PrintThe Sandwich on '30 Rock' Sandwich Day Episode Revealed: Fiore's in Hoboken, NJ
Last May, there was a special "Sandwich Day" episode on 30 Rock. In a climactic scene, Liz Lemon, Tina Fey's character, rushes to the airport to catch her then-crush Floyd, but gets stalled at the security gate—her sandwich's dipping sauce exceeded the three ounce limit. "I can have it all," she says, choking it down before racing after Floyd. Almost a year later, and Caroline of Devil and Egg still wants to know the juicy sandwich's origins.
If you troll around the interweb, you'll read a lot of people theorizing that it's Defonte's in Red Hook, Brooklyn, which now has a location on Third Avenue in Manhattan. But in a happy and one might say, karmic, coincidence, I happen to have a very good friend who's husband works on the set of 30 Rock.
That friend's husband's arms were twisted, and Eureka! Turns out it's from Fiore's Deli in Hoboken, New Jersey. A close-up of the sandwich, after the jump.
Robyn remembered that we had tried the sandwich last summer, and found this glossy shot of hers.
The sandwich anatomy: a long Italian loaf, roast beef made in-house at Fiore's, fresh mozzarella also made in-house, roasted red peppers, and a side of gravy made from the roast beef's drippings ("so good you could drink it").
Fiore's Deli
414 Adams Street, Hoboken NJ 07030 (map); 201-659-1655
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26 Comments:
A tiny mystery solved! Thanks, NYSE!
onalark at 8:08PM on 04/01/09
I loved this episode! I had assumed "THE sandwich" was a work of fiction. It's cool to know that is was real, with everything made in-house even. Yum!
Fun post - thanks!
Cheers,
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 10:04PM on 04/01/09
On behalf of recent threads at Midtown Lunch, let me just reiterate...
JERSEY FOOD STILL SUCKS!!!!!!
f650gsd at 10:16PM on 04/01/09
Ah, one of my favorite comedies meets one of my favorite sandwiches. I've had this sandwich countless times, I do love it. I bet I've eaten while watching 30 rock...I have to say though, it normally does not come with a side of gravy (usually ladled on) nor with red peppers. Only available on Thursday and Saturday. (And I would drink that gravy, no question...)
51mmz0rz at 10:40PM on 04/01/09
@f650gsd, on behalf of Jersey, I take offense. :p
MikeA at 10:59PM on 04/01/09
@f650gsd, seriously??? Didn't read that thread, but you could not be more wrong.
yeayeafood at 12:30AM on 04/02/09
@f650gsd, you have obviously never been to my WONDERFUL home state. :)
sweethunibabi at 12:34AM on 04/02/09
It had better be a good damn sandwich to take the PATH train.
http://bakingandmistaking.blogspot.com
cool2bars at 12:51AM on 04/02/09
That sandwich looks awesome! And, Sandwich Day was one of my all time favorite 30 Rock episodes!
mcanna at 1:52AM on 04/02/09
This made me so happy, I love this episode and have been endlessly curious as to where this place was.
It looks mighty tasty!
Laurel E at 9:51AM on 04/02/09
Good to know, though DaFonte's does make excellent sandwiches.
cg_ups at 10:29AM on 04/02/09
Fiore's sandwich is one of the best. It is a block from my apartment. Make sure to go on Thurs or Sat as that is the only time you can get it with gravy. On nice days the line is out the door.
klaxgate at 10:44AM on 04/02/09
I have promoted this sandwich on here before, and it made the Village Voice "Best Of" sandwiches list this year.
It rules. Saturday's and Thursdays. Get there early on Sat if you go, line out the doorstarting around 12:30.
damn, been a while, might need to hit it this weekend.
Abe Froman at 10:59AM on 04/02/09
i used to live across the street and would peer out my window waiting for the line to dwindle on saturday mornings. now i have to walk a few blocks so it's anyone's guess. but that sandwich is more than worth the wait!
horsefish at 11:58AM on 04/02/09
Hi-this is Caroline from devilandegg.com
Love reading all your comments.
