Why is it that sandwiches are so much better on the East Coast than they are out here in the West??? Seriously… most sandwich shops West of the Mississippi are an ABSOLUTE JOKE. I was in a sandwich shop a week ago and asked for a Reuben… the girl behind the counter didn’t even know what one was… (uh Reuben… uh… isn’t that the guy who won American Idol a few years ago???) Ridiculous! A Reuben is corned beef, sauerkraut, and russian dressing on toasted rye… it’s a marvelous sandwich… but I still haven’t found a really good one here in Utah. Want a good cheese steak??? Forget about it in the West! Personally I don’t think a person has ever REALLY tasted a good cheese steak unless they’ve had an authentic one…. IN PHILADELPHIA… you just can’t compare!
My theory is that the quality of your sandwich is directly correlated to your geographical location in the United States. If you’re in DC or New York… any corner sandwich shop will serve you up some good stuff…. but if you’re anyplace West of the Appalachians…. your better off taking your chances with Mexican food or rolling the dice on some Quiznos or a Subway.
Of course there are some exceptions… My favorite sandwich of all time is called the Bobbie sandwich (pictured above) it’s a turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce and stuffing… ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! The Bobbie can be found only at a sandwich shop called Capriotti’s… which was originally founded in Delaware back in 1976 (good East coast pedigree) Sometime in the 1990’s the owners opened a couple of Capriotti’s sandwich shops in the Las Vegas area. I had my first Bobbie sandwich in 1999 and was hooked for life. The good news is that since 1999 Capriotti’s has expanded into California, Arizona and even St. George, Utah!
Next time you want to taste an authentic East coast style sandwich all you have to do is head South to Utah’s Dixie!