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Jack Flaps restaurant at 3900 Lorain Ave. has rapidly become an Ohio City landmark.

(Courtesy, Jack Flaps restaurant)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "The love of pho" was what inspired chef Randy Carter of Jack Flaps restaurant in Cleveland to conjure up a breakfast version of a classic Vietnamese sandwich. The unexpected eye-opener won him top honors in the "best breakfast sandwich" category of the 2014 Best Sandwiches In America contest by Restaurant Hospitality magazine.

The restaurant is located at 3900 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. Chef-restaurateur Eric Williams (Momocho, El Carnicero, Happy Dog) is a partner in the restaurant. Restaurant Hospitality is a trade publication that covers the nation's food service industry.

The $8.50 sandwich, which combines Vietnamese sausage, a fried egg, kimchi, housemade hot sauce and Vietnamese cinnamon landed Carter the prize.

"The banh mi sandwich has been blowing up for the last several years, at least in bigger cities and places that have a Vietnamese population," wrote the magazine's editors. "And almost always, the sandwich is served at lunch, maybe dinner. But chef Carter, being the wild and crazy guy he is, figured that it would be a mind-blower at breakfast, especially if he threw an egg on top.

"We judges believe that if you throw a fried egg on top of an old shoe, it would be pretty tasty. But not nearly as tasty as what Carter has done here. If you've got a hangover, here's your deliverance."

Carter's sandwich bested the Ooh La La from Grub Restaurant in Los Angeles and the Fried Egg Sandwich from Max's Wine Dive in Houston.

Several Ohio restaurants earned Honorable Mention recognitions from the magazine:

• The Bahama Mama from Schmidt's Restaurant und Sausage Haus in Columbus, in the "Hot Dog / Sausage" category.

• The Roasted Turkey and Preserves Sandwich from Bar 145 in Toledo, in the "Turkey" category.

• The Reu-Bert, from Kingy's Pizza Pub in Canal Winchester, in the "Deli" category.

• The Harvest Panini from Green Leaf's restaurant at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, in the "Panini" category.

In all, more than 50 sandwiches in 18 different categories were recognized across the U.S. For a complete list of winners and honorable mentions, click here.

Restaurant Hospitality, a Penton publication, is based in Cleveland. Michael Sanson is the magazine's editor.