Savoring the Best, Messiest Sandwich in Summit

I grew up a Philly girl eating Sloppy Joes like most of the country.  Ground beef mixed with ketchup-y barbeque sauce, all spilling out over a standard white hamburger bun. It was messy comfort food,  yucky at the school cafeteria but yummy when my mom made her homemade version.

The North Jersey Sloppy Joe is another story altogether.  Around here, you can pretty much find a Sloppy Joe in any deli, even in the supermarket. But this triple-decker sandwich consists of meat, cheese, cole slaw and Russian dressing, all held together with chewy rye bread. While they're everywhere, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better Sloppy Joe than in Summit's

Hill City Deli's been a Summit institution for 41 years.  You read that right... and owner Anthony Racioppi  is proud to tell us how the Sloppy Joe came to our neck of the woods — and how his deli claims the earliest version north of the Florida Keys.

The "sloppy joe" began in Cuba where people would eat them while they were gambling. "The casino's name in Cuba was Sloppy Joes, hence the name," Racioppi said. "The sandwich was originally made with ham, tongue and the Joe staples of coleslaw,  Russian dressing and rye bread. American gamblers would return home and talk about this delicious sandwich. Hill City Deli duplicated it exactly the way it was made at that casino in Cuba."

Racioppi further explained that the original creation was larger, cut into 16 pieces and served like finger food. The junior, which is what the deli makes today, was an afterthought.

Every sandwich at Hill City Deli is made to order. The "Classic Joe" consists of roast beef, ham and cheese. It's a bargain for $6.25 since it can easily feed two hungry people. If you're like me, you don't share my Joe, so you eat half now and save half for later. If the classic doesn't do it for you, they have 21 different Joes to choose from, with pretty much any deli meat or combo including the "Friday Joe" — comprised of tuna salad, egg salad and swiss cheese.  

I can't seem to get too far down the menu because my favorite, the one I dream about, is the Turkey Joe. While I'm watching my sandwich made to order, I ask for it my way with a smidgen of Russian dressing instead of the giant dollop that tends to overwhelm the other flavors.

Hill City Deli, located just off the main drag on Maple Street, is a convenient spot to run in for a bite. It's more of a take-out deli, since there are only five small tables. But if you can't wait to get it home and there are no available tables, you could eat your Sloppy Joe right off the floor, which is spotless.