DiNic's roast pork named best in the land
TV host Adam Richman had sampled 28 sandwiches from around the country for the Travel Channel.
DiNic's roast pork named best in the land
Michael Klein, Philly.com
TV food host Adam Richman toured the country and sampled 28 sandwiches, and when the smoke cleared, he named DiNic's roast pork, served at the Nicolosi family's stand at Reading Terminal Market, the best in the nation.
Week by week, Wednesday's Travel Channel series had been showing off the contenders. A wild card also came from Philly: John's Roast Pork's cheesesteak. (How about a John's and a DiNic's pork sandwich, head-to-head, eh?) John's steak did not make the final bracket.
The DiNic's sandwich includes thin sliced pork, broccoli rabe, and extra-sharp provolone on a roll from Carangi's. Then it gets a splash of gravy.
Richman's top three included the roast pork from DiNic's; the Yardbird from Slow’s in Detroit, which has smoked chicken breast drenched in mustard sauce, tossed with sauteed mushrooms and slathered with cheddar cheese, piled with bacon; and a chicken conquistador sandwich at Zunzi's in Savannah, Ga., which is basically chicken, Italian dressing, and "secret sauce" along with tomatoes and lettuce on a baguette.
Other finalists looked good, too: a shrimp po’ boy from Domilise's in New Orleans; Al’s Beef in Chicago; the CSS Virginia sandwich at the Black Sheep diner in Richmond, Va.; a roast beef sandwich piled with fries and homemade bechamel sauce from the Big-Ass Sandwiches food truck in Portland, Ore.; an El Toro BBQ sandwich from Phil’s BBQ in San Diego; the seared beef tongue sandwich from the Noble Pig in Austin, Texas; and the lobster roll at the Galley Restaurant & Pub in Naples, Maine. John's Roast Pork was one of two wild cards tossed into the mix.
The hour-long show could have been cut to 20 minutes if you eliminated the obligatory recaps after each commercial break as well as Richman's yummy noises.
"It feels very relaxing now," co-owner Joe Nicolosi told me during a viewing party at the Terminal just after he was declared winner. The finale was taped a month ago in New York, and Nicolosi was sworn to secrecy. "It's good to have this behind me. It's been nerve-wracking."
No one outside the family knew, he said, but produce vendor Vinny Iovine had a hunch.
Nicolosi said: "He's a smart fellow. He remembered something I said before [I went up to New York], that the only way I'd have a viewing party is if I knew I won."
Aside from glory, what does DiNic's win?
"We get business," Nicolosi said, declining to divulge sales figures. "I will take that any day of the week."
From The Inquirer's files | See Jim Quinn's Inquirer Magazine story from 1995 on DiNic's.
My brother, Moses R. Mendelbaum says John's Roast Pork has no equal.....and he has one for lunch every day.
DiNics is great if you are in CC, but the real deal is John's Roast Pork. Right Vonda?— paulfromtheoblongtable- I'd go with John's as well. However, if you really want the best sandwiches- Roast Pork, Meatball, Roast Beef, Chicken Cutlet- then come to Pagano's in Havertown on Township Line. They blow away every place in the city! thelunchbreakblog.com— Patrick Edmonds
- Foor all you John's lovers, let it be known that John's Steak Sandwich came in as one of two wild cards and made final six! Great shoing for Philly!— kissamiazz
- am I to understand that people have different tastes & differing opinions on food?— ekw555
These are all good sandwiches. Hymie's brisket is my all-time favorite.— CCRichards- So we can all agree that what Alan thinks is the best sandwich in America would come in second in Philly to John 's roast pork's version. Show's how discriminating the Philly palate is.— Travlnmike
- DiNic's is great, but when I'm at the Terminal I gotta get a Rib Sandwich.— foghelmut
- Congrats to DiNic's. The roast pork is so good I have to get it everytime I go to the Reading Terminal Market. I never get a chance to try anything else.— Nightman76
- He wins the contest AND his wife is cute. Lucky guy!— everydayguy
- too funny, all of these comments state their opinion as if its statement of fact. and its the only one that's right. everyone has their opinion and everyone's taste is defferent.— deatheater
- @LDPhilly hahaha what an idiot. Primanti Bros? Give me a break. Add gross cole slaw and fries to a sandwich that sucks to begin with. Dinic's roast pork is good, but for my money their Italian pulled pork with long hots and sharp provolone is a way better sandwich.
@ AK21 Sessano's is good, no doubt, but not in the same league as John's or Dinic's.— Cheesesteak - Some areas are sammich deprived. When WAWA in orlando fl. is blowing away Subway... there is deprivation.— jrsbarfarm
- Dirty Willys, 9th and Christian, the forerunner of great philly pork sammichs.— jrsbarfarm
- Love DiNic's Roast Pork in the Reading Terminal. There horseradish sauce is to die for. Will have to give John's Roast Pork a try though.— samsmom
