The 5 Best New Sandwiches in America
Bon Appétit Magazine // Andrew Knowlton & Julia Kramer

In a good sandwich, each component—be it the starring meat or the spicy condiment or the housemade bread—can stand on its own. But in the best sandwich, all these outstanding components fuse together to become a thing greater than themselves. That’s the case for our most memorable sandwiches from this past year.

Sandwich of the Year: The Classic Lox Sandwich 
Philly Style Bagels, Philadelphia
The truth is, any combination of ingredients you put between these crazily flavorful bagels—be it hummus, tuna, or bacon-lettuce-and-tomato—will be life-changing. At the risk of starting an inter-city rivalry with New York, we think Collin Shapiro and Jonathon Zilber are making some of the best bagels in the country. What makes them that great? They’re fermented in small batches, hand-rolled, boiled in local Yards beer (that’s what makes them Philly style), and baked on wood planks. The result is a smallish, pleasantly dense, and chewy bagel with a superior crust. They say a sandwich is only as good as the bread you use. We couldn’t agree more.

The Runners Up:

Nana’s Meatloaf Sandwich 
Mekelburg’s, NYC
We don’t know if Mekelburg’s is the first place to serve caviar-topped baked potatoes and epic sandwiches in a garden-level space with all the ambiance of a suburban basement. But we can safely say it’s the best place to do so. The tender meatloaf with gravy and fresh ricotta is mind-blowing.

Cheesesteak 
Boeufhaus, Chicago
As much as we love the dimly lit atmosphere of Boeufhaus in the evening, there’s one very important thing missing from the dinner menu: sandwiches. These—like the out-of-this-world cheesesteak piled with thinly shaved ribeye and white American cheese on a toasted roll—you can get only at lunch.

Pastrami Sandwich 
Whitfield, Pittsburgh
There’s no shortage of jaw-dropping sandwiches in the ’burgh. It’s time to add one more to the list: the pullman slices heaped with house-cut and smoked brisket and topped with malt-vinegar slaw at this restaurant in the Ace Hotel.

Cabrito Kebab 
Rapscallion, Dallas
Somewhere between a taco and a gyro lies this goat-topped flatbread thingamajig. All you need to know is that it’s messy and delicious and topped with Aleppo yogurt, pickled watermelon rind, and toasted pistachios.

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