TheStreet Daily – Quiznos, which has shrunk to under 200 locations, was once a rising competitor that climbed to nearly 5,000 U.S. locations. The chain built its business around toasting its subs on a sort of conveyor-belt toaster.
The chain has, however, survived a bankruptcy and legal problems.
Subs, also called grinders, hoagies, heroes, wedges, and a variety of other regional names, are sort of the second official American sandwich, behind the hamburger.
They’re versatile, as a sub can be a cold sandwich laden with cold cuts, vegetables, mayo, and various spreads, or a hot sandwich, such as a meatball hoagie, chicken parmigiana grinder, or my favorite, a steak and cheese sub.
Many would argue that the Philadelphia cheesesteak is the standard setter.
“There are a lot of sandwich shops out there that tout the freshness of their ingredients. But few can match a local favorite Philly cheesesteak shop in terms of sheer volume. This means that even very popular sandwich shops in other parts of the country are only getting fresh product delivered once or twice a week, which is plenty for pushing out a few hundred sandwiches per day,” Mashed reported.
Singer Patti Labelle told Drew Barrymore on her talk show that technique, not location makes the best cheesesteak.
“According to Patti, putting cheese at the bottom of your hoagie bun and topping it with cooked steak provides enough heat for the cheese to properly melt. The end result is identical to what you’d get from a more traditional method for Philly cheesesteak, where you cover the steak with cheese and cook until melted,” the Philly native and restaurant owner shared.
Cheesteak opinions vary by region
Those of us from Boston, however, find the Philly argument silly. A Boston-style steak and cheese, which uses provolone or American chaeese, is superior …
