Hey, guess what? Insider has gone ahead and created another list that we can fight over. Because that’s what we all need this fine Monday morning. This one is “the most iconic sandwiches in every state.” Insider did not describe its methodology for choosing these sandwiches, and the list is in the form of a nearly 12-minute video, so sorry Wyoming. (Well, okay, you could also skip ahead.)
Some of the selections are of the no-duh variety: pork tenderloin for Indiana, loose meat for Iowa, Cuban sandwich for Florida, burnt ends for Missouri, hot chicken for Tennessee, Philly cheesesteak for Pennsylvania. Others show some appreciation of local culture: runza for Nebraska and fry bread taco for Arizona. (For the record, both Carolinas get pulled pork; South Carolina is distinguished by gold sauce.) Other choices are more suspect: Is the Tillamook cheese factory reason enough to make grilled cheese the favorite sandwich of Oregon? Is one sandwich at one sandwich shop—the Bobbie at Capriotti’s—truly representative of the entire state of Delaware? If you don’t believe hot dogs/sausages or burgers qualify as true sandwiches, you’ll also take issue with a few of the choices. But isn’t that really the point of these lists anyway?
DISCUSSION
Okay here’s the list. The rest of you can rank it!
Alabama – pulled chicken with white BBQ sauce
Alaska – reindeer hot dog
Arizona – frybread taco
Arkansas – fried baloney sandwich
California – In’n’Out Burger (double-double, on a bun or lettuce wrapped)
Colorado – Fool’s Gold Loaf (PB&J with bacon, hero/sub/hoagie style sandwich)
Connecticut – original steamed hamburger
Delaware – Capriotti’s Bobbie sandwich (turkey, cranberry + stuffing)
Florida – Cuban sandwich
Georgia – pimiento cheese sandwich
Hawaii – kalua pork sandwich
Idaho – PB & Huckleberry jam sandwich
Illinois – Italian beef sandwich
Indiana – pork tenderloin sandwich
Iowa – loose meat sandwich
Kansas – Z-Man sandwich, Joe’s KC (brisket, provolone, onion rings, BBQ sauce)
Kentucky – Hot Brown
Louisiana – Po’boy (seafood)
Maine – lobster roll
Maryland – fried softshell crab sandwich
Massachusetts — Fluffernutter
Michigan – Coney dog
Minnesota – Juicy Lucy
Mississippi – fried catfish sandwich
Missouri – burnt ends sandwich
Montana – pork chop sandwich
Nebraska – Runza (beef and cabbage stuffed baked bun)
Nevada – patty melt
New Hampshire – Monte Cristo (with maple syrup???)
New Jersey – Pork Roll / Taylor ham sandwich (with egg and cheese; a breakfast sandwich)
New Mexico – green chili cheeseburger
New York – Bagel with cream cheese and lox
North Carolina – pulled pork sandwich (both Eastern and Western style)
North Dakota – Hot beef sandwich (sliced roast beef with mashed potato and gravy, on white)
Ohio – Polish boy (a kielbasa with coleslaw, French fries and BBQ sauce)
Oklahoma – Chicken Fried Steak sandwich
Oregon – grilled cheese
Pennsylvania – Philly Cheesesteak (“wit”)
Rhode Island – hot weiner dog (basically a coney)
South Carolina – pulled pork sandwich with gold sauce
South Dakota – Pheasant sandwich
Tennessee – Hot chicken sandwich
Texas – brisket sandwich
Utah – Pastrami burger (cheeseburger with a slice of pastrami)
Vermont – “Vermonter” sandwich (smoked turkey, cheddar, apple and honey mustard)
Virginia – Country ham sandwich
Washington – Banh Mi
West Virginia – pepperoni roll
Wisconsin — Brats
Wyoming – bison burger