The backbone of any good Italian hoagie - any well-made sandwich, really - is the bread, says Glen Macnow of WIP-AM (610).

"You get another stale roll that bites you back, that's the killer right there," says the sports-radio talk-show host.

At least three quality meats are also required (prosciutto, capicolla, mortadella, Genoa salami) - "Don't try to give me baloney" - along with sharp provolone that announces its presence in every bite; "snappy" onions; fresh tomatoes and long hot peppers marinated in oil for months. "I like the ones that make your head sweat," Macnow says.

Finally, it should be drizzled with oil: "Mayo on an Italian hoagie is a sin."

Tough standards. But Macnow takes his work very seriously. In the last month and a half, he's sampled more than 50 hoagies in his search for the region's finest. And that is only the latest in his study of Philly favorites, after, over the last five years, naming the best burger, ribs, pizza, and, of course, cheesesteak.

On Saturday, he's hosting the "Hoagie Hunt Finals" from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fox & Hound Pub & Grille in King of Prussia. Macnow and a celebrity panel of judges including former Temple coach John Chaney will select the best Italian hoagie from his top choices (see below). The free event is open to the public, which will also vote on a "Listener's Choice" winner.

"I'm exhausted," says Macnow, who lost 20 pounds to prepare for the hoagie search and said he's never finished a full sandwich.

In the running for the title will be eight of Macnow's top-ranked sandwiches. He reviews each on air and posts reviews and rankings on www.610wip.com.

Some are, to be candid, harsh - and not just on the food. The bread at one place is described as "puffy, oversized and soft - the Derrick Coleman of hoagie rolls." Another is denounced as "the Joe Blanton of hoagies, and not just for its size (which is bulky, just like the Phils' third starter)."

"I've gone to some places where a hoagie is a meal. It's a treat," he says. "Other places, a hoagie is just a sandwich."

The quest for the "Best of" started a few years ago, when Macnow was on the air at night. "When you're on against the Phillies, you have to come up with some creative programming," he says. Food - real manly man food, no quiches or crepes allowed - seemed the way to go.

"Our station is a guy's station," Macnow says. "Guys talk about sports, guys talk about women, they talk about movies, and they talk about food."

That first year, the quest was to find the best pasta around. Listeners brought in their homemade macaroni, and he and on-air partner Anthony Gargano tried about 15 and named their favorite.

When Macnow shifted to his current midday time slot, he launched a search for the best burger, sampling offerings from 25 different joints. Ribs followed - partly because that's Macnow's favorite thing to eat - and he added celebrity judges, including two 325-pound Eagles offensive linemen.

Pizza, the next selection, was the easiest, Macnow said, because "I could eat pizza every day." And he did, for 40 days, then picked the best with a football player and a couple of chefs.

Last year, Macnow tackled cheesesteaks. He tried 45 in 45 days. ("It grows every year, which is problematic," he says.) For the final judging, he invited a celebrity panel and WIP listeners to help him pick the winners.

"I'm an everyday, good food guy," Macnow says.

What qualifies Macnow - who was raised in Buffalo, lives in Havertown, and works at a Bala Cynwyd radio station - to rate Philly's finest fare? "I can't tell you I have a tremendous, discriminating palate. I can't tell you I've had food science courses. But I can tell you that I have a tremendous interest in the food that our listeners, that guys, eat," Macnow says. "I'm enthusiastic and willing to put in the effort to eat at least 52 Italian hoagies, and that's more than most mere men are willing to do."

Gargano calls his partner "The Professor of Philadelphia Food" and "JFK" for "Junk Food King." He says Macnow is methodical about his quests and has a stick-to-itiveness that is admirable - or insane.

"Two days in, I said, 'I don't want to see another hoagie in my life,' " says Gargano, the huskier of the two men.