White House Special Slideshow

The guys at White House are friendly, but they don't suffer fools lightly so you want to know what to order as soon as it's your turn. That's easy, other things are good, but there's truly one reason for your visit: the White House Special: extra Genoa salami, provolone, ham, and capicola.

First step? The bread. The folks at White House have been doing this since 1946 — so they know good bread. The soft, chewy rolls have a little pull to them, and are made by Formica Brothers Italian Bakery — no small reason for the shop's success. "Bread Facts" are proudly displayed around White House: all natural, no fat, no sugar.

Bread is sliced on one side, but left firmly attached. Then the insides are hollowed out all along the baguette.

Step two: the lettuce. Cold, fresh, crunchy iceberg lettuce starts the first layer of the sandwich foundation.

Next, provolone is draped over the lettuce. It just keeps coming, slice after slice after slice. The guy's hands move fast laying slices out from one end to the other, and then back to the beginning.

Then comes the Genoa salami, applied with the same speed and methodology, slices overlapping from one end to the other. Just when it seems it can't possibly fit more meat, ham is laid out in the same manner.

Next? Tomato. Big red slices of juicy tomato — at least eight slices on a whole sub.

The tomatoes are covered liberally with fresh onion slices and crushed hot peppers.

The sandwich is liberally doused with oil and vinegar, dried oregano, and finally, salt and pepper.

And at long last, the final move: the fold. A knife is used to press the cold cuts into the recess of the bread that was torn out. Now you see why it was gutted; there wouldn't be a chance of keeping the thing together otherwise.

Half of a full-length White House Special.

Cross-section of a White House Speical.