Photo by Kelsey Shea
Last year, Benjamin’s served its signature burger (above). This year the restaurant will be submitting a candied jalapeno bacon burger.

By Alyse Horn

Northside forecast for the week: cloudy with a chance of sandwiches.

Beginning today, the Northside Leadership Conference’s third annual Northside Sandwich Week kicks off with 15 local restaurants competing to be the Sandwich King (or Queen) of the Northside.

Last year, Modern Café’s Spicy Sicilian was voted best sandwich out of the 13 restaurants that participated. This year it is defending its title and serving up a Gyro Melt against the following eateries:

Atria’s Roasted Chicken Wrap

Monterey Pub Swinewich

Bistro to Go Courtyard Chicken Sandwich

El Burro Carnitas Rolled Taco

James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy Jamaican Me James Street

Penn Brewery Braised Shortrib Slider

Peppi’s Blazin’ Saddle

Max’s Allegheny Tavern Pulled Pork Bar-B-Que

Arde Arde Panino

Benjamin’s Candied Jalapeno Bacon Burger

Chateau Café & Cakery Iron City Beef

Mullen’s Ultimate Steel Steak

BZ’s Bar & Grill The Castro

SoHo Spicy BLT Wrap

The Sandwich Sampler event being held on Thursday, June 26 at the Priory Grand Hotel is sold out, but Pittsburgher’s can visit the restaurants during the week to taste and vote for their favorite sandwich.

This year’s celebrity judges for the Sandwich Sampler include Harold Betters a.k.a. Mr. Trombone, “The Gyro Queens” Irene Karavolos and Fanny Kostos, and former Pirates pitcher Grant Jackson.

The NSLC Sandwich Week recently won the Best New Program or Idea Promoting the Northside at the Northside Northshore Chamber of Commerce 2014 Business Awards Luncheon. To read more, click here.