Published: November 5, 2009

Nov. 3 marks the anniversary of the birthday of 18th century nobleman John Montagu. What does this mean for you? It so happens that the late Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and culinary legend claims that it was he who first ordered his cook to bring him a bit of meat between two pieces of bread. The snack became popular when his friends began to ask for “the same as Sandwich.” In honor of the gentleman who encouraged eating with our hands, on each Nov. 3, we celebrate National Sandwich Day.

The earl was probably a busy man if his favorite snack was so mobile, but few people are as pressed for time as the college student. To make sure that the students at Fordham College at Lincoln Center can take time from their hectic schedules to celebrate this national holiday properly, here is a list of carefully selected, local options that will allow you to pay homage to the earl.

The Least Likely to Result in Heart Attack
United We Stand Deli & Grocery
814 10th Avenue, NY
Sandwich to order: 21

Listed elusively as “21,” this sandwich is a lot less dangerous than  some of the others that have the potential to threaten your life. It has turkey, avocado, lettuce, tomato, roasted pepper, and balsamic vinegar on a hero. All of these things are good for you, and the combination actually tastes really good. Avocados are notoriously healthy and while some, including me, hate their texture, this sandwich does a good job of masking it. This was also the most convenient sandwich, as the staff is friendly and they made it in just a few minutes. Best of all, since it’s on a hero, the sandwich is a little bit on the gigantic side and you can save half of it for later…or you can eat it all right now. We won’t judge you.

The Most Variety
Island Burgers & Shakes
766 9th Avenue (between 51st and 52nd)
Sandwich to order: Take your pick!

Island Burgers and Shakes has a long history in Hell’s Kitchen of putting out great burgers, and while burgers are not technically sandwiches, the basic concept is still there, and we bet Montagu would’ve loved them. They have everything from the basic hamburger to a frog burger, to a scary looking one at the bottom of the menu called Napalm. Their spin on the classic cheeseburger involves a combination of eight types of cheeses. In its entirety, the menu boasts a selection of 65 burgers total, so clear your schedule; it may take you awhile to choose.

The Cheapest
9th Ave Gourmet Deli
769 9th Avenue (between 51st and 52nd)
Sandwich to order: The Demi Moore

We have no idea if this is Demi’s favorite sandwich or not, but it’s definitely one of ours. It’s made of chicken salad, roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella cheese, light olive oil and vinegar. It might sound strange, but the flavors get along pretty well, and a little extra salt on the mozzarella helps. At six bucks, it’s also the cheapest sandwich we came across, which makes it even more likable.

The Best Tasting
Roosevelt Gourmet Deli
57th and 10th Avenue
Sandwich to order: Unitel Video

The Roosevelt Gourmet Deli has a cute trend of naming certain sandwich creations after local establishments of note (sadly, a Fordham sandwich hasn’t made the list). Also sadly, Unitel Video, for which a sandwich was named, filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Luckily for us, that sandwich is still around. It has cracked pepper mill turkey, Brie cheese, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. The Brie cheese is definitely the star of the group, but not such that it outshines any other ingredient. Its richness and smooth texture combines with the other flavors so invitingly that biting into it feels like finding a new comfort food.

The Most Animal-Friendly
Lunch Box
869 9th Avenue
(between 57th and 58th )
Sandwich to order: 9

If you’d prefer to celebrate National Sandwich Day without an animal sacrifice, this is the concoction for you. Number nine on Lunch Box’s list of gourmet sandwiches contains an array of veggies: avocado, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, carrots, cucumber, peppers, greens, and is topped with mayonnaise. We hope eventually mushrooms will make it to the list so that the sandwich is more filling, but the current edition is still noteworthy. You’ll be up and running while other celebrators have passed out from “the Itis.”

The Most In-character
Philly Slims Cheesesteaks
789 9th Avenue (between 52nd and 53rd)
Sandwich to Order: The Widow Maker

Seeing as the legend makes no mention of any leafy greens or other vegetables requested by the earl on his sandwich, I’ll assume he wasn’t much for them. The Widow Maker from Philly Slims Cheesesteaks might be right up Mr. Montagu’s alley. This monster boasts grilled steak, bacon, barbeque sauce, Cheez Whiz, and onion rings. Unless you count fried onion rings as a vegetable (but let’s not ruin things), there’s not a lot of heart healthiness going on in this sandwich, but if you’re a brave explorer like Montagu (who was also First Admiral of the Navy) and you think your arteries can handle it, try the Widow Maker.