brilliant! Other options for the sandwich include getting it juicy (I usually go dry), but if you’re in the Phoenixville area, I definitely recommend it. Also, if pork isn’t your choice of meat, I’ve heard that the prime rib sandwich is great.

This is the first time we’ve heard of a roast pork being placed in an oven, a brilliant idea for that perfect gooey, melted cheese and toasty bread.

Wasko’s
223 Gay Street – Phoenixville, PA 19460 (Google Map)