3.12.2009

dog house

mr.pickle's, 20th & south van ness, san francisco
awwww yeah this was a good sandwich. I had just come back from a great run, it was sunny and warm in SF for a change, and there are really only two options for a reward after a great run: Mr. Pickle's or Farolito, and this isn't a taqueria blog (that one is forthcoming).
so Mr. Pickle's it was! now, a couple of notes before I talk about this sandwich: one, is that I am a creature of habit. risk-adverse. I have my favorite sandwiches at Mr. Pickle's, and I don't usually mess with the ones I don't know. but this one came recommend by the fine folks at missionmission, and the idea of a great sandwich at Mr. Pickle's being uneaten by me was maddening. if I knew the latin for "let no great sandwich go uneaten", it would probably be tattooed on my body somewhere. so that's one. two, is that the last few sandwiches i've bought have kind of been a disappointment. and since this blog is all about sandwich appreciation, this worried me. was I getting burned out on sandwiches? was this the end of my sandwich love?
thankfully, this sandwich eased my worries. what an awesome sandwich! missionmission were right in pointing out that pastrami and bacon, the two main ingredients of this particular sandwich, are an odd combination. but they go so well together! in fact, the difference in flavor between the two salty red meats is subtle, and it wasn't clear in any given bite where the pastrami ended and the bacon began. also, since the meat was relatively similar in flavor, this sandwich was far less wild in taste than the station 7 or the gaucho. the result was that I was more clearly able to taste the flavor of the pesto, and the swiss cheese, and the sourdough roll- all of which were nice balances in flavor to the meat. sandwich love = restored.

ps- did you know that there is a variant of the reuben called the rachel, which substitutes pastrami and coleslaw for the corned beef and sauerkraut? I didn't until just now.

2 comments:

  1. I had this the other day (pre-mr pickle stealing) and was thoroughly satisfied. I too came upon this one by happenstance, as they told me they don't serve The Babe after noon. WHAT!? On the weekends, breakfast shouldn't even start until 2 pm!

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  2. ha ha i'm pretty sure i've never been in mr. pickle's before noon. I'd written this sandwich off as being one of the weird sandwiches on the menu (like the porky pig) but yeah it was actually great. kinda makes me wonder if the other sandwiches that sound strange are actually good.

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