And you're right about showing up on the right day...check out our post and you can see our initial heartbreak when we showed up on the wrong day:
http://www.devilandegg.com/2009/03/30-rock-sandwiches-solved.html
devilandegg at 2:24PM on 04/02/09
ughhhhh Fiore's mutz is the best in the world, especially when you buy it RIGHT after they've made it, and it's sitting on the counter, warm.. it's like candy.
Allison Hemler at 4:09PM on 04/02/09
I am from upstate NY and my son lives in Hoboken. I plan my trips to see him on Saturdays and make sure he has a Roast Beef with the roasted peppers,fresh motz,and dipped in gravy waiting for me after I spend 45 minutes looking for a parking space.
Flipper at 3:58PM on 04/03/09
Just a couple of notes:
1. Fiore's doesn't make their own bread, Dom's Bakery around the corner does and definitely is a place to stop if you're going to come out to Fiore's. Their bread is excellent, as is their foccacia, pepperoni bread and sausage bread, also available with mozzarella if you choose. I freeze them for later use, not as good as fresh, but close enough in a pinch.
2. I never understood people who act like Hoboken is so far away. It's as far as Brooklyn.
3. PATH trains are as easy to use and cleaner than most NYC subways, I speak from authority since I've lived all over Brooklyn, Manhattan and now, Hoboken over the past 18 years.
4. f650gsd, you're what annoys me about NY. 9 times out of 10, statements like that come from people who moved to NY from somewhere else, lived here for a couple years but never ventured outside the city limits. You don't have to be insulting you know, but go ahead be an ignorant fool, more mozzarella for me.
Beefee at 12:15PM on 04/04/09
long live hoboken! anyone who underestimates the food in hoboken should get on the path and walk and eat the streets before you make a stupid comment like F650gsd.
some of the best food in north america is in hoboken, fool.
pooch at 9:03AM on 04/05/09
Shhhh, we don't want people finding out how good the food is here, let the NY'ers think it sucks. That keeps the lines shorter.
Peony at 10:14AM on 04/05/09
I agree with Peony, let the idiots who don't know stay in the dark; it'll keep the lines at Fiore's from winding around the block. My favorite sandwich is the muzz and proscuitto. And I love the way the counter guy always says -Don't put it in the fridge, it kills the muzz. I've been going there for a long time and he still reminds me. They also do a mean pepper salad.
lsbabe at 10:43AM on 04/06/09
A friend of mine goes to Stevens so we went there saturday. It was the most delicious sandwich ever. Thanks for the tip!
sharkweek at 11:04AM on 04/06/09
this IS a mystery solved. if the Defontes guys weren't so nice I'd say they added their own name to the ring...but I'm certain that's not true. mmm. egg-potato-pepper.
ScoreboardGourmet at 5:53PM on 04/06/09
some of their other daily sandies are killer too:
- the Italian Tuna for one
- and the ham
Abe Froman at 2:41PM on 04/09/09
Fiore's is a religious experience! I lived in Hoboken for six years,only several blocks away and the place is as good as it gets.I just made a pilgrimage yesterday.(i now live 25 miles away)It was worth every drop of gas in my car.I only wished it was thursday or saturday to score the roast beef,however the sausage and mozzarella aswell as the prosiutto and mozzarella lived up and a huge braid(about 2 and a half pounds)of mozzarella came home with me!
It is hands down the best Mozzarella in this country!
Show me better and i'll come running.
Two month ago i walked out with ten roast beef sandwiches and a pint of gravy on the side,drove 2 hours in the car into connecticut where i was meeting friends who never indulged in the Fiore's expeirence.I had built it up to be this unbelievable experience and their expectations were huge.
Safe to say i put Hoboken on the map for them that day!
Not one disappointed carnivore!
molto bene at 8:37PM on 05/21/09
Check out my blog post on Fiore's infamous Roast Beef, Mozz and Gravy Hero...including super-detailed photos of this delicious sandwich that'll make you want to lick the screen.
http://thehobokenguy.com/hobokens-best-sandwich-fiores-roast-beef-mozz-gravy-hero/
hobokenguy at 9:29AM on 09/09/09