For too long now, Yinzers across western PA have welcomed out of town friends and family and treated them to what they believe to be a Pittsburgh staple, a Primanti Brothers sandwich. Meanwhile behind their backs, these same friends and family are driving back to their hometowns laughing at what an underwhelming and lazy sandwich the steel city has chosen to represent them.

Every city needs a culinary staple. For some they put their own twist on classics such as the pizzas in Boston, New York, and Chicago. Other cities come guns a blazing and put their own coat of paint on entire food genres such as BBQ in Memphis, the Carolinas, Texas, and Kansas City. Associating your city with a sandwich is nothing new, as our filthy neighbors to the east have put all their eggs in their cheesesteak basket. (Editors note, forget Pats and Geno’s the best cheese steaks are outside the city in numerous pizza shops).

In Pittsburgh, some yinzer threw fries and slaw on their sandwich and boom a legend was born. And that was great for people through the nineties but at the turn of the century another Pittsburgh staple was on the edge of reinventing the sandwich game and preparing to overthrow the king.

With the 11th pick in the first round of the 2004 draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ben Roethlisberger. A 6’5″ 240 pound quarterback out of Miami University in Ohio. And with that selection a light went off in all the city’s sandwich makers but one stood out amoung the rest when Peppis crafted the Roethlisburger.

Not unlike Primaniti’s, the fine folks at Peppis leaned on ingredient overload to create a unique taste. It starts with a blend of beef and sausage before being topped with American cheese and fried egg all atop another Pittsburgh legend, Mancini’s Bread. A true pro adds onions, and maybe that’s not common place which would explain why I have to lead this charge.

All of these ingredients come together for a full blown oral orgasm. Pirmantis is coming to the the sandwich gunfight to face Peppis gun with a spork and unfortunately can’t hold Roethlisburger’s jock.

Its time to come together as a city and improve our laughing stock image. I’m confident once we get the Roethlisburger to be the face of Pittsburgh it won’t be tough to usurp the cheesesteak as the PA sandwich staple.