Main Street Grill puts world record in the books

In the end, the crew of the Main Street Grill restaurant shattered the previous Guinness world records for the largest Philly cheesesteak by 72.5 feet. The mouth-watering hoagy sandwich that snaked a train of green-covered tables lined up along the Seventh Street alleyway in Lewiston measured 722.8 feet.

“This is fantastic,” said a jubilant Frank Webster, executive chef of Happy Days Restaurants and initiator of the Guinness Book of World Records challenge.

“Everything we wanted to do we were able to achieve today,” Webster said. “We won the highlight with the No. 1 sandwich we do at Main Street Grill, which is the Philly, and (to) be able to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club and bring down something to the Hot August Nights. It’s a win-win.”

The previous record was set May 17 at the Steak Thyme Bar & Grill in Miamisburg, Ohio, with a 650.3-foot-long cheesesteak.

The crowd milling around Lewiston’s downtown Saturday morning viewing vintage cars and motorcycles began collecting alongside the sandwich staging area a half hour before the action began. Some people wondered whether the Main Street team would really be able to break the world record.

“They got Frank on their team,” one man said. “Don’t underestimate Frank.”

As more people gathered, the excitement heightened. A team of red-shirted workers started opening sandwich bags and lining the rolls along the tables. Forty cases of bread, more than 300 pounds of vegetables, almost 70 pounds of cheese sauce and more than 360 pounds of meat went into the monstrosity.

“Gotta see the sandwich happening here,” one woman explained to her son.

And two guys, getting hungry, remarked: “It’s gonna start smelling good here real soon.”

Webster said Guinness did not set a time limit but he was aiming to make the sandwich within 41 minutes.

Guinness did, however, require that all of the foot-long hoagies be lined end-to-end and touch each other to create one contiguous sandwich. All the cooking and sandwich filling had to be filmed and at the end the finished creation was measured to verify its length.

Tony Mastroberardino, director of marketing and development for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley, said Webster approached him with the idea to break the record for the world’s largest Philly cheesesteak, with all the proceeds from sales of the sandwich to be donated to the club.

“Obviously Main Street Grill puts out a great Philly cheesesteak,” Mastroberardino said. “And they just want the opportunity to share with the world how amazing they are. And Happy Days (the parent company of Main Street Grill) has been a great supporter of the Boys and Girls Club for years. And so we’re just super thankful to be the recipient of all the proceeds.”

Total sales of the sandwich, at $10 for a six-inch piece, were not immediately available Saturday afternoon.

When the creation was finished with four minutes to spare and the final length verified, a joyous cheer went up from the crowd. Mastroberardino announced that Philomena Evans, the mother of the Boys and Girls Club Executive Director, Jon Evans, had the No. 1ticket and would be first in line for a share of the record-breaking sandwich.

Philomena — whose family calls “Philly”— said she was proud to have the first bite. When her son, Jon, was 12, she said, “I took him to the opening of the Boys and Girls Club and he never came home. He’s been with the club since he was 12.”

Then she took a big bite of succulent beef and cheese on a soft white roll.

“It’s delicious,” Philly said. “Best I’ve ever had.”

Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.