That was not wiz, but provolone is better anyway, especially a nice sharp provolone. Also, the best grinder I ever had was from Pizza By Pappas in Scranton, PA, a place where we usually don't call a hot sammich a grinder. They used to make an outstanding steak grinder, which was actually more of a Salisbury steak with an amazing gooey tomato, onion, and cheese sauce that was phenomenal.
Wait a second, Easy Cheese is not the same as Cheez Wiz. Also, people argue about Pork Roll vs Taylor Ham no matter what part of NJ you're in. I'm in the exact middle of the state.
Always beautiful to see someone enjoying our PEC (porkroll, egg, and cheese.) I never thought of it as such, but it truly is a delicacy with how few people know of it outside of the Northeast.
Mainer here. That's not a Maine style lobster salad for the roll. Some lemon in the water but never Old Bay. Leave that for crab cakes. Too much mayo and mince that celery more. Thanks.
Yep, My mom had an ancient can of old Bay in her pantry in Portland Maine, I never saw her use it once. Yep just Celery, maybe onion. Mayo, on a buttered grilled hot dog bun.
Speaking of crab cakes... Why wasn't that part of this list? Just saying. I'm from Maryland and a crab cake sandwich sounds good right about now!!! Still like your choices. Like watching your approach to regional sandwiches. Great job!!!
Yeah Bostonian here. I had a pretty visceral reaction to that Old Bay. It doesn't belong. Also in my family we never did celery, instead using some green onion.
So glad you mentioned Charlie Anderson when you made the cheesesteak! He seriously put in so much work to recreate the rolls at home. His channel is amazing!
Always love your content. Much respect for giving credit and giving more love to the others boys that you reference for context. I watch them both as well 😊
For the Philly - it's not that processed yellow american wrapped in plastic, go to the deli counter and get sliced white american, or if you can find it, the ultimate cheese is Cooper Sharp White American - it's unlike any American Cheese I've ever had. Ditch the whiz. Good job on the THE&C tho. And steaming the pastrami is the way to go. Glad to see the italian sub at #1 - NJ subs just hit different.
The Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese is another great sandwich, and that reminds me that in Camden, New Jersey you have a version of the Philly Cheesesteak made at Donkey's Place which is also on a Kaiser roll. That is a great sandwich!
Philly guy here who goes to Chicago often, like 3 times a year for the past 8 years. One of the things I love about Chicago/Chicagoland is most of their grocery stores still have an active butcher. You can ask the butchers to slice ribeye roasts super thin for cheesesteaks. When I’m in Chicago I can stop in Mariano’s or Tony’s and get sliced ribeye for when I’m missing a piece of home.
Philly stand up! That's a great tip. If those spots are closer to you, that's a no brainer. However, I urge people to check out Joong Boo (it's a little easier, the meat is top tier, and it's just a fun store to explore and walk around in). Nothin' wrong with trusty ol' Mariano's tho.
Ribeye is actually rarely used in Philly joints for cheesesteaks. You’re better using eye round for a more authentic neighborhood joint taste. Just buy a chunk of eye round beef and put it in the freezer for 3 hours. Then hand slice it thin. It’s actually easy
@@ramencurry6672 ribeye is the usually the choice of most of the higher rated cheesesteak spots in Philadelphia. Steve’s, Angelo’s, Dalessandro’s, Shank’s, Joe’s, Stella’s, Cafe Carmella, I mean the list can keep going. The next choice is sirloin and I know Max’s, Larry’s, and Jim’s. John’s Roast Pork is literally the only stand out that uses Chuck flap. Eye round is rarely used in any cheesesteak because it’s so lean there’s no fat to render and it doesn’t chop well when making cheesesteaks. If there’s eye round in your steak, then it’s because you used steakums or some other pressed frozen steak product.
@@zhobaire I see your point. But make a comparison to see for yourself. Many Philly neighborhood joints use the cheapest cuts and they can be shockingly good and in my opinion better than the famous Philly spots. I know it sounds crazy
I worked at a Italian restaurant in Eastern Pennsylvania. I like my Cheesesteaks with provolone, but before I put on the roll I would flip one half over top the other then put in the roll. That way the cheese is in the middle and not stuck on the roll.
Cheesesteaks with the cheese mixed in are superior, southeast PA here. Also cooper sharp is the way to go rather than standard american, can’t go wrong with provolone though
I’m from Jersey & moved to Chicago. I miss the sandwiches from Jersey so much…Chicago does have great food as well. Love Italian beef. Just love those Jersey sandwiches the most.
You gotta do a true Baltimore Pit Beef. Big fan of Italian Beef (live in Bmore, chill often in Chicago), and the bottom round is the king of beef cuts for sandwiches. Can’t wait to see your tiger sauce for the pit beef. If you need the hook up down here for the realness, I’m Happy to host.
West Coast AND Midwest peeps! I need your help. Which sandwich would you like to represent your city/state? No burgers. No Tubular meats (hotdogs, sausages, etc.)
NJ is the home of sandwiches. Its because of our original immigrants we have Italian cured meats, Jewish delis, and German butchers, no state can compete.
I have just one more thought on this which is that the Philly Cheesesteak, done proper Philly style, is a very specific sandwich. I've had it across the United States, and I've had it in Europe and Canada as well. The Italian Sub, however, is much more flexible. Just talking Philly, if you have an Italian Sub from Wawa versus one from Primo Hoagies you're basically looking at two different sandwiches. They're similar, but not the same. I don't know how that would come into play concerning rankings BUT if I get a "Philly" Cheesesteak and an Italian Sub in.... let's just say, Austria, I can be pretty sure that the Italian Sub is more authentic.
That steak from Geno's looked like CR@P!!! That's not how I remember them but I should point out that I haven't been there in years because their steaks are far from my favorite. They used to be on par with Pat's but I still like Jim's, D'Allessandro's, Chubby's, Angelo's (late addition to the group), and John's Roast pork better. For me John's Roast Pork is the place to go because the Roast Pork Sandwich is a classic as well ~ I get both because I'm a fat kid! On the other hand Angelo's also has great pizza but it always takes longer to get.
