Food - News
The Sandwich So Good It Has Its Own Fair
By REBECCA CHERICO
Chicago celebrates Italian beef, Philadelphia is the birthplace of the cheesesteak, and Binghamton is the home of the spiedie. Although the Binghamton spiedie sandwich is very straightforward—just marinated meat on Italian bread or a hoagie roll—it is the star of a festival.
The spiedie is so popular that there is a three-day festival celebrating them: every year, Binghamton welcomes Spiedie Fest in early August. The festival welcomes local and far-flung friends to a celebration featuring hot air balloons, music, and other local favorites as well as the sandwich itself.
Spiedie Fest started as a competitive cook-off for both amateur and professional skewer-makers, and the idea took off. One of the spiedie judges, Rick Dodd explained, “We have great sports; we have great concerts, and this is a huge event that a lot of places don't ever get to see [...] and just enjoy the day.”