But First, Sandwiches • Take

Los AngeleS

Langer’s

The pastrami on rye here is Jeff’ s favorite sandwich on the planet. It’s piled with housemade smoky pastrami, and the rye is a perfect balance of soft and crusty. “Add a schmear of deli mustard and, boom, sandwich nirvana is achieved, ” he says. langersdeli.com As a student at Bradley Peoria Heights, IL University, Jeff would go here for beers and a giant king tenderloin sandwich. The meat-to-bread ratio on this Midwest delicacy is preposterous: “The pork is the size of a hubcap while the bun is normal-size. It’s the exact thing my college body required. ” 309-686-9895

Būccan

Jeff has been asked “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” more than most people have. And for this reason, he loves chef Clay Conley’s hot dog panini, made with sauerkraut, mustard, chili and gruyère. “It’s unbelievably delicious…and undeniably a sandwich.” buccanpalmbeach.com Palm Beach, FL

The Original Nottoli & Son Italian Sausa ge & Deli

The Italian sub at this hometown spot is “the perfect ratio of Italian meats, fresh bread, hot giardiniera and iceberg lettuce,” Jeff says. The owner, George Nottoli, was “born to make subs.” nottoli.com Chicago

Belgiov ine’s

Jeff has filmed The Kitchen in Montclair since the show started, so he has had plenty of chances to hit Belgiovine’s for a G2 sub: a chicken cutlet topped with long hots, soppressata, eggplant, asiago and arugula. He asks for extra peppers and a couple glugs of vinegar. belgiovines.com Montclair, NJ Nashville

Hattie B’s

There ’ s always a line streaming out of this place, because the hot chicken sandwich is a must-try. The first time Jeff ordered it, he had it as the side to a platter of bone-in hot chicken. “That’ s the pro move, ” he jokes. “A fried chicken sandwich with your fried chicken. ” hattieb.com

New York City Hank’s Juicy Beef

This shop’s namesake, Hank, is from Jeff’s Chicago neighborhood, and Jeff claims that Hank makes “the best Italian beef on the East Coast.” He orders his sweet and hot, and dipped. hanksjuicybeef.com