Sandwich Archives - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

Albuquerque New Mexico Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Sandwich

Kaufman’s New York – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoFebruary 24, 2026April 6, 202612:01 AM

“I’ll have what she’s having.” Can it really be 35 years since Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal created their famous fake orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally? The scene was filmed at New York City’s Katz’s Delicatessen where sumptuous sandwiches are skyscraper tall and absolutely delicious (my sole visit was in 1978). Unlike Meg’s character, most of us wouldn’t have to fake our “excitement” with one gander of the sheer size of Katz’s pastrami sandwich. A Katz’s, the world-famous pastrami sandwich is enormous, featuring about one pound (12–16 ounces) of hand-carved meat stacked between rye bread. The sandwich stands roughly five-inches tall and is often considered large enough for two people to share. Obviously that doesn’t include me; I wouldn’t…

New Mexico Rating: Excellent Rio Rancho Sandwich

That’s My Rez Sandwich – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil GardunoFebruary 10, 2026March 31, 202612:01 AM

Has life on the rez suddenly become mainstream? Increased exposure certainly seems to indicate that may be the case. In 2023, the novel Rez Ball received prestigious literary recognition, including the American Indian Youth Literature Award. PowWows.com described the novel as “rooted in the reservations, Rez Ball is a fast-paced and fiercely competitive form of basketball that showcases the spirit of Indigenous identity. Its aggressive defense and quick transitions reflect the strength and pride of Native American players, making it a powerful expression of culture.” In 2024, the subsequent movie, also titled Rez Ball, also earned accolades. Centered in New Mexico, the movie follow the Chuska Warriors, a Navajo high school basketball team, as they overcome personal challenges in pursuit…

Albuquerque Rating: Very Good Sandwich

The Yeller Sub – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoFebruary 3, 2026March 31, 202610:20 AM

In the town where I was born… Lived a man who sailed to sea… And he told us of his life… In the land of submarines… – The Beatles: Yellow Submarine The phantasmagorical 1966 Beatles song Yellow Submarine may or may not have been the inspiration for Albuquerque’s venerable Yeller Sub, but one thing’s for certain. Since it launched in 1979, the Yeller Sub has been the Duke City’s land of oversized sub and torpedo sandwiches. Long-time residents will remember that the Yeller Sub was first located on Juan Tabo not too far from Manzano High School. Today it resides in the Louisiana Plaza Shopping Center off Montgomery. Its current corner storefront has remained a popular dining destination for more…

Arizona Dog Friendly Hot Dogs Mexican Rating: Excellent Sandwich United States

El Guero Canelo – Tucson, Arizona

Gil GardunoJanuary 9, 2026March 31, 20268:48 PM

If asked to participate in a word association exercise, any well-traveled foodie undergoing psychoanalysis would find it easy to name the first food that comes to mind when a city is mentioned: Philadelphia – the Philly cheesesteak sandwich; Boston – baked beans; Chicago – Italian beef sandwiches; San Francisco – sourdough bread; Milwaukee – butter burgers; San Antonio, New Mexico – green chile cheeseburgers. You get the point. Some foodies might not know that Philadelphia is the birthplace of liberty, but they know about Geno’s and Pat’s King of Steaks and their decades-long battle for Philly cheesesteak supremacy. You might find it strange that seemingly pedestrian foods would be the defining cuisine of burgeoning cosmopolitan cities, historically significant metropolises and…

Arizona Hot Dogs Rating: Very Good Sandwich United States

Ted’s Hot Dogs – Tempe, Arizona

Gil GardunoJanuary 8, 2026April 6, 202612:02 AM

Reading Becky Mercuri’s magnificent Great American Hot Dog Book had the same effect on me that Fifty Shades of Grey had on soccer moms throughout the country. How can someone so food obsessed not delight in such beautiful prose as “Western New York is definitely hot dog country and the preferred method of cooking is charcoal grilled.” Charcoal grilled! There goes another foodgasm. New Mexicans don’t have to travel all the way to Buffalo, New York to experience these magnificent charcoal grilled libido activators. We only have to go to Tempe, Arizona to sate our hunger…or lust, in some cases. Ted’s Hot Dogs was a precursor to the modern food truck. In 1927, Theodore “Ted” Spiro Liaros began operating…

Albuquerque New Mexico Pizza Rating: Very Good Sandwich

Richie B’s – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoDecember 17, 2025April 3, 20268:14 PM

