The answer to the question, "is a hot dog a sandwich", is *yes*.

But maybe that's a bit of a loaded question and we need to break down this question into its essential components. Is it simply, as Merriam-Webster's dictionary puts it, "two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between?" They also describe it as, "one slice of bread covered with food" - which arguably is a very different definition than the one above. Does this definition even hold true for all possible combinations of food on bread, like ice cream on sourdough? Is this yet another example of the younger generation getting their way and having a bastardized definition morph a foundational underpinning of modern casual cuisine? Perhaps a sandwich tour could help answer this question.

The *New York Sandwich Tour* was one of my first forays into the AirBNB Experiences. Thank you to Ben and his fantastic knowledge of the "sandwich" scene in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. From the unforgettable pastrami sandwich at the (unfortunately, now closed) Harry & Ida's [*pictured above*], to the classic *bánh mì* (do *not* hold the cilantro), this tour did encourage the debate of "what is a sandwich" over a controversial-choice of an open-faced flatbread ... something. My opinion is still undecided on that one.

As a side effect of taking this tour, you get to explore the Lower East Side which otherwise doesn't get a lot of love from non-locals. Who knew that sandwich shops were aplenty in the middle of New York City? Or maybe on your definition of "sandwich", why is there a stark *drought* of sandwich shops in lower Manhattan?