I think it's a great premise for a show, and it totally works for me. It's as much a travel log as a food show, and as someone who's always looking for epic sandwich experiences, I think it's great. I especially appreciate Richman's talent for describing the sensual nature of what he's eating. So many Food Network people bite into a sandwich and just moo like a cow and go "mmmmmmm!", and can't articulate very well what they're tasting. Richman describes how the flavors work together, the crunch (textures) if applicable, bite, etc.
I just wondered which Chicago area places we could look forward to seeing, and if anybody had spotted him filming.