All them places you named are great I've had every steak you named...loved how you mentioned Chubbys they're legit and forgotten because theyre across from deladandros ..you gotta add Steve's steaks to that list for me...the roast pork from johns is the best sandwich in Philly...I'll take that over any cheesesteak and i dont eat pork like that
No worries, I'm here to help! Lets just clean up the list a little. Put the breakfast on a breakfast sandwich list and add a Boston area roast beef sandwich, aka "A Superbeef" (3 way of course) and just put that in the # 2 spot. Now it is a perfect list. 👏😋
For midwest you should make a Polish Boy from the Cleveland area. It's grilled and deep fried kielbasa, coleslaw and fries, slathered with southern style barbecue sauce on a bun.
My favorite sandwich is the popeye cheesesteak. I tweak the recipe a little, by making it with garlic bread, add mayo, and fill it with steak, onions, spinach and provolone, all sauted together. You have to mix the melted cheese into the meat. I live in Cleveland, and would suggest a Polish Boy as one of your sandwich contenders. A roll with grilled polish sausage, barbeque sauce, french fries and coleslaw on top. Some people add hot sauce, but I don't enjoy hot peppers in anything except queso or salsa.
Chek out a Primanti's sandwich in Pittsburgh. Pastrami with provolone, sliced tomato, a vinegar based slaw and fresh-cut fries on fresh thick sliced Italian bread.
The Italian sandwich originated in several different Italian-American communities in the Northeastern United States from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The popularity of this Italian-American sandwich has grown from its origins in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to most parts of the United States and Canada. And also there is NO old bay in a traditional lobster roll.
I’m surprised to see that I couldn’t find a gym/jim shoe/shoo sandwich on your channel. I just went to Chicago last week and stopped at Stoney sub and Jeffrey’s subs and the sandwiches were both fantastic. Italian beef meets gyro meets corned beef all on one sandwich.
This makes sense. The sub/hoagie spans the mid-Atlantic/New England for good reason. I lived in Chicago for 22 years and never really bought into the Italian beef thing. Before that I lived in downtown Philly for 2 years and grew up in Northern Delaware. When I was in Chicago and needed a hoagie, I would hit up Carm's deli near the UIC campus. A couple of fine points. At the good cheesesteak joints in Philly don't use kraft American singles, they use Cooper sharp American. Much better cheese flavor. Wit Cooper was always my favorite. Also, a little background on the word "Hoagie " According to my Coastie WW2 vet dad, who was stationed at the mouth of the Delaware Bay and later in Philadelphia, the old shipyard was on Hogg Island. The delis would make boxes of Italian sub sandwiches and then deliver them to the shipyard so the workers wouldn't need long lunch breaks. The delivery boxes were marked Hogg Is. Throw in a Philly accent and Hogg Is. became Hoag Is., and eventually eventually the sandwiches themselves become "hoagies". But yeah it's a sub... an awesome sub.
Whenever I put Tomatoes , Onions or Pickles on a sub I Dice them - Drizzle with a little oil & Vinegar + S & P. I think it just works better on a Sub than a Slices.
ThatDudeCanCook was doing this and also gave up. Maybe those videos don’t do well on UA-cam? I imagine that’s the kind of thing they have someone keeping an eye on.
I will be THAT guy! You had the nerve to use Old Bay and not include one of three sandwiches from Maryland that you could have included in this video. You could've made a crabcake or soft crab sandwich with that Old Bay. You also could've also gone the Pit Beef route. Pit Beef is more of a Baltimore thing as opposed to statewide like the other two. I really liked the video and so I'll give you a pass. Props for baking your own bread. *Edit. I just saw that Pit Beef has it's own video. I hope that the like and subscribe serves as an adequate apology.
A true lobster roll is made with only enough mayonnaise to get the pieces of lobster to stick together. Yes, we might add black pepper and a little salt and that would be it. 😸
Chicago is a wonderful city of creative culinary folks and you are certainly one of them. Adam, that was another delicious Top 5. I'm sure that I'd enjoy them all. Btw, I agree with your final order. Since it's such a unique item, and I didn’t notice it listed in your post, would you please mention where you purchased the pork roll? I'd like to give it a try. Thanks!
Adam, I know you had Houston in the thumbnail of your last video, but I wanted to mention that Houston wasn’t included in the video. The Banh Mi is the perfect sandwich to represent Houston, would love to see you check it out!
Houston is dope, would love to spend more time there (s/o Paul Wall and Slim Thug), but also would have a hard time giving the Banh Mi to the city considering it was brought over by Vietnamese immigrants and hasn't changed. If there's a Houston version of the sandwich that's super well known, that would be a different story. Feel free to school me if that's the case.
@@AdamWitt I think that is a very good point, Adam! However, I would consider that Houston has the second highest Vietnamese population in the world outside of Vietnam. As far as the adaptation to Houston, Vietnamese restaurants in the Houston area have several options that involve quintessential Texan ingredients. For instance, Texas Barbecue Brisket, Fried or Grilled Texas Redfish, Crawfish Tails and Fried Gator can all be found on Banh Mi Sandwiches across the Houston area. Houston also has its own brand of Cajun cuisine dubbed Viet-Cajun, which combines elements of traditional Cajun cooking with traditional Vietnamese cooking. As of 2023, Houston was considered the most diverse city in the nation, and I believe the Banh Mi to be a perfect representation of that diversity.
The pit beef was on the list but i had to narrow it down. If you're a pit beef fan, you might dig this: ua-cam.com/video/eRmtg_lF7vc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=AdamWitt. Also, for my Maryland peeps, I hope this earns me some street cred: ua-cam.com/users/shorts5L4ymJ5jaEk
@@AdamWitt you definitely get the street cred! At first I was disappointed to not see the crab cake or even soft shell crab on the list, but then as I thought about it I realized while those are popular sandwiches here, I actually prefer both on their own and not on bread. Another sandwich to consider for some future video-- Buffalo, NY's beef on weck! My favorite spot to go when I'm up there is Charlie The Butcher for this delicious sandwich. I wasn't surprised to not see it on the list because while NY is obviously east coast, Buffalo is pretty far west in the big state.
