FOODIE FRIDAY
Like that episode of Friends where Joey leaps to protect a meatball sub instead of Chandler after he thinks he hears a gunshot, I would literally take a bullet for a high quality sandwich. Okay, maybe not literally, but I have been known to gnaw off the fingers of anyone trying to reach for a greedy bite of a treasured hoagie in my hand. However, my love of and respect for the sandwich arts pales in comparison to that of Stately Sandwiches’ Kelly Pratt, who has taken on the daunting and delicious task of cooking, eating, and artistically photographing each of the fifty states’ iconic sandwiches.
Stately Sandwiches has been generating a lot of buzz in the past few days, and for good reason: not only is its premise highly unique yet amazingly simple, the photographs that Kelly produces after creating and sampling her sandwiches share a beautiful, broken-down perspective on something so familiar as a sandwich — and, by extension, its home state. All of them look delicious (especially the Pennsylvania Cheesesteak), but the pastel arrangement of the Louisiana Muffaletta is worthy of a spot on a dining room wall:
And if you want this or any of the other photos hanging on your wall, you’re in luck! According to Foodbeast, Kelly is planning on on selling prints of her photos soon.
While Kelly might not physically travel to each of the states she features — she’s never been to Texas, but recently made a kickass looking brisket sandwich — the idea of going on a culinary tour of the world is something that we highly encourage, and therefore Kelly and Stately Sandwiches will always have a friend in Travel Freak. Be sure to check in with Kelly’s progress on her site, and if you have a suggestion for a state’s iconic sandwich be sure to send it her way via Facebook or Twitter.
I’m waiting with bated breath to see what she comes up with as the foodie representation of Michigan, because even though I grew up there I can’t for the life of me think of a mitten-specific sandwich. The closest thing I can think of is the Coney dog, which was invented in Detroit despite being named after New York’s Coney Island. But is a hot dog considered a type of sandwich? All of the elements are there — the bread, the meat, the accouterments…
I’d continue this debate with myself, but I feel as though I should stop before I get existential about wieners.
What state sandwich would you like to see Kelly cook next? And more importantly: is a hot dog a sandwich?! For the love of the sandwich god, let us know in the comments.
Photos via Stately Sandwiches
Pure genius. Sandwiches make life worth living.