The Primanti Brothers' Sandwich

I had the pleasure of living in Pittsburgh for about a year, and one of the things I consistently miss is the amazing Primanti Brothers sandwich. Often in conversation with friends and aquaintences, the subject of Pittsburgh will come up and sometimes I will bring up the Primanti Brothers' sandwich. When I do so, I am most often met with a blank stare. It is both a shock and a shame that most of the world has never heard of this gem.

The Primanti Brothers' sandwich is a Pittsburgh institution that has even been shipped out to my present home, San Francisco, by some Pittsburgh transplants, although not Primanti's themselves. The sandwich consists of two hulking pieces of fresh Italian bread bookending your choice of meat, cole slaw, tomatoes, and french fries! They serve it up on a piece of wax paper and let you go to town! It sounds crazy, but this is one of the best meals you are even going to have, and its origins date back in Pittsburgh lore.

According to the Primanti Brothers' Website, www.primantibros.com, the sandwich started at a hole-in-the-wall shop in Pittsburgh's Strip District, where the original Primanti Brothers stil stands. Back in the 1930s in the middle of the night, workers were busy unloading crates of fruits and vegetables for the many markets in the Strip District and they needed a hearty meal. So, one of the old Primanti's opened up a restaurant, but they forgot the forks and knives, allowing the workers to eat all the fixings with one hand and keep on working with the other! Nothing like a little quirky history with your food.