I don't know if you've heard of the Chicago classic the Gym Shoe sandwich? It has gyro, roast beef, corned beef, tzatziki sauce, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, Giardiniera and (optionally) cheese on a soft roll.
Should have done a Maryland crab cake sandwich as well, and a NYC chopped cheese. Also no old bay in lobster rolls, that's only used for Chesapeake cuisine
Angelo’s is a me too for cheesesteaks. Pat’s and Geno’s are tourist dreck. The OG is Jim’s at 4th & South (rebuilding after a fire), and Dallessandro’s in Roxborough is undisputed top of the hill with Jim’s on the mend. Three more comments. First you should add Italian porketta to the list. DiNic’s in Philly. Lastly, two things you did were enlightening: the way you fried the egg for the Taylor Pork Roll, poking the yoke and melting cheese over, and the way you steamed the pastrami. I can’t tell you how many piles of deli meat I’ve destroyed heating in an oven…kudos.
Philly native here...Genos and Pats are tourist traps...and yes ur cheesesteak looked SUPER DRY! lol Jims and Ishkabibbles on South St or Johns Roast Pork near Delaware Ave have the best cheesesteak(both in S. Philly)
I agree! That port roll sandwich looked way too dry partially because of the bun. You’re correct, thin pork roll stacked with cheese in between salt pepper, ketchup.
Man, I completely agree with your #1. I love a really good Italian sub and that looked amazing. I'll be honest that I would have chosen the Pastrami but I'm from Texas and spoiled by Texas BBQ pastrami. Sorry if that's offensive but that's how I feel.
Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese vs all the Lunch/Dinner recipes isn't fair. Butter toasted Kaiser Roll needs Ketchup. Most places don't even ask, you just get ketchup. Whiz isn't classy, but it permeates the whole sandwich, so it is cheesy and moist throughout. Long Hots are a must. Outside of that, I have never finished a video hungrier and more upset that it is 1 am and I can't go get a sandwich 🤘❤
What if you made the Italian hot? Before you put the lettuce, onions, and tomato, toss it in a pizza oven until the edges crisp up, the cheese is bubbly and the mortadella changes color/becomes hot and juicy.
My husband’s family is old old old school South Philly Italian. Even though Pat’s isn’t the best there anymore, we always stop into pay respect when we go. Pat made sure to care for the families in the neighborhood, he even helped get the roads plowed when it snowed. The fact that he parked next to Pat’s and went to Geno’s….🤨
I'm digging the chan, Adam. I grew up near Archer and Harlem and had my share of Italian beef and my favorite subs from a small joint on Archer called Yellow Submarine. I've been up north in central WI for the last couple decades because I love deer hunting and fishing. We do a good job feeding ourselves, but I do miss hitting those shops where you could get anything you craved within a 20min drive. The only subs within an hour of my house is at Subway and I've got standards so that's a no go.
In NY I'd say hero and sub depends on the sando. Like a chicken parm on bread is gonna be a chicken parm hero but a cold cut sandwich I'd ask for an Italian on a sub. I don't speak for everyone, of course, that's just me.
Great review. I like my grinder toasted and melted with cold veggies and a little Italian dressing. And I agree the pastrami on rye needs to be made into a Ruben. Hands down the best sandwich ever when done right!
Pretty good with the Taylor ham sandwich just two things,add two more slits on the outside and one in the middle, the middle one stops the cupping. Also, don’t salt the egg. Taylor ham is very salty. And there was too much on that sandwich. Three of those slices with two eggs was plenty. People who salt the egg complain that Taylor ham is too salty when it’s because they salted the egg.
For the Midwest you need to feature the Pittsburgh sandwich style of putting the French fries and coleslaw on the sandwich. It originated at a downtown restaurant called Primanti Bros. as a one-handed meal for truckers.
22:45 You made the right choice when calling it Pork Roll. It just takes too much to say, Taylor Ham. Pork Roll sounds very quick when saying it over the other way. Yeah, you can tell I'm from South Jersey!! 18:59 Also, in the northeast, we say egg and cheese, for an example, you had a pork roll, egg & cheese on a kaiser, not a pork roll, cheese & egg!
Grew up in Maine. Worked my way thru High School working summers in a sea food restaurant on the coast of Maine. Lobsters are boiled in salted water, back in the day and even today at beach side clam bake/lobster boils actual sea water is used. Most real Mainers have never even heard of Old Bay. Just a tiny bit of fine chopped celery to add some crunch and just enough mayo to bind it all together, that's a true Maine lobster roll. Most Mainers don't even recognize the existence of Connecticut style lobster rolls, although they don't consider them quite as abhorrent as "Manhattan Style" clam chowder. As for the "Italian Sub"? They're called Italian Sandwiches, or Italians for short, and they originated in Portland Maine. They were first made by a local baker, Giovanni Amato, around the turn of the last century, when local fishermen suggested he add meat and vegetables to his long bread rolls. There's no lettuce let alone "special sauces" involved, just some finely chopped onion in the bottom of the roll, a single slice layer of white American or provolone cheese, a two slice layer of ham or salami, or my personal favorite a single slice layer of each, thin sliced tomato, thin green bell pepper strips, thin dill pickle spears, sliced black olives, olive oil and salt and pepper. They contained just enough fillings to fill you up, but they weren't so overloaded that they would spill all over the place when the fishermen ate them while out on the open sea. Back in the day you could get one at pretty much any corner store in the Portland/South Portland area. I don't know enough about the other sandwiches to know how accurate you are with their origins, but after you got the first two so wrong, I didn't see any sense in watching any more. Really wanted to enjoy this, but as soon as I saw that soupy mess you called Maine lobster salad and saw you crediting New Jersey with the Italian I knew there was going to be issues.
I've had cheesesteaks in Philly, but I once went into a place in Boston where they used shredded muttsarell like you'd use on a pizza-- wasn't too bad and I've wondered if any joint in the Philadelphia area that does it that way.
When you get to Kansas (midwest? west? mid.), you gotta go for the Z-Man from Joe's KC BBQ. It's the Kansas City answer to the Philly. All the other places in town are copying it for a reason!
