Rocky may be its namesake, but Philadelphia is not its birthplace. By all accounts the Balboa ($11.95) first appeared in Westchester County, New York, in the late 1970s, and under that name the sandwich is still largely confined to the Northeast. In addition to swiss cheese melted over roast beef, the counterman might include onions, mushrooms, or bacon, but a generous dose of garlic — at Court Deli, the Balboa is served on garlic bread — is indispensable.
Court Deli
96 East 161st St. (at Walton Ave.), Concourse, Bronx
718-993-1380
www.CourtDeliNYC.com