Last issue, The Northside Chronicle announced the return of our annual fundraiser, Northside Sandwich Week, which will run Oct. 19 to Oct. 26. We are now ready to share full details about this year’s highest-stakes sandwich competition.
Northside Sandwich Week will see 10 local restaurants compete for the title of Sandwich King or Queen. During Oct. 19-25, each of these restaurants will offer their entry into the competition at a special discount. Then, Oct. 26, they will come together at The Priory Grand Hall with bite-sized samples of their sandwich for a final judging event, during which ticket buyers will have the chance to taste each sandwich and vote for their favorite.
The top three vote-getters will receive plaques; the one with the most votes will get the coveted crown and cape, and enter the annals of sandwich royalty.
Two of our top three finalists from last year are returning, aiming to either repeat or improve upon their previous success. Breadbox, which claimed second place last year, has entered their Fig & Smoked Gouda Chicken Panini into the contest. This toasty sandwich features fig jam, shredded chicken, arugula, spicy mustard, mayonnaise sauce and smoked gouda cheese, all on a crisped ciabatta bread. The restaurant will be offering the sandwich for $1 off during Sandwich Week.
Meanwhile, third-place finisher Ida’s Sandwich Shop is coming in hot with their Sweet Heat Smashburger. This twist on a classic meal features a juicy smash burger topped with gouda cheese, fresh jalapenos, red onions and a creamy house-made spread blended with candied jalapenos and bacon. As Ida’s co-owner Erica Sumpter put it, “Sweet heat. Big flavor. Ida’s style.” During Sandwich Week, this burger will be available with a free side of fries.
Also returning to the competition is Wise County Biscuits & Cafe, which fared well last year but not quite high enough to place among the top three. They’re hoping to change that this year with a roast turkey breast sandwich featuring apple, squash, curly endive and cranberry mayo on herb focaccia, a meal sure to be a fierce competitor. Anyone finding this sandwich to sound particularly tasty can snag it for a Sandwich Week discount of $2 off.
However, it is not all returning competitors, as seven new restaurants will step up to the plate this year, all hoping to show off just how delicious their food can be.
Northside staple Bistro-To-Go is coming in hot with their Southern Club, featuring bacon, turkey, tomato, chipotle mayo, candied jalapeno and pickled okra between two Everything Buns. Snag it for $1 off during the week and see if this offering deserves the crown.
Newcomer SoHo is coming in big with the largest discount of the competition. The restaurant will offer their Pittsburgh Lasagna (which combines lasagna and meat sauce with vine-ripened tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and garlic toast) for half-off as part of Sandwich Week.
Deutschtown’s The Smash Shack is bringing a sandwich that just screams Pittsburgh. They’re entering their Smashed Kielbaustrian, featuring kielbasa and potato pancakes along with green apple slaw and Austrian mustard on a pretzel bun. The Shack hasn’t decided on their deal yet, so follow Northside Sandwich Week or The Northside Chronicle on social media to get the details as soon as they become available.
Fans of spicy food should be sure to check out Modern Cafe’s entry, the Northside Chick. The sandwich features spicy garlic herb-grilled chicken, pickled jalapeno coleslaw and spicy pickle kettle chip crunch on a brioche bun, finished off with a new signature Modern Sauce. Save big during Sandwich Week by getting this meal for $2 off.
With “sandwich” in their name, The Sandwich Shoppe is sure to be major competition for the other restaurants. This Allegheny West restaurant is going with an Italian-American classic, bringing their The Godfather hoagie and offering it with a free soft drink for the week.
We have a dual entry this year, as new restaurant The Eastman and Taqueria Acosta are jointly submitting their Beef on Weck. This western New York classic features medium rare roasted beef on a homemade kimmelweck bun, and served with hot au jus and cool horseradish. The sandwich will be 50 cents cheaper for Sandwich Week, so be sure to take advantage of this deal.
Finally, De Fer Coffee & Tea’s Troy Hill location is going for a very different kind of sandwich, one which attendees might eat last but will hopefully rank first. They’re bringing their Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich with Espresso Buttercream, a tasty dessert that will come with a free drip coffee for Sandwich Week.
And that brings us to the end of our sandwich reveals. So be sure to visit all these wonderful restaurants during sandwich week, take advantage of their amazing deals and support Northside businesses.
Then, try them all in one place at our final judging event, taking place Oct. 26 from 6-9 p.m. at The Priory Grand Hall. Tickets are on sale right now here. Your $25 ticket not only lets you sample a bite-sized version of each of the above sandwiches, but also gets you two free beers from Penn Brewery, only on offer at the event.
What’s more, for only $19.99 more during your ticket purchase, you can get a six-month subscription to The Northside Chronicle to support us even more. That’s a more than 50% discount off standard subscription prices, so if you’ve ever wanted to give The Chronicle a try, here’s a cheap way to do so.
We want to thank all the participating restaurants and Penn Brewery for supporting us, as well as all of our eventual attendees. We also want to thank the Ya-Jagoff! podcast, who will be the emcees at our final judging event, and who are securing our panel of judges (which will include Northside rockstar Johnny Angel).
For more information about Northside Sandwich Week, visit northsidesandwichweek.com or follow the event on Facebook or Instagram (@ nschron). Purchase tickets now while they’re available, as it will be a tasty night you won’t want to miss.