Careful who you tell "it doesn't matter what you call it" talking about the Taylor Ham/ Pork Roll.... people are a little fanatic about it. It could start fights!
you seem to have left a number of important East coast sandwiches out. Wheres the fried bologna sandwich from South Carolina, the pimento cheese sandwich from Georgia and the mighty Cuban sandwich from Florida? Come on down to the south to check these amazing dishes out.
That's not cheese whiz and we dont put kraft singles on steaks. And what you had at Angelo's(depending on when you went) was most likely house made whiz using Cooper sharp
I'm from the Midwest, so we made our own Pork roll sandwiches. Not gonna lie, I'd take sausage any day over Taylor Ham 😄 It has a spice in it that I couldn't identify and didn't care for at all.
Sub - submarine shaped Hero - it's so big only a hero can consume it. Grinder - you gotta grind it and grind it with your jaw hoagie - named after Philadelphia dock workers
That hoagie spread is called “hots” around Boston, where you sometimes see an Italian sub called a “spuckie.” Not traditional but hots mayo is an incredible sandwich spread
@@LabCat I don’t think I’ve ever seen the kind we have in Boston that far west (grew up in Detroit and Chicago). Just peppers, nothing else. WNY seems to get stuff from both the NE and Great Lakes in kind of equal measure, doesn’t it?
This was phenominal dude nice work! What are your thoughts on beef grades when it comes to making sandwiches? Like is that ribeye you got prime? Or do you think it doesn’t matter when you are making a sandwich with it?
Great video. I wonder how your neighbors don't come breaking down your door. It must have smelled so good, just baking the breads alone. Those cheesesteak sandwiches all looked so good. I usually use provolone, but I am willing to try the others, for science
In New england, we say subs, not grinders. Old school people from boston used to say spuckies. But no one calls it that anymore. Also old bay in the Court-Bouillon for the lobsters is not New England. Thats a Maryland thing. Usually white wine instead of beer also. The food all looked good though.
Gotta be Taylor ham egg & cheese ;) cheese & egg is backwards. We’re just as big of assholes about food in the East as people in Chicago 😂 love the video
I got so triggered by the lobster roll bit. I used to have to make several hundred mini ones for a hotel every weekend because nobody else wanted to touch live lobsters. Cooking them whole and alive is the way to go, though. Keeping them on ice and using herbs and citrous basically puts them to sleep. Dispatching and/or tearing them apart raw is just extra work and makes them seize up yielding tough meat.
What are your thoughts of killing the lobster before the boil vs not? I know you didnt kill em in this vid but in culinary school and a few of the kitchens I worked in, I was always instructed to kill before the boil to preserve the integrity of the meat as best as possible. Im allergic to shell fish so I can't really try it to tell.
That was not wiz, but provolone is better anyway, especially a nice sharp provolone. Also, the best grinder I ever had was from Pizza By Pappas in Scranton, PA, a place where we usually don't call a hot sammich a grinder. They used to make an outstanding steak grinder, which was actually more of a Salisbury steak with an amazing gooey tomato, onion, and cheese sauce that was phenomenal.
Wait a second, Easy Cheese is not the same as Cheez Wiz. Also, people argue about Pork Roll vs Taylor Ham no matter what part of NJ you're in. I'm in the exact middle of the state.
Yes, the spray cheese is NOT the right stuff to use at all. How did he fail that badly?!
Yes, caught that right way. Easy Cheese is blasphemy. Wiz Whit is the only right way to order.
Came here to say this. That is NOT Cheez Wiz. No clue how he got the idea that they were the same thing.
@@andywlasniewski6810 amen bro!
I make my own Wiz using red cheddar, corn starch, and evaporated milk. I think we can forgive a Chicago guy for not having fully mastered the Philly.
Always beautiful to see someone enjoying our PEC (porkroll, egg, and cheese.) I never thought of it as such, but it truly is a delicacy with how few people know of it outside of the Northeast.
Mainer here. That's not a Maine style lobster salad for the roll. Some lemon in the water but never Old Bay. Leave that for crab cakes.
Too much mayo and mince that celery more.
Thanks.
I grew up in Maryland, and I 100% agree.
Yep, My mom had an ancient can of old Bay in her pantry in Portland Maine, I never saw her use it once. Yep just Celery, maybe onion. Mayo, on a buttered grilled hot dog bun.
Speaking of crab cakes... Why wasn't that part of this list? Just saying. I'm from Maryland and a crab cake sandwich sounds good right about now!!! Still like your choices. Like watching your approach to regional sandwiches. Great job!!!
Yeah Bostonian here. I had a pretty visceral reaction to that Old Bay. It doesn't belong. Also in my family we never did celery, instead using some green onion.
@@WeerdBeard Yup, and if Giovanni Amato saw his "Italian" he'd roll over in his grave.
So glad you mentioned Charlie Anderson when you made the cheesesteak! He seriously put in so much work to recreate the rolls at home. His channel is amazing!
Dude is a bread beast.
Always love your content. Much respect for giving credit and giving more love to the others boys that you reference for context. I watch them both as well 😊
They both rip! Thank you :)
For the Philly - it's not that processed yellow american wrapped in plastic, go to the deli counter and get sliced white american, or if you can find it, the ultimate cheese is Cooper Sharp White American - it's unlike any American Cheese I've ever had. Ditch the whiz. Good job on the THE&C tho. And steaming the pastrami is the way to go. Glad to see the italian sub at #1 - NJ subs just hit different.
The Pork Roll, Egg & Cheese is another great sandwich, and that reminds me that in Camden, New Jersey you have a version of the Philly Cheesesteak made at Donkey's Place which is also on a Kaiser roll. That is a great sandwich!
My friend was going to take me to Donkey's Place. Next time for sure.
Philly guy here who goes to Chicago often, like 3 times a year for the past 8 years. One of the things I love about Chicago/Chicagoland is most of their grocery stores still have an active butcher. You can ask the butchers to slice ribeye roasts super thin for cheesesteaks. When I’m in Chicago I can stop in Mariano’s or Tony’s and get sliced ribeye for when I’m missing a piece of home.
