South Side saloon's sandwich in the spotlight
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Andy Starnes, Post-GazetteGlenn Benigni, left, owner of Fat Head's, holds his saloon's Southside Slopes Headwich with Wayne Dooley, the South Side Slopes resident who inspired the sandwich.
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Pittsburgh stacks up on Maxim's Top 10 list of America's best "meat hog" sandwiches with a round one as big as your head, filled with kielbasa and fried pierogies.
Weighing in at No. 5 on this boastfully unhealthy spread, published in the "men's lifestyle" mag's September issue, is the Southside Slopes Headwich at Fat Head's on Carson Street.
It's one of more than a dozen Headwiches on the saloon's menu, which describes it thusly:
"This is for Wayne, who has lived on the Slopes for half his life. It has kielbasa topped with fried pierogies, American cheese, grilled onions and horsey sauce. If you really want to live in Wayne's world, put some ketchup on it and wash it down with an Iron. $7.95 (beer not included)."
This big boy is the creation of owner Glenn "Fat Head" Benigni. He dedicated it to South Sider Wayne Dooley, who works nights and comes in for lunch every day. Thursday Dooley was having a South Shore Salami, but he said he's enjoyed slippery Slopes. "It's more than I can eat. I'm a thin guy." As for the limelight, "I'm excited for Glenn."
Benigni says he shipped the ingredients to New York so the magazine could assemble and photograph the sandwich. It looks much tastier at his place, but, "I'm not gonna complain. I'm happy to be in there."
The full list of the supposed best:
10. Steak & Cheese -- Mugsy's Sub Galley, Yankton, S.D.
9. Cuban Sandwich (of pork, ham, etc.) -- Latin American Cafeteria, Miami.
8. French Dip -- Phillippe the Original, Los Angeles.
7. Brisket Sandwich -- Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas.
6. Beef On Weck -- Schwabl's, West Seneca, N.Y.
5. The Southside Slopes Headwich -- Fat Head's.
4. The (half shrimp, half oyster) Peace Maker -- Acme Oyster House, New Orleans.
3. The Combo (of rib tips and pig snout) -- C & K Barbecue, St. Louis.
2. The Nuke (ham, beef, turkey and three cheeses) -- The Staggering Ox, Helena, Mont.
1. The Fat Darrell (chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks with marinara and fries) -- R.U. Grill & Pizza, New Brunswick, N.J.
Readers are welcome to submit their own picks via the Grit channel of www.maximonline.com.
First Published August 21, 2004 12:00 am
