Hoagies and Grinders
Monday, September 15, 2008 at 5:19PM Like most guys who attended high school in the mid-1990s, I was/am an Adam Sandler fan. And while his characters like Canteen Boy and Happy Gilmore can almost always make me chuckle, by far the funniest portion of Sandler’s repertoire was/is his songs.
I get a particular kick from “Lunch Lady Land,” as featured on the They’re All Gonna to Laugh You! album:
While amused by this song, I was always somewhat confused by the “hoagies and grinders” reference in the refrain. I was familiar with the term “hoagie” as it was a favorite sandwich of Dr. Cliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” but “grinders”? What the heck is a “grinder”?
Upon moving to Manchester — where Sandler grew up, as it turns out — I discovered that a “grinder” is simply another name for what I knew as a “sub” sandwich. I came to learn that folks in these parts have several names for this type of sandwich. Some even refer to it as an “Italian” sandwich.
Call it what you will, Manchester residents seem to be obsessed with these sandwiches. And with pizza. For reasons unbeknownst to me, you can’t throw a rock in this town without hitting a combination pizza/sub shop. See what I mean:
Now don’t get me wrong. I like pizza and subs as much as the next guy. Indeed, as Woody Allen remarked about pizza, it’s pretty difficult to screw up. And maybe that’s part of it. Maybe pizza and subs are the go-to comfort foods for this part of the country.
Still, it surprises me that there are so many pizza and sub shops in Manchester. Is the demand for pizza and subs really strong enough to support all of these restaurants? Apparently it is.
In any event, if you have any theories or inside knowledge regarding the popularity of pizza and sub shops in this neck of the woods, please share.
comfort food, grinders, hoagies, manchester, nh, pizza, subs in Manchester Food & Drink
Reader Comments (2)
Yea its surprising, i have been working at a Pizza/Sub shop for four years now and im surprised at the strong demand...must be because at Pizza Market (where I work) the food is fresh and delicious.
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