Philly stand up! That's a great tip. If those spots are closer to you, that's a no brainer. However, I urge people to check out Joong Boo (it's a little easier, the meat is top tier, and it's just a fun store to explore and walk around in). Nothin' wrong with trusty ol' Mariano's tho.
Ribeye is actually rarely used in Philly joints for cheesesteaks. You’re better using eye round for a more authentic neighborhood joint taste. Just buy a chunk of eye round beef and put it in the freezer for 3 hours. Then hand slice it thin. It’s actually easy
@@ramencurry6672 ribeye is the usually the choice of most of the higher rated cheesesteak spots in Philadelphia. Steve’s, Angelo’s, Dalessandro’s, Shank’s, Joe’s, Stella’s, Cafe Carmella, I mean the list can keep going. The next choice is sirloin and I know Max’s, Larry’s, and Jim’s. John’s Roast Pork is literally the only stand out that uses Chuck flap. Eye round is rarely used in any cheesesteak because it’s so lean there’s no fat to render and it doesn’t chop well when making cheesesteaks. If there’s eye round in your steak, then it’s because you used steakums or some other pressed frozen steak product.
@@zhobaire I see your point. But make a comparison to see for yourself. Many Philly neighborhood joints use the cheapest cuts and they can be shockingly good and in my opinion better than the famous Philly spots. I know it sounds crazy
I worked at a Italian restaurant in Eastern Pennsylvania. I like my Cheesesteaks with provolone, but before I put on the roll I would flip one half over top the other then put in the roll. That way the cheese is in the middle and not stuck on the roll.
Cheesesteaks with the cheese mixed in are superior, southeast PA here. Also cooper sharp is the way to go rather than standard american, can’t go wrong with provolone though
I’m from Jersey & moved to Chicago. I miss the sandwiches from Jersey so much…Chicago does have great food as well. Love Italian beef. Just love those Jersey sandwiches the most.
You gotta do a true Baltimore Pit Beef. Big fan of Italian Beef (live in Bmore, chill often in Chicago), and the bottom round is the king of beef cuts for sandwiches. Can’t wait to see your tiger sauce for the pit beef. If you need the hook up down here for the realness, I’m
Happy to host.
boom. ua-cam.com/video/eRmtg_lF7vc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=AdamWitt
West Coast AND Midwest peeps! I need your help. Which sandwich would you like to represent your city/state? No burgers. No Tubular meats (hotdogs, sausages, etc.)
Sign me up for those cheesesteaks. All of them.
All 3 cheeses on one Philly might be the bees knees
NJ is the home of sandwiches. Its because of our original immigrants we have Italian cured meats, Jewish delis, and German butchers, no state can compete.
I'm biased, being from Asbury Park originally, so Pork Roll, Egg and Cheese SPK will always be king in my heart.
I miss a good THEC w/ SPK on a hard roll....
Yeah, only you degenerates in south Jersey call it pork roll. Only us high class types in north Jersey properly call it Taylor ham.
@@christophergrace1085this guy gets it.
@th6252 what if I said PREC w/SPK??
@@christophergrace1085now you’ve fallen from grace, ya had it right the first time 😉
I have just one more thought on this which is that the Philly Cheesesteak, done proper Philly style, is a very specific sandwich. I've had it across the United States, and I've had it in Europe and Canada as well. The Italian Sub, however, is much more flexible. Just talking Philly, if you have an Italian Sub from Wawa versus one from Primo Hoagies you're basically looking at two different sandwiches. They're similar, but not the same. I don't know how that would come into play concerning rankings BUT if I get a "Philly" Cheesesteak and an Italian Sub in.... let's just say, Austria, I can be pretty sure that the Italian Sub is more authentic.
Gotta try the north shore of MA and the roast beef 3 way. If you're from here you know.
That steak from Geno's looked like CR@P!!! That's not how I remember them but I should point out that I haven't been there in years because their steaks are far from my favorite. They used to be on par with Pat's but I still like Jim's, D'Allessandro's, Chubby's, Angelo's (late addition to the group), and John's Roast pork better. For me John's Roast Pork is the place to go because the Roast Pork Sandwich is a classic as well ~ I get both because I'm a fat kid! On the other hand Angelo's also has great pizza but it always takes longer to get.
They are crap.
All them places you named are great I've had every steak you named...loved how you mentioned Chubbys they're legit and forgotten because theyre across from deladandros ..you gotta add Steve's steaks to that list for me...the roast pork from johns is the best sandwich in Philly...I'll take that over any cheesesteak and i dont eat pork like that
The problem with steaks from John’s Roast Pork is the rolls. They’re fine for a wet roast pork, but too dense and chewy for a cheesesteak.
Ive had ALL of them many, many times (Im from NJ). I agree with your rankings for the most part, aside from 4 and 5. I would have switched them.
No worries, I'm here to help! Lets just clean up the list a little. Put the breakfast on a breakfast sandwich list and add a Boston area roast beef sandwich, aka "A Superbeef" (3 way of course) and just put that in the # 2 spot. Now it is a perfect list. 👏😋
For midwest you should make a Polish Boy from the Cleveland area. It's grilled and deep fried kielbasa, coleslaw and fries, slathered with southern style barbecue sauce on a bun.
I thought about it! Only thing is im staying away from sausage/hotdogs and burgers.
I've seen that olive oil on like every youtube cooking channel so it was nice to finally see a little promo ad about it so I can ttry it 👍👍👍👍👍👍
My favorite sandwich is the popeye cheesesteak. I tweak the recipe a little, by making it with garlic bread, add mayo, and fill it with steak, onions, spinach and provolone, all sauted together. You have to mix the melted cheese into the meat. I live in Cleveland, and would suggest a Polish Boy as one of your sandwich contenders. A roll with grilled polish sausage, barbeque sauce, french fries and coleslaw on top. Some people add hot sauce, but I don't enjoy hot peppers in anything except queso or salsa.
Chek out a Primanti's sandwich in Pittsburgh. Pastrami with provolone, sliced tomato, a vinegar based slaw and fresh-cut fries on fresh thick sliced Italian bread.
