Worst/Best Sandwiches in America

Who doesn't love a good list? Oh sure, I was ticked that THG was left off last week's list of the 50 Most Influential People in the Food World but I feel like they were pulling a Tom Jackson on me and left me off the list just to motivate me.

But what I really love are these lists of best (and worst) fill-in-the-blank. And it has been a banner week for that kind of news.

First up was the list of the Best New Sandwiches in America. What I like about this list is that it focuses on "New" Sandwiches. Hey, don't get me wrong... I'm a Philly-area guy through and through and I'll go to the mat with anybody over the merits of the venerable hoagie, esteemed cheesesteak and the underappreciated roast pork, but we know how good those are. What we need is the 411 on what's new and exciting in sandwichland. (Do people still say "we need the 411"? If I have to ask, probably not.)

For my money, the Cheesy Mac & Rib, Pibil Torta and Brussels Sprouts Sandwich all look to be – in the words of my nemesis Guy Fieri – "out of bounds" and most definitely "bananas".

But if you're going to have a list of Best Sandwiches there's gotta be some Worst Sandwiches lingering somewhere. It's the gut-wrenching yang to the previous list's delicious yin. Which I think is what's on the Brussels Sprouts Sandwich.

And I think we know where the aforementioned somewhere is – chains. Men's Health weighed in (no pun intended) with their bevy of annual bests and worsts, and Cheesecake Factory (no surprise) takes the "prize" for the Grilled Shrimp and Bacon Club. Check out this tale of the tape:

Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club
1,890 calories
24 g saturated fat
2,964 mg sodium
125 g carbohydrates

In the old days this sandwich would have been a challenge to THG. Now, cooler heads prevail. Though I am still interested in that damn Stuffed Steakhouse Burger from Burger King... even if it does look like a slab of hot fruitcake.