In honor of National Sandwich Day, I thought I’d take a look at some of the nation’s most famous sandwiches, coincidentally all from the State of Pennsylvania.

If you have ever watched Travel Channel or Food Network, you may have seen a segment or two on the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches from Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, located kitty-corner from each other.

I was warned by several Philadelphia residents not to go to either because they’re tourist traps, and their cheesesteaks are overrated. I regrettably ignored this advice.

I got the standard “steak wit [onions] cheez [whiz]” at each stand. Both versions had similar issues, including bland and chewy steak, tasteless cheese sauce (we have standards here in Wisconsin) and under-cooked onions. Frankly, the sandwiches at Steak Escape are immensely better (and less expensive).

***

In Pittsburgh–as well as in cities east of our state–you can find Primanti Bros. Its crown achievement is its “Almost Famous” sandwiches that are packed with cole slaw, tomatoes and french fries.

There’s usually a line to get in the original Pittsburgh location, but fortunately seating is not a challenge in Indianapolis where I went.

My corned beef and cheese sandwich tired my jaw from having to repeatedly open it so wide. The massive amount of slaw gets to be too much after a while and dominates the flavor. The fries were not crunchy to begin with, and they got unbearably soggy adjacent to the slaw and tomatoes. The thin white bread eventually fell apart.

I am willing to give Primanti Bros. another try, hopefully in Pittsburgh next time.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop added special fall menu items on Sept. 13 that will be available until about the end of the year. I accepted a recent invitation to try the Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese, the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and the Pumpkin Pie Cookie.

The mac & cheese ($7.05) is super creamy, and the dish is more filling than I thought it would be. The all-natural chicken is juicy, and the right amount of Frank’s RedHot sauce sauce is added to enhance, not overpower, the flavor. Honestly, Potbelly should serve this year-round.

There’s plenty of grilled chicken in the sandwich ($6) so that each bite includes some. The sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles was a nice touch. The Frank’s RedHot sauce is dulled a bit by the buttermilk ranch, so add spicy peppers if you want more heat.

The pumpkin pie cookie ($1.30) has a soft middle with a slightly crunchy exterior. The nutmeg shines through–there is also a note of cinnamon–and I kept longing for some whipped cream to go along with this tasty treat.

In Madison, you can find Potbelly on State Street, in West Towne and just past East Towne.