Regional sandwich names

definitely grinder in massachusetts, too.

Off topic, in MA a grinder generally refers to a hot sub(meatball, steak bomb, chicken parm and the like), a shop sign will say something like "Cold Subs and Oven Baked Grinders"

Old timers in East Boston and Southie call cold sub a "spuckie", but i think this has fallen into disuse.

BigGuy wrote: I like different (long) sandwich terms. Again, these are more city/region-specific rather than neighborhood-specific but still...

CT: Grinder, Sub
NYC area: Hero, Hoagie
Westchester: Wedge

I'm sure some of these terms occupy larger areas than the ones I put them in. Additions/corrections?

"Hoagie" is a total Philly term. Up here we call 'em heroes.

I've had to scold several Philly folk for that one.

does anyone know when and why it was it decided to name a sandwich a hero, the story i've been told it came from WW2 and was based on sandwiches from Italy.

Anyone have other versions.

From Wikipedia:

Regional names
In the United States, the terms "submarine" and "sub" are widespread[3], but there are also many regional names for the sandwich, especially in the northeast part of the country:

* Cosmo — North Central Pennsylvania in and around Williamsport — an oven-toasted sub.
* Grinder — Midwest, New England, Fairfield County, Connecticut. Inland Empire of Southern California. Also, a hot hoagie may be referred to as a Grinder in Western Pennsylvania. In Massachusetts, a grinder is generally considered to be a sandwich which includes sliced vegetables and shredded lettuce (if desired) and is heated in the oven after preparation, while a true submarine or sub is never toasted and generally includes chopped vegetables.
* Hero — NYC metropolitan area, and the Eastern United States
* Hoagie — Philadelphia metropolitan area, Central Jersey, South Jersey, Pittsburgh, Northeast PA.
* Sub - Delaware, New England (if served cold, otherwise known as a "grinder"), New Jersey, Detroit and Baltimore **The Sub Sandwich was introduced to the Detroit area by Raymond Nemeckay, who owned Ray's Deli on East Warren on Detroit's east side
* Po' boy or poor boy — Gulf Coast, especially around New Orleans
* Spuckie — Boston, Massachusetts (used particularly in Italian immigrant neighborhoods)
* Wedge — Prevalent in Yonkers, parts of the Bronx, and other sections of Westchester County, Rockland County, Putnam County and Dutchess County in New York.
* Zep (likely truncation of zeppelin) — New Jersey; Phoenixville, PA and Norristown, PA. It differs from a hoagie; the standard Zep contains only cooked salami and provolone as the meat and cheese filling, and has no lettuce.
* Italian — Maine, where "Italian" is used regardless of the filling, which is specified separately, as a "ham Italian", "veggie Italian" or "roast beef Italian". A regular Italian is usually a ham Italian, made up of: ham, cheese, onions, olives, green peppers, pickles, and tomatoes. Italians are made to order at most convenience stores and gas stations. A Maine "Italian" is often served on a larger version of the top-loading "New England style" hot dog bun. Amato's, a chain of stores in northern New England, claims to be the originator of the Italian sub. The term is also found in New Jersey.

Also, there's "torpedo", which I think is common in parts of New Jersey and San Francisco.

Obamanut wrote: [quote=BigGuy]I like different (long) sandwich terms. Again, these are more city/region-specific rather than neighborhood-specific but still...

CT: Grinder, Sub
NYC area: Hero, Hoagie
Westchester: Wedge

I'm sure some of these terms occupy larger areas than the ones I put them in. Additions/corrections?

"Hoagie" is a total Philly term. Up here we call 'em heroes.

I've had to scold several Philly folk for that one.

I agree, you cant buy a Hoagie in Brooklyn.

Obamanut wrote: [quote=BigGuy]I like different (long) sandwich terms. Again, these are more city/region-specific rather than neighborhood-specific but still...

CT: Grinder, Sub
NYC area: Hero, Hoagie
Westchester: Wedge

I'm sure some of these terms occupy larger areas than the ones I put them in. Additions/corrections?

"Hoagie" is a total Philly term. Up here we call 'em heroes.

I've had to scold several Philly folk for that one.

LOL I went to my family's home in Pittsburgh when I was about 8 and my older cousins were babysitting while the adults went out. My cousin asked me if I wanted to eat and I said I wanted a hero. He said come on I will take you to get a hoagie and a pop. All the way to the deli I was thinking what the hell is a hoagie, and what part of the hog was called hoagie. And the only thing I could think of dealing with pop was pop rocks. Needless to say I was petrified to eat the "hero" or drink the "soda" they gave me.

I refuse to say anything but "hero" or "soda" no matter where I am. Sometimes I compromise and ask for a sandwich on Italian or French bread, and I'll usually name the drink, Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc. I refuse to say sub, grinder, hoagie and pop. It's baby talk. Okay, I'll say po'boy or (sp?) muffeletta when I'm in New Orleans but that's it.

They say Torpedo in Rhode Island, and they also call a milkshake a "cabinet."

Does anyone know what... jimmys, bubbler and a malted are/is?

I grew up calling it a "sub." I didn't know what the hell a hoagie or grinder was.

Idlewild wrote: I refuse to say anything but "hero" or "soda" no matter where I am. Sometimes I compromise and ask for a sandwich on Italian or French bread, and I'll usually name the drink, Coke, Dr. Pepper, etc. I refuse to say sub, grinder, hoagie and pop. It's baby talk. Okay, I'll say po'boy or (sp?) muffeletta when I'm in New Orleans but that's it.

I'm with you. My one other exception is in a Jewish deli, if you want a hero instead of a sandwich on rye, which is rare for me, you're supposed to ask for it "on club bread."

Hmmm. You know I always put club bread in its own class. It's smaller and made differently, at least I believe it is, than the Italian influenced hero. It's like us asking for a "Kirsch, Dr. Brown's or even egg cream instead of regular ole soda. I'm thinking we get a pass on "club".

However, back to club, isn't club also another name for "triple decker"?

From James Beard's "American Cookery" (1972):

Club Sandwich or Clubhouse Sandwich
This must be included in the chicken chapter, for it is one of the greatest sandwiches of all time and has swept its way around the world after an American beginning. Nowadays the sandwich is bastardized because it is usually made as a three-decker, which is not authentic (whoever started that horror should be forced to eat three-deckers three times a day the rest of his life), and nowadays practically everyone uses turkey and there's a vast difference between turkey and chicken where sandwiches are concerned.
The perfect club sandwich starts with a piece of freshly made crisp buttered toast. On this goes a leaf of lettuce and a bit of mayonnaise, slices of chicken breast, slices of peeled ripe tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt, crisp bacon rashers, more mayonnaise, and a second piece of toast. Some people toss in an additional piece of lettuce, but it isn't necessary. Green olives and sweet pickles are standard garnish.
For a large party, serve a hot platter of bacon, a platter of cold sliced chicken, and a platter of tomatoes. Also have ready a plate of lettuce and olives and a bowl of mayonnaise. Make toast for guests and let them build their own sandwiches.

The man was a poet.