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Jimmys Favorite

Jimmy and Drews 28th Street Deli, Boulder, Colorado

Never mind that Jimmy and Drew left Chicago to sell meat in a vegan stronghold: They survive because they make everything in-house. They thrive because Jimmys namesake Reuben swaps pedestrian rye (meh, its just a meat vessel) for schmaltz-fried latkes the size of your hubcaps. (2855 Twenty-eighth Street; 303-447-3354)

Michael Schmelling

Porchetta

Salumi, Seattle

The daily fresh-pulled mozzarella runs out before the line of customers at Salumi, started by Armandino Batali (Marios dad). Dont let the curing bats of fennel-studded finocchiona dangling from meat hooks distract: You want the porchetta -- braised-until-melting pork shoulder with peppers, carrots, and onions on a stout roll to soak up the profligate juices. (309 Third Avenue South; 206-621-8772)

Cuban Meat Sandwich

Paseo, Seattle

No place in Seattle could care less whether you come in than Paseo. The shoe-box shack has no sign, takes no credit. Has so few seats that devotees eat outside on the trunks of their cars. What keeps them returning? The milagro that is the Cuban meat sandwich: marinated, slow-cooked pork ganged into a baguette slathered with garlicky mayonnaise, then mounded again with cilantro, jalapeños, and fat Os of caramelized onions. Seattles a long way from Cuba, but this sandwich erases every mile. (4225 Fremont Avenue North; 206-545-7440)



Bánh Mì

Saigon Sandwich Shop, San Francisco

A culinary legacy of imperialism: French baguette and Vietnamese barbecued pork, sprinkled with shredded carrots, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. (560 Larkin Street; 415-474-5698)



Reggie Deluxe

Pine State Biscuits, Portland, Oregon

A hangover cure found only at Portlands Farmers Market (for now): fried chicken, bacon, cheddar, gravy, and an over-easy egg on a cream-top buttermilk biscuit still hot from the outdoor oven. (South Park Blocks, SW Harrison and Montgomery; Saturdays)

Michael Schmelling

Trailer Park Monte Cristo

Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland

Bobbing in a sea of Blue Ribbon, battered by gale-force amps, you need something solid to hold on to -- and hold down. So: Dip a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich in pancake batter, dunk it in a deep fryer, and dust it with powdered sugar. Voilà: Bar eats supreme. The crisp, cakey crust conceals a molten heart as sweet as Clevelands own. (15711 Waterloo Road; 216-383-1124)



Monte Cristo

Canters Deli, Los Angeles

Popularized in the 60s at the restaurant inside Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the Monte Cristo is bread, turkey, ham, and Swiss dipped in batter and grilled like French toast. The Canters version is a sweet, meaty sponge sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with strawberry jam. (419 North Fairfax Avenue; 323-651-2030)



Club Sandwich

Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas

Two tiny triangles of toasted country bread and two disks of creamy foie gras transformed by Gallic culinary voodoo into a bite-sized treatise on opposites -- simple versus complex, earthy versus rarefied -- all of it gone too soon, in the melancholy French manner. (3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702-731-7731)



The Tyler

Cheese N Stuff, Phoenix

It began in the days before the belly and the beer that made it, when I was a high school wrestler. My prize for making weight was two hours to ingest as much as I could before getting my ass kicked. I found Cheese n Stuff, which stood out not just because it was old and weathered in new, prefab Phoenix but because it had all these weird foods -- pickled things, things in aluminum tubes, headcheese. A father and son -- Stan Zawatski, middle-aged, and Emil, his father -- were behind the counter. This was my creation: a hoagie roll, split wide and topped with Boars Head turkey, Muenster, and lettuce, dressed with ribbons of tomato and hot peppers, deli mustard for zing, avocado for lubrication. I ate it at the gym before my match. Then again before my next. I went the week after that, twice. Then I quit wrestling, and on good weeks had it every other day. I ate it before the first concert I drove to with friends, and on graduation day. After a few months, I didnt have to order anymore. Just enter and smile, a nod between priest and supplicant. Or call first, get Stans daughter on the phone -- Tell your dad Tylers coming in, okay? (5042 North Central Avenue; 602-266-3636) --Tyler Cabot



