Heros, Subs, Hoagies, Grinders, Po Boys

[Yavin4]

Explain their differences and similarities. Show your work.

[warrior1]

1. My dog ate my paper

[hollysmom]

2. +1

[kudzu22]

6. No that was me :)

[TheMightyFavog]

3. Grinders, I think are baked to get the cheese nice and gooey.

And Po'Boys are native to Louisiana, and unlike most subs have seafood, fried shrimp in particular.

[LiberalEsto]

13. Grinders are from Massachusetts as far as I know

Subs are NYC
Hoagies - I've heard the term in NJ but it's usually subs there.

[NutmegYankee]

17. Hoagies are around Philadelphia

The normal Italian uses unique hard roll, oil and vinegar, and has oregano added with the meats, provolone, and lettuce & tomato & onions.

Combo/Italian Grinders, like here in SE Conn, are similar but on a softer roll and no oregano or onions.

[KamaAina]

24. Grinders can be found as far south as southern CT

In NJ, there's a sub/hoagie dividing line through the middle of the state, which also separates Yankees/Mets from Phillies fans.

[femmocrat]

4. Subs used to be long and hoagies were short.

I don't know what the difference is now. Nor do I know what a grinder or a po boy is!

[A Little Weird]

5. Location

My 2 cents:

Po' boys are a New Orleans institution - usually involves seafood but can also be other meats.

Subs, hoagies, heros, and grinders are basically the same thing but with different regional names. Although I've always heard the real long sandwiches called subs. The hoagies are from Philadelphia, subs from New York, and the grinders from (I think) Massachusetts. I don't know about the heros.

[union_maid]

8. Subs might be from upstate, NY

Down in in NYC and on Long Island (all I can actually speak to) they were heroes until Subway and other chains came along and homogenized the language. When I was a kid I NEVER heard them called anything but heroes.

[LiberalEsto]

14. I wonder if hero came from the Greek gyro? nt

[union_maid]

15. I guess that's possible

Although the explanation at this link is more or less what I've always heard:

http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/how-the-hero-sandwich-got-its-name/

[SteveG]

34. In northern DE they've always been called subs.

Sliced 10 inch or longer Italian roll, Olive oil on roll, layer hard salami down both sides of the roll partly hanging over each side, provolone cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, sweet or hot peppers, salt pepper oregano, layer ham thinly sliced, fold salami over edges of ham, close the roll, slice in half. That's how we make an Italian.

[Demoiselle]

7. Hoagie is the accepted Philadelphia term.

My favorite hoagie is made of
ham, salami, cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, generous portions of olive oil and oregano, all folded into a lovely 10-inch long Italian roll.
At least I think that's what's in it. I prefer it without really hot salami.
I'm pleased to report that a hoagie shop has just opened within a hundred yards of my house. I am very happy.

[randr]

28. Right on

Hoagies were found in Philadelphia and surrounding Pa areas, subs, also known as submarine sandwiches, were found in Delaware. Grinders are from further north and you could have found all three in Jersey.

[harmonicon]

9. The first four are the same thing.

Po Boys are something different.

Money, please?

[tavernier]

10. So glad you asked!

Many years ago there was a pizza place in Kalamazoo called the Pizza Yen. They made a sub to. die. for.

This is it:

Crispy on the outside, soft of the inside sub bun
ham (not boiled... the good stuff)
onion slices (yellow, not sweet)
hot pizza sauce (a lot) (not spicy, hot as in temperature)
mozzarella cheese (a lot)


By the time they delivered it to your house in the paper sleeve, the copious amounts of cheese had melted from the hot sauce, all gooey and yummy and needing ten paper napkins.

Orgasmic.

