“Chopped Cheese” Craze Isn’t New To Western New Yorkers

People are going nuts over a new craze that's been happening in New York City.  It's called a "Chopped Cheese Sandwich."  But we've been doing it for years here.

What is a "Chopped Cheese Sandwich?"

First of all, you're probably asking yourself, "What is the chopped cheese sandwich?"  It definitely sounds amazing.  First, they take some beef patties and throw them on the grill.  They cook them fully, then they add onions, maybe some peppers, and some seasoning.  Then you chop it up into little pieces.  Add some cheese to the top and then scoop all of that onto a hoagie roll.  You can add tomatoes and lettuce if you'd like.  Some people like to add a special sauce to theirs to make their chopped cheese stand out from the rest.

The sandwich sounds amazing...and very familiar

Let's be honest, that sandwich sounds amazing.  Who wouldn't want to get one when they're in New York City?  The meat and the melted cheese on a hoagie roll sound awesome.  But while it's been spreading to restaurants across the country lately, it also sounds eerily familiar to something that we have here in Western New York.

We call it a Jim's Famous Steak Hoagie.

What's the difference between Jim's and a chopped cheese sandwich?

They're both made from meat that is cooked and chopped on the grill and all the other stuff is the same.  So what could be the difference?

There is one big difference between Jim's Hoagie and a chopped cheese sandwich.  Obviously, one is made with burgers and the other is made with steak.  But that's about it.

It makes you wonder which one came first.

Keep it down over there Philadelphia.  We hear you.

Not all foods are created the same

Ok, in New York City's defense, their sandwich might be similar to something we've had in Buffalo for a while, but that doesn't mean it's the same.  Sometimes there's just something about having the iconic food in the place where it was born.  Most Buffalonians will also argue that wings just aren't wings outside of Western New York.  They're the same food.  They come from the same part of the animal.  But they just don't taste the same when they're made somewhere else.

It's fair to say that I don't know because I've never tried one.  So, maybe we DO need to make a trip to NYC.