Proud Eats

Got this from Crain's Cleveland who got it from Esquire.

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Here’s more evidence that you should be glad you live in Cleveland.

Esquire magazine’s feature on the best sandwiches in America (excluding hamburgers) includes no less than five mentions of local spots or chefs.The Beachland Ballroom at 15711 Waterloo Road makes the list for its Trailer Park Monte Cristo. It’s not for the diet-minded (nothing is in this feature, even if Jared makes you think sandwiches are health food), but it sounds delicious: “Bobbing in a sea of Blue Ribbon, battered by gale-force amps, you need something solid to hold on to — and hold down. So: Dip a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich in pancake batter, dunk it in a deep fryer, and dust it with powdered sugar. Voilà: Bar eats supreme. The crisp, cakey crust conceals a molten heart as sweet as Cleveland’s own.”

The corned beef sandwich at Slyman’s, 3106 St. Clair Ave., also makes the cut.“Bernie Kosar jerseys outnumber the business suits, but just barely,” Esquire says. “The corned beef is why you go: a softball-sized lump of lean the color of a Great Lakes sunset, kissed with fat and slow-cooked to succulence, then nestled between clouds of fresh bread.”

Also earning Esquire’s approval is the Polish Boy at Freddie’s Rib House, 1431 St. Clair.“Soul on white,” the magazine says. “A pipe’s length of kielbasa is wrapped in a bun and mounded with french fries, then dressed with coleslaw and barbecue sauce. Ignore any toxic runoff: Locals consider cuff stains a red badge of courage. The genteel can request a fork, because, yo, every circus needs a clown.”

Celebrity chef Michael Symon of Lola and Lolita also contributes a recipe for an Italian breakfast sandwich that looks and sounds absolutely incredible, if eggs, salami, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese on sourdough bread is your thing.

He also makes a recommendation. His favorite sandwich is the D7 pork bánh mì from Superior Pho in Cleveland.