Midwest sandwiches - breaded pork tenderloin, pulled pork, italian beef
oh yeah
The Italian sandwich originated in several different Italian-American communities in the Northeastern United States from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. The popularity of this Italian-American sandwich has grown from its origins in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island to most parts of the United States and Canada. And also there is NO old bay in a traditional lobster roll.
I’m surprised to see that I couldn’t find a gym/jim shoe/shoo sandwich on your channel. I just went to Chicago last week and stopped at Stoney sub and Jeffrey’s subs and the sandwiches were both fantastic. Italian beef meets gyro meets corned beef all on one sandwich.
Spot on Adam!! I agree with you. Thanks for your entertainment!!
This makes sense. The sub/hoagie spans the mid-Atlantic/New England for good reason. I lived in Chicago for 22 years and never really bought into the Italian beef thing. Before that I lived in downtown Philly for 2 years and grew up in Northern Delaware. When I was in Chicago and needed a hoagie, I would hit up Carm's deli near the UIC campus. A couple of fine points. At the good cheesesteak joints in Philly don't use kraft American singles, they use Cooper sharp American. Much better cheese flavor. Wit Cooper was always my favorite. Also, a little background on the word "Hoagie " According to my Coastie WW2 vet dad, who was stationed at the mouth of the Delaware Bay and later in Philadelphia, the old shipyard was on Hogg Island. The delis would make boxes of Italian sub sandwiches and then deliver them to the shipyard so the workers wouldn't need long lunch breaks. The delivery boxes were marked Hogg Is. Throw in a Philly accent and Hogg Is. became Hoag Is., and eventually eventually the sandwiches themselves become "hoagies". But yeah it's a sub... an awesome sub.
Should have included a NYC chopped cheese also.
Those rip. ua-cam.com/users/shortsdoa4D76ynC4
Whenever I put Tomatoes , Onions or Pickles on a sub I
Dice them - Drizzle with a little oil & Vinegar + S & P.
I think it just works better on a Sub than a Slices.
I don't like being THAT guy, but when is the next episode of Cooking The States? Still, thank you for this episode.
CTS is retired (for now), but perhaps it'll make a comeback in the future.
I know right. I’m in NC. He was coming up on it. Wtf.
ThatDudeCanCook was doing this and also gave up. Maybe those videos don’t do well on UA-cam? I imagine that’s the kind of thing they have someone keeping an eye on.
I will be THAT guy! You had the nerve to use Old Bay and not include one of three sandwiches from Maryland that you could have included in this video.
You could've made a crabcake or soft crab sandwich with that Old Bay. You also could've also gone the Pit Beef route. Pit Beef is more of a Baltimore thing as opposed to statewide like the other two.
I really liked the video and so I'll give you a pass. Props for baking your own bread.
*Edit. I just saw that Pit Beef has it's own video. I hope that the like and subscribe serves as an adequate apology.
They're all great sammies, but pastrami on rye is hands down the best. Three-ingredient perfection.
Next time you are in Jersey Try a traditional Italian hot dog. Its worth the trip.
I imagine Italy is the best place for anything traditionally Italian
@@randyschwaggins this is a Jersey Italian thing, like NY style pizza it's a regional thing
I made one! ua-cam.com/video/qQrF5PfwXE8/v-deo.html&ab_channel=AdamWitt
A true lobster roll is made with only enough mayonnaise to get the pieces of lobster to stick together. Yes, we might add black pepper and a little salt and that would be it. 😸
Chicago is a wonderful city of creative culinary folks and you are certainly one of them. Adam, that was another delicious Top 5. I'm sure that I'd enjoy them all. Btw, I agree with your final order. Since it's such a unique item, and I didn’t notice it listed in your post, would you please mention where you purchased the pork roll? I'd like to give it a try. Thanks!
Adam, I know you had Houston in the thumbnail of your last video, but I wanted to mention that Houston wasn’t included in the video. The Banh Mi is the perfect sandwich to represent Houston, would love to see you check it out!
Houston is dope, would love to spend more time there (s/o Paul Wall and Slim Thug), but also would have a hard time giving the Banh Mi to the city considering it was brought over by Vietnamese immigrants and hasn't changed. If there's a Houston version of the sandwich that's super well known, that would be a different story. Feel free to school me if that's the case.
@@AdamWitt I think that is a very good point, Adam! However, I would consider that Houston has the second highest Vietnamese population in the world outside of Vietnam. As far as the adaptation to Houston, Vietnamese restaurants in the Houston area have several options that involve quintessential Texan ingredients. For instance, Texas Barbecue Brisket, Fried or Grilled Texas Redfish, Crawfish Tails and Fried Gator can all be found on Banh Mi Sandwiches across the Houston area. Houston also has its own brand of Cajun cuisine dubbed Viet-Cajun, which combines elements of traditional Cajun cooking with traditional Vietnamese cooking. As of 2023, Houston was considered the most diverse city in the nation, and I believe the Banh Mi to be a perfect representation of that diversity.
Bro that ain't cheese wiz and anybody that says easy cheese is the same thing is full of it
Love it! Thank you! But, no Maryland Crab Cake sandwich?? Or Baltimore style Pit Beef?
The pit beef was on the list but i had to narrow it down. If you're a pit beef fan, you might dig this: ua-cam.com/video/eRmtg_lF7vc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=AdamWitt. Also, for my Maryland peeps, I hope this earns me some street cred: ua-cam.com/users/shorts5L4ymJ5jaEk
@@AdamWitt you definitely get the street cred! At first I was disappointed to not see the crab cake or even soft shell crab on the list, but then as I thought about it I realized while those are popular sandwiches here, I actually prefer both on their own and not on bread. Another sandwich to consider for some future video-- Buffalo, NY's beef on weck! My favorite spot to go when I'm up there is Charlie The Butcher for this delicious sandwich. I wasn't surprised to not see it on the list because while NY is obviously east coast, Buffalo is pretty far west in the big state.
I don't know if you've heard of the Chicago classic the Gym Shoe sandwich? It has gyro, roast beef, corned beef, tzatziki sauce, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, Giardiniera and (optionally) cheese on a soft roll.
That sounds disgusting… I’d love to try it!
