FROM COLD TO HOT , CLASSICS OR UNIQUE STACKS , THESE PORTABLE MEALS ARE PERFECT FOR A QUICK BITE AND AN EASY ANSWER WHEN DECIDING WHAT TO EAT FOR LUNCH , DINNER OR A SNACK .

By SHARON STELLO

For many of us , a sandwich was the first thing we learned to make in the kitchen as kids , smearing peanut butter on one slice of bread and jelly on the other , then smashing them together . But you can put almost anything between two pieces of wheat , sourdough or rye , making for seemingly endless varieties . From a meatball sub dripping with marinara to an Italian option layered with deli meats or even a simple grilled cheese , sandwiches can be basic — reminiscent of school lunches — or elevated fare .

The sandwich is believed to be named after John Montagu , the fourth earl of Sandwich . In 1700s England , the story goes , Montagu requested salt beef between two pieces of toasted bread so that he could eat with one

hand while continuing his long card game sessions . But , although the sandwich may owe its name and popularity to the earl , variations of the concoction can be traced back centuries to the “ korech ,” consumed during Jewish Passover . Hillel the Elder , a rabbi in Jerusalem around 110 B . C ., suggested eating bitter herbs — representing the bitterness of slavery — inside unleavened matzo .

While not every sandwich is as symbolic , they ’ re an easy option , whether you ’ re planning a spring picnic or just looking for lunch . Sandwiches have endured through time , growing in popularity and the number of options .

“ It ’ s like our love for a good burrito — it can be wrapped , thrown in a bag and eaten with your hands ,” says Zac Cornwell , co-owner of Wigz deli . “ It can be eaten now or later . [ And ] you can get an abundance of flavors all in one bite without having … to stab it all on a fork .” And when it comes to tasty and unique sandwiches , from paninis to French dips , this town ’ s offerings really stack up .

COURTESY OF ZINC CAFE

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