If you’ve ever wondered why New Yorkers fold their pizza slices in half lengthwise (aka the “fold hold”) and if you’ve ever attributed that practice to Big Apple quirkiness, you owe it to yourself to visit Richie B’s, a New York-style pizzeria on Montgomery and Louisiana. Now, the Albuquerque metropolitan area has plenty of claimants to New York-style pizza, but can you name a single one in which you’ve actually HAD to utilize the fold hold to eat a slice? New Yorkers have mastered the fold hold because true New York-style pizza is thin-crusted and cut into wide slices (usually wider than your face) which taper down to a perfectly pointed (and invariably “floppy”) bottom. I’ve seen friends and colleagues…

Albuquerque American Burgers New Mexico Rating: Very Good Sandwich Steak

Dave’s Valley Grill – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoDecember 1, 2025April 5, 202610:22 AM

Several years ago, Major Larry Abraham (God rest his soul) of the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque called me out, reminding me that such restaurants as Sadie’s of New Mexico, Casa de Benavidez and Vernon’s Speakeasy were located not in Albuquerque as credited on Gil’s Thrilling…, but in the village he capably served for four terms. He politely asked me to correct my oversight. Ever since Mayor Abraham’s gentle prodding, your humble blogger has been much more diligent about ensuring the correct location of every restaurant reviewed–especially when at issue is whether the restaurant is in Albuquerque or in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. In my defense, the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque is much like what New Mexico’s…

Albuquerque Italian New Mexico Pizza Sandwich

Chicago Pizza Kitchen – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoNovember 25, 2025November 29, 202512:01 AM

There is A LOT to see at the Chicago Pizza Kitchen (CPK). My Chicago born-and-bred bride loved the framed photographs of the Windy City’s incomparable skyline and distinct architecture. Bulls and Bears fans (not a reference to the stock market) will enjoy perusing photos and banners of Chicago’s sports teams. Students of the age of chivalry will gravitate to the restaurant’s northern-most corners where knights in shining armor (literally) stand guard. Military veterans like me will reminisce about our own experiences in service to our country as we peruse the photos depicting the military service of Chicago Pizza Kitchen’s owners. Some of us will linger longest at the POW-MIA table, one of the most poignant and thought-provoking sights at any…

Jewish New Mexico Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Sandwich Santa Fe

Manhattan Avenue Deli – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gil GardunoNovember 16, 2025April 5, 20263:55 PM

I’ve been called many things, not all of them kind, but the name I’m most proud to hold is “Gil.” It was my father’s name. When colleagues from Intel’s manufacturing plant in Israel met me for the first time, they asked if I was Jewish. Apparently in Hebrew, “Gil” means “joy,” “happiness,” or “gladness.” The name “Gil” is associated with celebration and optimism. Gil can also be used a verb, with forms like gili (my joy) or related words meaning to “rejoice” or “be glad.” The feminine version of Gil is “Gila.” In my travels over 39 years on this planet, I’ve met several people named Gil, but until November, 2025 had never met anyone named Gila. That is, until…

Albuquerque Pizza Rating: Very Good Salad Sandwich

Dion’s Pizza – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoAugust 16, 2025April 3, 20263:35 PM

Toga! Toga! Toga! Ever since the misfit Delta Tau Chi fraternity threw the most debaucherous toga party ever in the 1978 “teensploitation” comedy Animal House, the toga party has been ingrained in the college party culture. The genesis of the toga party goes back much, much further than Animal House. Toga parties, in fact, precede collegiate life in the fruited plain by many hundred years. The first toga party was actually organized in ancient Greece in honor of the Greek god Dionysus, the deity of the grape harvest, wine-making and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theater and religious ecstasy (that’s quite a job description, even for a god). Dionysus literally had a cult following of men and women who worshiped…

Albuquerque Hot Dogs Mexican New Mexico Rating: Very Good Sandwich Tacos

Dogos VIP – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoAugust 11, 2025April 4, 202612:01 AM

Thanks largely to a 1974 Chevrolet commercial and its catchy tune, the phrase “As American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie” has purportedly defined what Americans hold most sacrosanct. Never mind that hot dogs are derivative of European sausages, they’re inextricably part of the fabric of the fruited plain. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, there is such a thing) estimates that Americans eat seven billion hot dogs (so it’s not just me) during the unofficial summer season which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That’s 818 hot dogs per second and more than a third of the hot dogs eaten per year! July 19th has been designated National Hot Dog Day, but a case…