Should have done a Maryland crab cake sandwich as well, and a NYC chopped cheese. Also no old bay in lobster rolls, that's only used for Chesapeake cuisine
I may be one of the only people from NJ that doesnt really like Italian subs lol but a Pork Roll, Egg & cheese holds a special place in my heart
Hickory Tree Deli in Chatham Township, NJ. Get yourself a ham or roast beef sloppy Joe. Greatest no-cook sandwich of all time.
Angelo’s is a me too for cheesesteaks. Pat’s and Geno’s are tourist dreck. The OG is Jim’s at 4th & South (rebuilding after a fire), and Dallessandro’s in Roxborough is undisputed top of the hill with Jim’s on the mend.
Three more comments. First you should add Italian porketta to the list. DiNic’s in Philly.
Lastly, two things you did were enlightening: the way you fried the egg for the Taylor Pork Roll, poking the yoke and melting cheese over, and the way you steamed the pastrami. I can’t tell you how many piles of deli meat I’ve destroyed heating in an oven…kudos.
Philly native here...Genos and Pats are tourist traps...and yes ur cheesesteak looked SUPER DRY! lol
Jims and Ishkabibbles on South St or Johns Roast Pork near Delaware Ave have the best cheesesteak(both in S. Philly)
the best pork roll sandwiches are sliced really thin and pilled on with a slice of cheese between each slice of PR so good every morning
I agree! That port roll sandwich looked way too dry partially because of the bun. You’re correct, thin pork roll stacked with cheese in between salt pepper, ketchup.
being born and raised in new york, while new york is known for the pastrami, the 5 boro sandwich is most certainly the bec
I gotta try one.
Man, I completely agree with your #1. I love a really good Italian sub and that looked amazing. I'll be honest that I would have chosen the Pastrami but I'm from Texas and spoiled by Texas BBQ pastrami. Sorry if that's offensive but that's how I feel.
Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese vs all the Lunch/Dinner recipes isn't fair. Butter toasted Kaiser Roll needs Ketchup. Most places don't even ask, you just get ketchup. Whiz isn't classy, but it permeates the whole sandwich, so it is cheesy and moist throughout. Long Hots are a must. Outside of that, I have never finished a video hungrier and more upset that it is 1 am and I can't go get a sandwich 🤘❤
Adam, remember to freeze the lobsters to anaesthetise before boiling. You're a great cook and sound like my brother in law.
Charlie Anderson is a mad scientist research maniac! The dude does his homework so we don't have to.
In the southeast. They serve chicken Philadelphia style subs. Same style subs and ingredients. Just use chicken as protein source.
What if you made the Italian hot? Before you put the lettuce, onions, and tomato, toss it in a pizza oven until the edges crisp up, the cheese is bubbly and the mortadella changes color/becomes hot and juicy.
looks like you and camera guy had a good lunch on this day.🌟💚🥪
Lol, a little TOO good.
I remember subbing when you had 50k subs, and you're still grinding these videos. 💪
My husband’s family is old old old school South Philly Italian. Even though Pat’s isn’t the best there anymore, we always stop into pay respect when we go. Pat made sure to care for the families in the neighborhood, he even helped get the roads plowed when it snowed. The fact that he parked next to Pat’s and went to Geno’s….🤨
I don't know this guy, but his first ingredient was beer....I like him already
cheers
I'm digging the chan, Adam. I grew up near Archer and Harlem and had my share of Italian beef and my favorite subs from a small joint on Archer called Yellow Submarine. I've been up north in central WI for the last couple decades because I love deer hunting and fishing. We do a good job feeding ourselves, but I do miss hitting those shops where you could get anything you craved within a 20min drive. The only subs within an hour of my house is at Subway and I've got standards so that's a no go.
The Dr. Brown's reinforced my decision to subscribe. The best soda with food. And the beatboxing was dope!
Great video, should have put salt pepper ketchup on the pork roll egg and cheese...one word saltpeppaketchup
In NY I'd say hero and sub depends on the sando. Like a chicken parm on bread is gonna be a chicken parm hero but a cold cut sandwich I'd ask for an Italian on a sub. I don't speak for everyone, of course, that's just me.
South Jersey thanks you for this video. 😊
Ohhhhhh yeah!!!!!!!
Italian sub all the way.
😎👍🏻👍🏻
Time to set up a bracket bracket for the best sandwiches for the different regions and then on to the semi finals
LOVE that idea.
Great review. I like my grinder toasted and melted with cold veggies and a little Italian dressing. And I agree the pastrami on rye needs to be made into a Ruben. Hands down the best sandwich ever when done right!
A Ruben is in my top 5 favourite sandwiches. Sososo good! 👌🏻
I would’ve selected the same order as you did. West Lakeview resident and recommend the Bacon Loretta w/Egg to represent the Chicago sandwich.
Bro, New York also has the same sandwich Philly and Jersey got, we call them hero’s.
You forgot the jersey shore Italian sausage and peppers, Philadelphia, Italian roast pork, and the New York chop cheese.
No I didn't. I chose not to add them. No sausages, no burgers. Chopped Cheese rips tho - ua-cam.com/users/shortsdoa4D76ynC4
You need to try New Jersey, sloppy Joe!
Pretty good with the Taylor ham sandwich just two things,add two more slits on the outside and one in the middle, the middle one stops the cupping. Also, don’t salt the egg. Taylor ham is very salty. And there was too much on that sandwich. Three of those slices with two eggs was plenty. People who salt the egg complain that Taylor ham is too salty when it’s because they salted the egg.
For the Midwest you need to feature the Pittsburgh sandwich style of putting the French fries and coleslaw on the sandwich. It originated at a downtown restaurant called Primanti Bros. as a one-handed meal for truckers.
Is there a specific sandwich that you're talking about or is it just a style of ordering many different sandwiches?
There is a place in Chicago called Lucky's that has sandwiches in that style. Maybe not exactly matching but still recommend!
The original is the Pitts-Burger, its basically just a burger with fries on thick sliced white sandwich bread.
22:45 You made the right choice when calling it Pork Roll. It just takes too much to say, Taylor Ham. Pork Roll sounds very quick when saying it over the other way. Yeah, you can tell I'm from South Jersey!! 18:59 Also, in the northeast, we say egg and cheese, for an example, you had a pork roll, egg & cheese on a kaiser, not a pork roll, cheese & egg!
