MENASHA, Wis. — There are many types of sandwiches — hoagie, sub, grinder or hero — but one northeastern Wisconsin restaurant owner said it’s the hoagie that reigns supreme.
It’s no surprise Wilona “Lona” Young said the hoagie is the boss of all sandwiches. She’s the owner of Chicago’s House of Hoagies in Menasha.
Young said a hoagie is a split bread roll filled with happiness.
“It’s just full of toppings. It’s gonna have that famous Chicago hot peppers with your deli meats and your cheese and your fresh veggies and seasonings and hoagie sauce, and it’s a big mess with flavor,” Young said.
Young has lived in Wisconsin for 25 years and said she’s proud to bring her Windy City roots to the Fox Valley.
Her love of cooking started with being a chef to her six younger brothers. Young said food is about fellowship.
“When it was cooking going on, everybody was together, no matter what you were going through, mentally, emotionally. That food and that togetherness made everything better, even if it was just for that day,” Young said.
This South Side Chicagoan stuffs more than mounds of meat in her hoagies. She packs her memories.
Young said her sandwiches are named after some of her favorite childhood places. The shop’s Ford City hoagie is named after Chicago’s Ford City Mall.
“It has sliced chicken, deli meat, tomatoes and onions, provolone and pepper, jack cheese, salt, pepper and then olive oil and then has cheese potato chips smashed on top of it,” Young said.
Customer Leonard Sykes got his taste of Chicago with a Windy City hoagie.
“It’s kind of similar to a club as a mixture of meats: your roast beef, your chicken, your turkey. So, it’s kind of like a club, and I like the taste of it,” Sykes.
Young is offering the Fox Valley a unique pairing with her Chi-Town cuisine.
She said she wants students to have a safer childhood, so she allows them to hangout inside her restaurant after school and eat for free.
“If you’re running late, your kids can come sitting here. You don’t have to buy anything. I don’t expect anything from you in return. I just want you to have some type of peace of mind, knowing that, hey, my child is at a safe place,” Young said.
Small businesses play an important role in the community. Young said this means showing kindness is the biggest gift she can give her neighbors.
“You don’t have to be super rich, and your gestures don’t have to be super big to make a difference,” Young said.