Food Fight: Battle for the Ultimate Sandwich

Seven chefs entered. Only one left a winner. But no one left hungry. Behold the most mind-blowing, gut-busting, life-changing sandwiches ever made.

Maria Fontoura

Mar 23, 2011

Seven chefs entered. Only one left a winner. But no one left hungry. Behold the most mind-blowing, gut-busting, life-changing sandwiches ever made.

Click here to see the sandwich slideshow.

Is there any food more perfect than the sandwich?

Grab a handful of anything you love—meat, cheese, veggies, pizza, all four—shove between two pieces of bread, add condiment, consume. It’s an all-in-one delivery system for belly-filling happiness, no forks necessary. We have just one complaint: Classic sandwiches have grown stale. Ham and cheese? Ho-hum. PBJ? More like PB-played. (Sorry.) So we challenged the chefs at some of New York’s best restaurants to take our favorite meal to the next level in a head-to-head competition. Then we got New York Jets monster Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold to help us pick a winner. The battle royal was more delicious than we ever could have imagined.

The Rules

1. Create the ultimate man sandwich.

2. Do not make anything that’s currently on the menu at one of your restaurants.

The Judges

I. NICK MANGOLD

Center, New York Jets

Favorite sandwich: “If I can get a turkey club, I’m living the high life.”

II.JAMES BRISCIONE

Chef-Instructor, Institute of Culinary Education

Favorite sandwich: “The bigger the pile of meat between two slices of bread, the happier I am.”

III. MARIA FONTOURA

Senior Editor, Maxim

Favorite sandwich: “An Italian hero with sharp provolone and lots of vinegar, or whitefish salad on a salt bagel.”

IV. JESSE BRUKMAN

Associate Editor, Maxim

Favorite sandwich: “Chicken parm, because it combines my two favorite food groups: ‘fried’ and ‘cheese.’”