tofu bánh mì

saigon sandwiches, larkin & eddy, san francisco

We met up with fellow breadxbread contributor Daniel Pennypacker in the U.N. Plaza a couple weeks ago, and he suggested we get some Vietnamese sandwiches up the street. I can't believe this sandwich was only $3! Warm marinated tofu, crunchy pickled vegetables, jalapeño, and cilantro on toasted french bread. It started sweet and salty and got spicier and spicier. Really good.

turkey and swiss

village cheese house, town & country village, palo alto

Things have been kinda quiet around these parts lately! I myself have been experience some technical difficulties that have preventing me from updating recently. Those issues should be resolved soon, but until then, I have some sandwiches to write about from my home town of Palo Alto, CA. First up is this turkey and swiss from the Village Cheese House at Town & Country Village. Town & Country (or T&C) is located across the street from one of the two local high schools, making the outdoor mall a popular lunch destination. When I was in high school, my weekly food budget was five dollars, which meant that I could buy a one dollar lunch every day (plain rice from the chinese restaurant, or bread and dip from the grocery store (neither of these locations exist anymore)), or one five dollar lunch once a week. I didn't usually have the self control to save all five dollars for a single meal, but when I did, a sandwich from the Village Cheese House was one of my favorite lunches. The store used to be a gourmet food shop, featuring a variety of European cheeses and candies, and a wide selection of small-batch hot sauces. This meant that their sandwiches were made with top-notch meats and cheeses- and not much else. The "old fashioned" sandwich consisted of three slices of bread (or a roll), meat, cheese, pickles, and spread (a sweet mayonnaise and mustard combination). During the lunch hours, the Cheese House would have baskets of pre-made sandwiches up front, near a second register, to accommodate the student lunch rush. It was pretty fun to dig through the sandwiches looking for your ideal combination of bread and ingredients. The Cheese House remodeled a few years ago, reducing their floorspace and selection of foods, but seemingly expanding their deli. It doesn't have quite the same charm, but the sandwiches are still great. Its just too bad that they don't stock my old favorite candy anymore.

toasted vegan sandwich

st. francis diner, 24th & york, san francisco

I'll admit it, I had never eaten at the St. Francis before this. I had gone in to buy candy and trading cards (specifically Michael Jackson and Beverly Hills, 90210 trading cards), but in almost five years of living in the area, I had never gotten around to eating there. I know, I know . . . It's kind of like admitting to not having seen Citizen Kane or read Slaughterhouse Five. Anyway, I finally ate there . . . and it was great!

I got the toasted vegan sandwich on sourdough and oooooooooh it was good. So so good. Grilled portobello, tomato, bell pepper, and greens on warm crispy bread. But what made my day was that they put vegannaise on it. I never really buy vegannaise, because I try to avoid fake-y products and also don't make that many deli-style sandwiches at home. But this sandwich made me reconsider, because the fatty creamy taste on this sandwich was really good. Also so many choices for sides! And a pickle spear on the side (200000 extra points!)! All for pretty cheap!

I never would have though this place would have so many non-meat/dairy options (vegan milkshakes! vegan sausage!) and now I will go back there as soon as I have more money and am hungry.

happy news today

mr. pickle is back!

It seems that the thief decided to voluntarily return him. There are some suggestions (from the thief) that Mr. Pickle had been left out several nights in a row (I never saw this), and suggestions (from missionmission commenters) that the thief decided to return Mr. Pickle because he was on the verge of being caught by the police. But none of that really matters, because Mr. Pickle is back where he belongs.

pastrami & swiss

george's bbq on 24th, 24th & capp, san francisco

This was the last sandwich I managed to get before departing from my dear, beloved San Francisco. George's BBQ on 24th is a place I first heard about on the exceptional Beer & Nosh, and I'd been curious about it ever since. Actually, I hadn't even ever set foot inside before this visit, despite the fact that I was living less that four blocks away from it while I was still in SF. George's immediately reminded me of another favorite of mine, Pete's BBQ at 20th and Mission. Pete's was responsible for the gentle aroma of roasting chicken that haunts 20th street, and its such a down-home, all-american, nothing-fancy-just-a-good-old-fashioned-hearty-meal eatery that I always want to salute and cry a single tear as I walk past. George's is kinda like that. No pretentions, no crazy dishes, just really honest and simple meals. The BBQ meats are the focus- on my sandwich, the veggies and cheese almost seemed like an afterthought. In fact, it seemed pretty funny to me that George's had gone through all of the effort to make their own pastrami, and that then they garnished the sandwich with some bland cheese and forgettable veggies. But of course, the pastrami was quite tasty, and that was the whole point. Unfortunately there are no options whatsoever for non-meat eaters here, so this joint is for meat-lovers only.