Love the Carmen’s call out. Grew up eating them.
Honestly when you said Graza was affordable I actually wasn’t expecting it to be reasonably priced 😂
yeah dude. It's good stuff.
Then I'll ck Graza out!
Grew up in Maine. Worked my way thru High School working summers in a sea food restaurant on the coast of Maine. Lobsters are boiled in salted water, back in the day and even today at beach side clam bake/lobster boils actual sea water is used. Most real Mainers have never even heard of Old Bay. Just a tiny bit of fine chopped celery to add some crunch and just enough mayo to bind it all together, that's a true Maine lobster roll. Most Mainers don't even recognize the existence of Connecticut style lobster rolls, although they don't consider them quite as abhorrent as "Manhattan Style" clam chowder. As for the "Italian Sub"? They're called Italian Sandwiches, or Italians for short, and they originated in Portland Maine. They were first made by a local baker, Giovanni Amato, around the turn of the last century, when local fishermen suggested he add meat and vegetables to his long bread rolls. There's no lettuce let alone "special sauces" involved, just some finely chopped onion in the bottom of the roll, a single slice layer of white American or provolone cheese, a two slice layer of ham or salami, or my personal favorite a single slice layer of each, thin sliced tomato, thin green bell pepper strips, thin dill pickle spears, sliced black olives, olive oil and salt and pepper. They contained just enough fillings to fill you up, but they weren't so overloaded that they would spill all over the place when the fishermen ate them while out on the open sea. Back in the day you could get one at pretty much any corner store in the Portland/South Portland area. I don't know enough about the other sandwiches to know how accurate you are with their origins, but after you got the first two so wrong, I didn't see any sense in watching any more. Really wanted to enjoy this, but as soon as I saw that soupy mess you called Maine lobster salad and saw you crediting New Jersey with the Italian I knew there was going to be issues.
I've had cheesesteaks in Philly, but I once went into a place in Boston where they used shredded muttsarell like you'd use on a pizza-- wasn't too bad and I've wondered if any joint in the Philadelphia area that does it that way.
All these sandwiches looked proper and delicious
When you get to Kansas (midwest? west? mid.), you gotta go for the Z-Man from Joe's KC BBQ. It's the Kansas City answer to the Philly. All the other places in town are copying it for a reason!
I want to eat ALL of these! well done 👊🏽
Surprised, but like. I live for an Italian Cold Cut. Two changes for me. Red onions instead of white and add mayo, light spread on bread first.
Careful who you tell "it doesn't matter what you call it" talking about the Taylor Ham/ Pork Roll.... people are a little fanatic about it. It could start fights!
you seem to have left a number of important East coast sandwiches out. Wheres the fried bologna sandwich from South Carolina, the pimento cheese sandwich from Georgia and the mighty Cuban sandwich from Florida? Come on down to the south to check these amazing dishes out.
Northeast sandwhiches only not all of east coast
That's not cheese whiz and we dont put kraft singles on steaks. And what you had at Angelo's(depending on when you went) was most likely house made whiz using Cooper sharp
I'm from the Midwest, so we made our own Pork roll sandwiches. Not gonna lie, I'd take sausage any day over Taylor Ham 😄 It has a spice in it that I couldn't identify and didn't care for at all.
Sub - submarine shaped
Hero - it's so big only a hero can consume it.
Grinder - you gotta grind it and grind it with your jaw
hoagie - named after Philadelphia dock workers
That hoagie spread is called “hots” around Boston, where you sometimes see an Italian sub called a “spuckie.”
Not traditional but hots mayo is an incredible sandwich spread
We had a similar thing in upstate New York. It reminds me of like chopped giardinera. I'm surprised, being from Chicago, he didn't recognize it!
@@LabCat I don’t think I’ve ever seen the kind we have in Boston that far west (grew up in Detroit and Chicago). Just peppers, nothing else.
WNY seems to get stuff from both the NE and Great Lakes in kind of equal measure, doesn’t it?
This was phenominal dude nice work! What are your thoughts on beef grades when it comes to making sandwiches? Like is that ribeye you got prime? Or do you think it doesn’t matter when you are making a sandwich with it?
I say grab the best you can afford always.
and thanks!
I really don’t blame you. I live in Philadelphia. But i love hoagie spread.
My only issue is once you decided to use a Hoagie Roll, you crossed the Delaware and gave the top two spots to Philly. We appreciate the wins.
Great video. I wonder how your neighbors don't come breaking down your door. It must have smelled so good, just baking the breads alone.
Those cheesesteak sandwiches all looked so good. I usually use provolone, but I am willing to try the others, for science
The Italian sub looks great!!!
Me: 5: Lobster roll, 4. Pork Roll (even though I LOVE pork roll), 3. Pastrami, 2. Cheese steak, 1. Italian Hoagie
In New england, we say subs, not grinders. Old school people from boston used to say spuckies. But no one calls it that anymore. Also old bay in the Court-Bouillon for the lobsters is not New England. Thats a Maryland thing. Usually white wine instead of beer also. The food all looked good though.
Your skills are outstandi ng! All the rolls and breads you made on top ...👍 (:
Gotta be Taylor ham egg & cheese ;) cheese & egg is backwards. We’re just as big of assholes about food in the East as people in Chicago 😂 love the video
Go to Buffalo and get a beef on weck or a chicken finger sub. Or go on a Great Lake coasts sandwich tour lol.
I got so triggered by the lobster roll bit. I used to have to make several hundred mini ones for a hotel every weekend because nobody else wanted to touch live lobsters. Cooking them whole and alive is the way to go, though. Keeping them on ice and using herbs and citrous basically puts them to sleep. Dispatching and/or tearing them apart raw is just extra work and makes them seize up yielding tough meat.
What are your thoughts of killing the lobster before the boil vs not? I know you didnt kill em in this vid but in culinary school and a few of the kitchens I worked in, I was always instructed to kill before the boil to preserve the integrity of the meat as best as possible. Im allergic to shell fish so I can't really try it to tell.
For Midwest include Polish Boys from Cleveland.