Sandwich Of The Week: Giordano Bros.' Hot Capicola
At the beginning of the last century, Jeff Jordan's great-grandfather, Rafael Giordano, immigrated from outside of Palermo, Sicily, to America. Like many immigrants at the time, his last name was changed by the officials who approved his entry to the country, and Rafael Giordano became Ralph Jordan and started a produce business outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1923.
Fast-forward to the end of the century, when Jeff Jordan and his now wife, Allison, relocated separately from Pittsburgh to San Francisco in 1994. Introduced by mutual friends, the two became a couple and settled in North Beach, where the Jordan version of the famous Primanti sandwich from their hometown became a staple treat at their Bay Area cook-outs and parties over the years. This prompted them to open Giordano Bros. in 2004, where they serve their outrageous, all-in-one sandwiches.
Their hot capicola has since created a buzz around town.
It starts with slices of pillowy Italian bread from the Italian French Bakery, between which the Jordans and their team load hot capicola from Molinari's, peppery coleslaw comprising fresh ingredients from Bob Sbragia Produce, and crispy French fries — yes, you read that correctly: the fries are in the sandwich. It's an impressive, belt-bursting take on an American gastronomic staple, which is why it's earned a feature as our Sandwich of the Week.
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