11 Sandwiches Named After Famous People

Celebrities use their names to sell everything from perfume to prepaid debit cards. So it was only a matter of time before money-minded entrepreneurs got in on the action. In the sandwich business in particular, superstar names are de rigueur. New York’s legendary Stage Deli, which closed its doors after 75 years in late 2012, regularly honored its most illustrious patrons with namesake sandwiches (Clint Eastwood, Adam Sandler and Katie Couric are among the inductees).

Here are 11 other sandwiches named after famous people.

1. The Scott Baio

With 150 items on the menu, not every sandwich on the vast menu at Lioni Italian Heroes in Brooklyn can be a winner (we’re not sure who’s ordering the Joe Paterno, for example). But hometown teen idol-turned-reality TV staple Scott Baio was thrilled to have his moniker tacked on to one of these Italian gut-busters (above, courtesy of Savor Everything). Unsurprisingly, cheese is a main ingredient in his namesake sammy; homemade mozzarella is layered with prosciutto di parma, sopressata, banana peppers, basil and a dollop of balsamic vinegar.

2. The Anna Kendrick

When it comes to staying power, the bold-faced wieners at Hot Doug’s—Chicago’s self-described “sausage superstore and encased meat emporium"—are a bit like ’80s boy band Menudo: temporary. Case in point: The “mighty hot” Anna Kendrick… which has formerly been known as the Keira Knightley, the Jennifer Garner, and the Britney Spears. This is not to be confused with the “mighty, mighty, mighty hot” Brigitte Bardot (which has also been called the Salma Hayek, the Madonna, the Raquel Welch, and the Ann-Margret).

3. The Woody Allen

Celebrity sandwiches have come and gone at New York City’s Carnegie Deli: in 2012, they introduced The Jetbow, a 3.5-pound meat monstrosity (corned beef, pastrami, roast beef), to welcome Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. One year earlier, The Melo—pastrami on rye topped with salami, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Russian dressing—was assembled in honor of then-newbie Knick Carmelo Anthony. But The Woody Allen, a.k.a. The Broadway Danny Rose, is a towering mess of corned beef and pastrami—named after the 1984 movie Allen filmed at the 76-year-old eatery—that could very well outweigh the pint-sized writer/director himself.

4. Justin Timberlake’s Soup & Thai Sandwich

Self-promotional chow is the last thing you’ll find at Southern Hospitality, Justin Timberlake’s Hell’s Kitchen barbecue joint. But that hasn’t stopped the fun-loving minds behind video sharing site HooplaHa from cooking up the Soup & Thai Sandwich, a JT-themed meal you can prepare at home (just make sure you’ve got some ramen noodles, BBQ ribs, bok choy, cornmeal, and peanut sauce handy).

5. The Hugh Hefner

Hollywood is alive and well six hours north of Los Angeles, where deli sandwich paradise Heimerhaus is serving up more than 30 familiar names between two pieces of bread. The Burt Reynolds is suitably manly and chock-full of roast beef, ham, and peeled egg, while the Hugh Hefner (also appropriately) has got a handful of breast: turkey and ham with chutney and jack cheese.

6. Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedy Special

Any sandwich shop with a jar of peanut butter and a fresh banana lying around might be tempted to make some variation of Elvis Presley’s favorite snack, and New York City’s Peanut Butter & Co. makes a delectable one (grilled peanut butter, banana and honey, which can be ordered with or without bacon). But it takes a serious PB connoisseur to impress Jerry Seinfeld enough that he’ll share his personal favorite recipe—and let you trademark it. Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedy Special is an open-faced bagel sandwich, toasted then topped with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.

7. The Mark Zuckerberg

Mr. Bartley’s has been dishing out freshly ground burgers to Harvard co-eds and other smart Bostonians for more than 50 years. Its menu of 30 tongue-in-cheek patties poke fun at local and global celebrities, politics, and pop culture happenings. The Mark Zuckerberg is the restaurant’s gastronomic take on the “richest geek in America,” with Boursin cheese and bacon and a side of sweet potato fries.

8. The Spitzer

Any deli that proudly proclaims it has been “Raising New York’s Cholesterol Since 1929” isn’t afraid to cross PC boundaries. Following former governor Eliot Spitzer’s epic fall from grace in 2008 after his penchant for $1,000-per-hour prostitutes became public knowledge, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop renamed one of its classic combos The Spitzer: hot tongue on rye.

9. The Gertrude Stein

Famous-name sandwiches are about the only traditional thing you’ll find at Austin’s Schmaltz, a Jewish deli with a couple of twists: it’s located in a trailer behind a bookstore, and it’s mostly vegan but all vegetarian—yes, even the Reuben. The Gertrude Stein is a particularly sophisticated option, made with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, sweet pickled onions, cucumbers, avocado, and micro-greens.

10. The Al Gore

Eco-warrior Al Gore’s love of all things green inspired the turkey sandwich at Two Bears Deli in Grand Rapids, Michigan; it’s crammed with mixed greens, feta cheese, dried cherries, and walnuts in a tomato wheat wrap.

11. The Alfred Hitchcock

Old-school lunch spot Fritzankotter’s Sandwich Factory in Huntington Beach, California promises “unusual sandwiches and, of course, the standbys” from a menu divided into 10 sections, categorized by protein and each given the name of a world-famous figure (some of them fictional, like Archie Bunker, and many of them now passed away). The only mystery surrounding The Hitchcock is how the Master of Suspense managed to inspire such an anticlimactic roster of ingredients: ham and provolone, smeared with mustard and served on a French roll.