Cochon de Lait PoBoy

Walkers Bar-B-Que, New Orleans

For years, this sandwich -- twelve-hour-hickory-roasted suckling pig, topped with creamy Cajun mustard slaw -- was available only at Jazz Fest. Now theres a shop, where the cult of the cochon can worship year-round. But you can still get it at Jazz Fest. (10828 Hayne Boulevard; 504-241-8227)

Michael Schmelling

Torta de Milanesa

Las Nueva, Los Angeles

A neon crown hangs in the doorway of the East L. A. institution that serves the king of the spicy torta, or Mexican sandwich: breaded carne asada, cheese, avocado, and jalapeños on a toasted roll glistening with grease. Dip it in one of the homemade salsas. (3701 East First Street; 323-264-0678)



Italian Beef

Als #1 Italian Beef, Chicago

The stockyard special: thinly sliced beef on bread from the 122-year-old Gonella bakery, enhanced by giardiniera, a fermented vegetable relish made with hot peppers and celery. You could buy the ingredients and study the method, but it aint gonna taste like Als. (1079 West Taylor Street; 312-226-4017)



Jibarito

Borinquen, Chicago

At first it looks like any sandwich: bread, mayo, meat, iceberg lettuce, tomato. But the bread is actually twice-fried green plantains (sliced and pressed into rectangles and brushed with garlic and oil), and the meat is traditional Latino (slow-cooked pork; chopped skin-on fried chicken). An American sandwich with Puerto Rican roots. (1720 California Avenue; 773-227-6038)



McRib

McDonalds, Multiple Locations

The pickles slay me. The other components of the McRib -- sauce, meat, onions, bun -- are straight outta barbecue antiquity. But the pickles are an unexpected wacko touch. Is that how they do it in . . . what, Kansas City? Because I grew up an active citizen of fast-food nation, this is what my palate has been calibrated to want: the overdetermined tang of the sauce, meat that tastes slightly of the mixing vat, the grace note of those pickles. I look forward to its occasional rerelease, because however artificial, it tastes like the real thing to me. --Scott Dickensheets



Grilled Cheese

Café Muse, Royal Oak, Michigan

Grilled cheese: Wonder bread, Velveeta, and a clothes iron. Or: Havarti, for creaminess. Mozzarella for gooeyness. Fontina for bite. Honey to linger on the tongue, paired with the sharp anise nip of fresh basil and the sweet tang of grilled tomato. (317 South Washington Avenue; 248-544-4749)



Lisa Cs Boisterous Brisket

Zingermans, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Gold Angus-beef brisket, dry-rubbed with sea salt, pungent Tellicherry black pepper, garlic, and marjoram, is left to sit in a mixture of butter-sautéed onions, caramelly demerara sugar, ketchup, molasses, garlic, and cayenne. Later its hand-pulled and layered into a bun thats basically challah baked in hot-dog-roll form. On the side you get molasses-baked beans with applewood-smoked bacon, best added to the sandwich. (422 Detroit Street; 734-663-3354)

Michael Schmelling

Sweet Coppa with Hot Peppers and Rucola

Ino, New York City

Ino is short for panino -- in this case, an artful little Italian sandwich pressed flat. The bread comes from a bakery across the street, and the combinations inside come from a wild imagination. Sweet cured ham stands up to the fiery peppers -- pop the sugary roasted garlic cloves on the side to extinguish the flames. (21 Bedford Street; 212-989-5769)



Corned Beef

Slymans, Cleveland

Bernie Kosar jerseys outnumber the business suits, but just barely. The corned beef is why you go: a softball-sized lump of lean the color of a Great Lakes sunset, kissed with fat and slow-cooked to succulence, then nestled between clouds of fresh bread. (3106 St. Clair Avenue; 216-621-3760)



Polish Boy

Freddies Rib House, Cleveland

Soul on white. A pipes length of kielbasa is wrapped in a bun and mounded with french fries, then dressed with coleslaw and barbecue sauce. Ignore any toxic runoff: Locals consider cuff stains a red badge of courage. The genteel can request a fork, because, yo, every circus needs a clown. (1431 St. Clair Avenue; 216-575-1750)



