Thrillist held its first annual Hall of Heroes sandwich competition at the Bowery Hotel.

In a fierce battle, guests freely tasted all of the excellent sandwich options but were ultimately tasked to select one winner above all.

We enjoyed them all – let’s be real, who doesn’t love sandwiches?! – but only one could be crowned a winner of the day.

My personal favorite was the Cuban Sandwich from Cafe Habana with house-marinated roasted pork, sliced ham, swiss, and garlic dill pickles, dripping with a delicious chipotle mayo sauce.

Also loved the Italian sandwich options from Alidoro that were packed to the brim with meats: prosciutto, soppressata, mozzarella, sweet roasted peppers, and olive paste. To be authentically Italian, there were giant slabs of meats and cheese on the table for guests to paw at.

Always a fan favorite Luke’s Lobster served up three different rolls of fresh lobster, crab, or shrimp. Fresh Salt had a meatloaf slider with horseradish mayo, and Melt Shop had their BLT with Cola-braised pork belly.

We’re still not sick of the chicken sandwich trend and enjoyed Sticky’s Finger Joint’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich with their specialty Sticky’s sauce, homemade purple slaw, and plenty of hot sauce. Whitmans served a Cheesesteak Sandwich doused with delicious melted cheese, and Blue Dog served bites of their Roast Beef Sandwich.

For a breakfast-y take on things, Union Bar & Kitchen served their Specialty Sandwich with a fried egg, crispy panko-crusted pork cutlet, provolone, hot mustard-infused tonkatsu sauce, and pickled ginger nestled on an English muffin. The Jam Stand went with the classic PB&J with local house-made jam.

American Cut served a Reuben Sandwich with house-made pastrami, fermented slaw, ramp Russian dressing, and Jarlsberg cheese on rye bread.

Ultimately they took home the coveted title of the Hall of Heroes competition winner.

To wash it all down, guests enjoyed beer from Radebeger and Schöfferhofer and cocktails courtesy of Deep Eddy Vodka. It’s not a complete meal without dessert, and going with the theme of sandwiches was a make-your-own ice cream sandwich station where you could select your own cookie bases, ice cream flavor, and choose from a variety of toppings to sprinkle on the sides.

Yours,
Von

Photos via Thrillist and by Yvonne Lee