Best Sandwiches in America: Turkey

Winner: Turkey Melt Sandwich

Restaurant: Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, Los Angeles

Sandwich Creators: Owner Jonathan Rollo & Executive Chef Kristi Ritchey

Inspiration: “Let’s face it,” says Rollo, “sometimes there’s nothing better than a warm pretzel with mustard and this turns it into a seemingly decadent sandwich without being destructive to your gut.”

Key Ingredients: Turkey, melted Gruyere cheese, sautéed spinach with truffle oil, caramelized onion and whole grain mustard served on Dolce Forno Bakery’s pretzel bread.
 
Price: $9.95

Food Cost: $3

What the Judges Said: “For us, the turkey sandwiches our mothers made us were the equivalent of putting on sweatpants and giving up. It gave us nothing to live for. But Greenleaf has produced a turkey sandwich that makes you want to put on some big-boy pants and leave the house. It’s a sandwich that demonstrates just how exciting this protein can be. And the truffle oil-kissed sautéed spinach and pretzel bread that accompany it had us cancel our therapist appointments. Hell, we may even go work out now!”

Honorable Mentions

Roasted Turkey by Sisha Ortuzar at ’Wichcraft, New York City (see honorable mention Vegetarian).
 

Baja Turkey Jack by Lisa Odom of Nature’s Table, Orlando