Chicken Sandwich

Chick-Fil-A, Multiple Locations

You can get a chicken sandwich anywhere, which may explain your low expectations. Boneless breast. Bun. Blah. But down south, there lives an eye-opener. A come-to-Jesus sandwich. The Chick-fil-A. Seasoned, breaded breast served on a toasted buttered bun with dill-pickle slices. No mayo. No sauce at all. Deceptively simple, yet transcendent. The hook is the breading: spicy, with an intoxicating crunch. The meat is always juicy, never chewy. The bun is like lingerie -- there, but not, providing delicious support without obscuring the main flavor. The first bite changes everything you think you know about chicken. And about the need for condiments. --Allison Glock



Chopped Pork

Allen & Son Barbeque, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Famous among the vinegar-based smoke pits of North Carolina for its tart, smoky sandwiches. The owner, Keith Allen, still splits his own hickory in the backyard, fueling the fires that cook your meat. (6203 Millhouse Road; 919-942-7576)

Michael Schmelling

Ferdis Special

Mothers Restaurant, New Orleans

At Mothers, a downtown refuge for the workingman (and tourists), theyve been serving all kinds of meat since 1938. The Ferdi, a kind of compilation poboy, has the greatest hits: tender baked ham, roast beef, and debris, the gorgeous, grease-darkened bits of meat that fall into the pan during roasting. Shredded cabbage and Creole mustard mix with the juices to create an alchemy from above. (401 Poydras Street; 504-523-9656)



Cubano

Latin America Cafeteria, Miami

Little Havanas specialty, an eight-inch roll wet with butter, plus sugar-cured bolo ham, lechon asado (slow-roasted marinated pork), Swiss cheese, and pickle, toasted in a plancha (press). The later the hour, the better it tastes. (9606 SW Sunset Drive, 305-279-4353)



Seafood Salad

La Sandwicherie, Miami Beach

Go with the French bread, not the croissant -- its appropriately crusty and soft in the middle. And get it to stay -- the seating is outdoors, and the seafood salad (jumbo lump crab, shrimp) goes well with the salty air. (229 Fourteenth Street; 305-532-8934)



Roast Pork with Provolone

Johns Roast Pork, Philadelphia

Although the area looks like a good place to dump a body, when Johns opened in 1930 the shipyards were bustling, and the place still keeps day-laborers hours: 6:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cheesesteak is the best in town, but your first time, get Philadelphias sleeper signature sandwich, the roast pork with shards of provolone. Only the large size comes on a seeded roll from Carangi Bakery, the perfect texture to absorb the juices without falling apart. The meat and cheese meld together while retaining flavor and texture -- molecular gastronomy at its finest. (14 East Snyder Avenue; 215-463-1951) --Francine Maroukian



Chicken Cutlet

Shanks & Evelyns Luncheonette, South Philadelphia

You dont need a hangover to appreciate the chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe and provolone at Shanks & Evelyns. But with a little planning, you can acquire one and come to know the best morning-after sandwich in the world. And no matter how many times I tell myself that Im too damn old for this kind of excess, the side of head-clearing long hots -- peppers eaten straight (vodka hangover) or jammed into the sandwich (bourbon) -- remind me that theres no satisfaction in playing it safe. (932 South Tenth Street; 215-629-1093) --F. M.

Michael Schmelling

Ham and Cheese

Primanti Bros., Pittsburgh

A relic of Pittsburghs steel days, this sandwich was made for steelworkers who had to eat fast. Everything that typically comes with a sandwich comes on it: meat cooked hot, bacon, tomato, provolone, pickles, slaw, an egg for fifty cents extra, even fries. Shove it in your lunch box. (46 Eighteenth Street; 412-263-2142)



Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese

Brennans Deli, Rumson, New Jersey

Fancier places around the Garden State call it Taylor ham, but to the hungry, hungover Jersey masses, the salamilike breakfast meat is pork roll. Fry it up in bacon fat and serve it on a kaiser roll with a fried egg and a slice of American cheese, or ask the good men of Brennans to do it for you. Its the only way to start a bad day. (44 West River Road; 732-530-0302)



Tuna Niçoise

Bouchon Bakery, New York City

Looks like a regular tuna sandwich, except the bread is crusty and minutes old. The tuna comes with capers instead of celery, aioli on top of mayo, and cornichons instead of a pickle. Plus tarragon and sliced soft-cooked egg. Its mundane. Its exhilarating. Its the best tuna sandwich weve ever eaten. (10 Columbus Circle; 212-823-9366)



