Illinois’ ‘Best Sandwich’ Announced But It’s Not a Sandwich

I'm sure you've heard this argument before, but I feel it might be time to bring it up again, "Is a hot dog a sandwich?"

The definition of a sandwich is "an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal."

Does that mean a hot dog is officially a sandwich? I guess so if you're asking Taste of Home.

Taste of Home published their Best Sandwich from Every State list and said Illinois' very best is, you guessed it, a hot dog.

My wife’s whole family is from Chicago. If I get this wrong, I’m in trouble. Relatives have said I need to pick Italian beef, Polish sausage or The Horseshoe. My wife, however, has told me to do the right thing and pick the Chicago-style hot dog, because, in her words, 'If any one state on your list gets to claim the hot dog, it’s us.' Just make sure you skip the ketchup—it’s verboten on a Chicago dog.

I don't know if I agree with the writer on this one because I would pick an Italian beef as Illinois' best (and most signature) sandwich.

The top joints for a hot dog in Illinois according to Yelp are:

1. 35th Street Red Hots at 500 West 35th Street in Chicago.
2. Algonquin Sub Shop at 105 Filip Street in Algonquin.
3. Babe's at 2600 West Jefferson Street in Joliet.
4. Bear Down Barbecue & Catering at 20857 South Lagrange Road in Frankfort.
5. Bellalukes at 193 South Rand Road in Lake Zurich.

Wisconsin's best sandwich? The grilled cheese. Yikes, how boring can you get?