Which is the greatest food city in America? I could argue among three or four contenders. What about the greatest music city in America? Likewise. But when phrased as, “Which is the greatest food and music city in America,” there is only one answer: New Orleans.
Troy Andrews, who you may know as Trombone Shorty, is one of the Crescent City’s most visible and enthusiastic supporters. He knows his food, and he knows his music. From humble brass band roots, Andrews has made the pop cultural crossover to collaborations in rock, hip-hop, country, jazz, you name it. He’s an actor, a philanthropist, an author, a man of multitudes. He’s currently embarked on his Voodoo Threauxdown Tour, performing at a city near you with New Orleanian dignitaries such as Kermit Ruffins and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
And Trombone Shorty’s cool as hell, too. You know why? Because we called him from soundcheck in Baltimore and he told us whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
The Takeout: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Trombone Shorty: Well, I think anything that’s between two pieces of bread, I guess that is a sandwich. I’ve definitely had hot dogs where the bread is separated. That would prompt the question, what is a hot dog?
TO: That’s an interesting thought. We never thought to invert the question on itself.
TS: You know what, coming from New Orleans, I would say a hot dog is a sandwich. We’ll take a piece of bread and fold around a sandwich meat like turkey. My mom does that all the time. My grandmother too will take the ends of [a roll]—it’s brown on the outside and white inside—and she’ll take a piece a meat and a piece of cheese, and that’s a sandwich. So I guess a hot dog is as well.