Massachusetts' Most Famous Roast Beef Sandwich Comes From A Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives Favorite

Roast beef sandwich fans are pretty serious about what lies inside those toasted split rolls, but getting it just right is no easy feat. Emmy-winning culinary star Guy Fieri apparently agrees, going to great lengths, literally, to find the elusively perfect RB sammie. His road-trip hunt inevitably led to the most famous version in the state of Massachusetts: the Roast Beef 1000 at Cutty's in Brookline Village. 

When Fieri rolled into town for an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," his wildly loved show on Food Network, the exuberant star leapt from an open-top convertible and burst into Cutty's with his signature enthusiasm, ready to discover what makes this hometown café so special. Cutty's is small, casual, and unassuming, but the husband-and-wife owners, Rachel and Charles Kelsey, are anything but naïve. 

Before opening Cutty's in 2010, they trained at the Culinary Institute of America and spent years as test cooks and editors at American's Test Kitchen, a partner brand of Cook's Illustrated, during which time they met, fell in love, married, and dreamed of their own place. That place became Cutty's, where Fieri discovered their signature Roast Beef 1000, stating that he wouldn't change a thing, except maybe the name: "It should be the Roast Beef One Million" — instead of 1000.

At Cutty's, meals are hand-crafted onsite using all-natural cheeses and meats, and the dairy, eggs, and produce come from regional farms and producers, depending on seasonal availability. Bread arrives daily via Iggy's Bread of the World — and that bread is crucial when it comes to the Roast Beef 1000. It's a black-pepper brioche bun that's toasted in a panini press, giving it extra structure for handling the juicy, saucy ingredients without collapsing. 

As noted in the recipe for the Roast Beef 1000, posted by Food Network, the beef gets sliced ultra thin and joined by pile-high crispy shallots, Cabot Creamery sharp cheddar, and in-house Thousand Island dressing mixed with horseradish, all layered onto the toasted brioche bun. 

On his visit to Cutty's, Fieri doesn't just taste the Roast Beef 1000, say "yum" and "thank you," and bolt back out the door. He instead lingers briefly in the dining room, where customers refer to the Kelseys as "artists," and then heads for the kitchen to discover what makes this creation one of the best sandwiches in the U.S.. 

Side by side, chef Charles and Guy Fieri go through the process of making the Roast Beef 1000 sandwich, using what the chef calls his "boat motor" to grind fresh spices for the beef's spice salt rub. They include a potent blend of black and pink peppercorns, dried rosemary, thyme, ground nutmeg, bay leaves, and toasted cloves. 

After trimming an enormous beef chuck slab that Fieri notes is "like a brontosaurus," it gets rubbed down, tied, and set into the fridge for a 24-hour rest, preparing for a long medium-rare cook in the oven. Sliced shallots fry for up to an hour, creating that crispy golden crunch, before the sandwich gets its final compilation. With the magnificant masterpiece in hand, Fieri exclaims, "you know what that says? Treadmill, baby!"

When asked why his sandwich is named Roast Beef 1000, chef Charles quips, "because its from the future" — as eerie futurist background music plays in the final edit of the "Triple D" episode. But Cutty's lives very much in the present now, especially after its signature sandwich got a whole lotta love from the fiery Food Network star and his bevy of roadtripping fans.