Local superstar chef/restaurateur Jose Garces has now cemented his place on the national level by winning Food Network’s Next Iron Chef.  In honor of our local guy taking home the crown, today we are re-posting our interview with Chef Garces about sandwiches, originally published September 24th, 2009.

Unbreaded: What was the last really great sandwich you ate?
Jose Garces: I was just in New Orleans and had two great sandwiches.  The first was a fried oyster and fried shrimp po’boy was from Acme Oyster House with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, and Diablo mayo.  The second was a killer soft shell crab club sandwich on brioche with bacon, tomato, and remoulade at Chef John Besh’s bistro Lüke.

UB: Tell us about an iconic sandwich memory you have from your childhood.
JG: I grew up in Chicago, and I remember my first Italian beef sandwich – brined and then roasted ribeye that’s sliced and put into a beef jus, served on an Italian roll.  I remember having a combo – Italian beef with grilled Italian sausage & giardiniera (pickled hot peppers).

UB: What is your favorite Philadelphia sandwich?  Is there another Chicago sandwich you love?
JG: In Philadelphia, Campo’s in Old City makes a fantastic roast pork, broccoli rabe and provolone sandwich.  I also love the super Persian from Ariana – lamb, feta, tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms on lovash – it’s always fresh and delicious.  In Chicago, I love the gyro from the Athenian Room on Halsted and Webster.  It has sliced gyro meat (a combination of beef, lamb, and spices), onion, tomato, tzatziki, on homemade lovash bread.  I always go for extra tomato and tzatziki.

UB: How did you develop the Village Whiskey burgers?
JG: Our burgers at Village Whiskey are hand-ground beef – we grind it ourselves – and topped with premium, top-quality ingredients.  The Whiskey King has a special place in my heart because I love a burger that is really over-the-top, but our classic Village Burger is fantastic, too, because we make it with the best ingredients we can get our hands on, including fresh tomato slices, Boston Bibb lettuce, and house-made thousand island dressing.  Also, all of our burgers are served with house-made Kirby pickles on the side.

UB: How do you choose which meats, condiments and breads work well together?
JG: That’s actually one of my favorite challenges.  Recently, we debuted a special menu of buns at Chifa, which are essentially bite-sized sandwiches, and choosing the right bread for each filling was critical.  For example, the rich glazed pork belly with hoisin and pickled carrots needed a soft, airy bun that would cradle the juicy meat without overwhelming it, so we chose a steamed white bun.  In contrast, we serve our grilled chicken and bacon with frisee on pan de bono, a cheese-based bun, to complement the savory flavors without adding sliced or grated cheese and changing the texture of the dish.

UB: Garces Trading Company will offer a café and a market selling charcuterie, cheese and bread. If you had to make the perfect sandwich from any of the items sold there, what would it be?
JG: It would be thin-sliced jamon Serrano and lomo embuchado with wedges of manchego, sweet red piquillo peppers and smoked paprika aioli on a crusty, still-warm baguette, perhaps with a green salad alongside to cut through the richness of the sandwich, all washed down with a glass of crisp Spanish verdejo.

UB: Any chance we’ll see IRON CHEF: BATTLE SANDWICHES anytime soon?
JG: You’ll just have to tune in and see…

With his latest cookbook, Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, Bobby Flay is trying to corner the mainstream market as the go-to authority on America’s favorite sandwich. Although not officially affiliated with the book, Food Network has also relaunched the Burgers section of their site, adding a comprehensive guide of what they found to be the best burgers in America named 50 States, 50 Burgers.

Displayed nicely on an interactive map, simply click a state to see a photo and read a description of the must-see burger. We’re extremely proud to find that Royal Tavern’s Angus Burger (reviewed here) is the top pick for Pennsylvania.

Check out the full map, burger recipes, videos and more over at Food Network.