Pastrami on Rye

Katzs, New York City

You know Katzs. You know the scene in When Harry Met Sally. The orgasm. And if youve been there, you know she wasnt faking it -- the fatty, thick-cut pastrami on rye is that good. Better with a smear of mustard. (205 East Houston Street; 212-254-2246)



Three-Terrine Bánh Mì

Momofuku Ssäm, New York City

Youd never stand at a Plexiglas counter and tell the guy to top your crusty bread with chicken liver, ham terrine, and you know what, throw on some scraps of veal face. Just order this sickly delicious bánh mì and, without thinking too much, enjoy the crisp, earthy texture of...that delicious stuff between the bread. (207 Second Avenue; 212-254-3500)

Michael Schmelling

Fried Cod

Cove Fish Market, Stonington, Connecticut

When a fish starts its morning in the ocean and ends up in a deep-fryer that afternoon, the result is reliably tasty. The Cove has been proving this for four decades, turning out some of the best no-frills fish sandwiches on the Eastern Seaboard. (20 Old Stonington Road; 860-536-0061)



The Bomb

Sal, Kris, and Charlie Deli, Queens, New York

The Sandwich Kings of Astoria stick to a simple formula: Use great ingredients and a lot of them. Know what you want to order when its your turn and youll have a great experience -- thatll be the Bomb, an Italian with nine kinds of meat. (33-12 Twenty-third Avenue; 718-278-9240)



Hot Lobster Roll

Abbots Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Connecticut

The best way to get to Abbotts is by boat -- float in, tie up, and order the classic, made with a quarter pound of meat, melted butter, and not a drop of mayo. Get a table out on the dock. (117 Pearl Street; 860-536-7719)



Maple-Barbecue Pulled Pork

Vermont Country Deli, Brattleboro, Vermont

Bunch of northerners making pulled pork? Damn straight. Two words: Maple. Syrup. (436 Western Avenue; 802-257-9254)



Grilled Lobster and Cheese

Restaurant Bricco, West Hartford, Connecticut

Generous clumps of fresh lobster tossed in a net of stringy, buttery Havarti and gently pressed between grilled white toast. Wash it down with a glass of prosecco. Youll feel like youre celebrating. (78 LaSalle Road; 860-233-0220)



Gyro

East Side Pocket, Providence

The sliced lamb gets a quick char while you pick out your toppings -- any or all from a list of ten: hot sauce, hummus, tabouleh, tahini, yogurt-cucumber sauce, various veggies. Thirty seconds and six bucks later, youre eating the best Syrian street food outside Damascus. (278 Thayer Street; 401-453-1100)



Lamb Sirloin

Matt Murphys Brookline, Massachusetts

In a land teeming with trite Irish pubs, Matt Murphys stands alone: no Gaelic street signs, no U2 poster, no Molly Bloom Mozzarella Stix. But this hits you like a Joycean epiphany: sirloin, cooked until it dissolves on the crusty potato bread, and pickles, daubed with sweet relish and a sauce bearing the faintest rumor of mint. (14 Harvard Street; 617-232-0188)



Prosciutto and Asiago

Little Notch Café, Southwest Harbor, Maine

Let the others scarf lobster rolls. Up near Acadia National Park, where the crowds thin out, sharp Asiago and sweet prosciutto offer a different sort of local comfort. Grab one and catch the mail boat out to breathtaking Cranberry Island, where the crowds disappear into nothing. (340 Main Street; 207-244-3357)

Other contributors: Matt Belloni, Jake Bogach, Maile Carpenter, Tom Colligan, Tim Heffernan, Buddy Kite, Brian Mockenhaupt, Jeff Ousborne, Mike Rosenwald, and Christopher Solomon.

The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches

The Guide:

The Best Sandwiches in America

The Recipes:

Michael Symons Italian Breakfast Sandwich

Harold Dieterles Chicken-Parm Hero with Sausage

Rob Evans Tuna Melt

Kevin Davis Rich Boy

Rick Moonens Catfish Sloppy Joe

Lee Hefters Steak Sandwich

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