[union_maid]

11. In lower NY heroes can be hot or cold

Cold ones can have anything you might normally put in a sandwich in them. My favorite is the Italian Hero, which generally has salami, pepperoni, prociutto, maybe some provolone, lettuce, tomatos and with any luck some roasted peppers topped off with Italian dressing. Just thinking about that is making me hungry and I just had dinner. Hot ones usually used to contain some sort of Italian food - meatballs, sausage and peppers, chicken, veal or eggplant parmigiana being among the most popular. Now, there are a lot more varieties offered, usually involving boneless chicken breast and some combination of cheese and other things.

[Graybeard]

20. Peppers and eggs hero.

One of my favorites is a scooped-out, crusty Italian bread filled with scrambled eggs and green peppers & onions (with plenty of butter on the bread).

[union_maid]

12. Question

While we're on the subject of the sandwich which I still think of as a hero, are six foot long ones popular party food everywhere, or is that a regional thing? I don't think you could have a superbowl party without a six foot long hero here. There might be statutes about it.

[trof]

16. Hey! What about Muffulettas?

A traditional style muffuletta sandwich consists of a muffuletta loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated olive salad, capicola, mortadella, salami, pepperoni, ham, Swiss cheese and provolone. The sandwich is sometimes heated to soften the provolone.[3] Quarter, half, and full-sized muffulettas are sold.

The signature olive salad consists of olives diced with the celery, cauliflower and carrot found in a jar of giardiniera, seasoned with oregano and garlic, covered in olive oil, and allowed to combine for at least 24 hours.

Today, olive salad is commercially produced for restaurants and retail sale by such vendors as the Boscoli Family, Rouses, Dorignacs, Franks, Roland Imported Foods, and Aunt Sally's.

The traditional way to serve the sandwich at Central Grocery is cold, but many vendors will toast. This was mentioned in the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffuletta

[KamaAina]

25. The muffuletta roll is round rather than torpedo-shaped

hence, NOLA's other sandwich is outside the scope of this discussion.

[trof]

31. picky

[jmowreader]

18. Grinders are from anywhere in New England

If you go to the Italian section of Boston, you can't get a grinder. There you can get a Spuckie. Same sandwich, just a different name.

Grinders (which of course are pronounced "grindahs" because it IS New England) can be had cold but you have to specify that.

And for the record, the best grinder shop in New England is Parthenon Pizza in Ayer, MA.

[Populist_Prole]

19. Around where I grew up it was called a "Wedge"

I have no idea why, and I only heard the term in the immediate geographical area, but it was a populated one.

[MiddleFingerMom]

21. ???

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(edit to add) And I just saw Guy Fieri(?) cut a very tasty-looking baguette Cuban sandwich
into triangles (wedges).
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[KamaAina]

27. Was it upstate New York?

I once saw a map of these terms, and it had "wedge" over upstate NY.

Also, Binghamton (!) has its very own sandwich, called a "spiedie". It is basically a kebab on a roll (minus the skewer, of course ).

[Populist_Prole]

29. Well kinda'

To many in NYC, anything north of city limits is "upstate", but the term "wedge" is in widespread use in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, possibly Rockland county as well. Your talking a total of 1 million+ people in that area.

[LeftinOH]

22. Differences: They are called different things in different parts of

the country but they are essentially the same thing. Similarities: They are always tightly wrapped in plastic film; once unwrapped, the bun is found to be so soggy from pickle juice that the whole thing has to be thrown away.

[raptor_rider]

23. Just give me

Pastrami on rye, with Swiss, mayo and 'kraut, of course!!!

[KamaAina]

26. Po'boys should be made with Leidenheimer bread

similarly, Philly cheesesteaks should be served on Amoroso rolls. There is a fad out here in the Bay Area for Philly-style cheesesteak joints, some of which fly in Amoroso rolls. Srsly.

[Taverner]

30. Adomsons. Adomsons is French Dip Heaven

Prime Rib...Sirloin...mmmmmmmm

[sakabatou]

32. I want a damn sandwhich, I don't care what they're called.

[XRubicon]

33. Sub and a tonic

North of Boston...