(this is not a review of) Els' eggplant sandwich

Newest bxb contributor Els isn't just a sandwich reviewer, she's also a pretty killer sandwich maker.  And yesterday, she pointed out that I haven't ever reviewed any of the sandwiches she's made for me.  "I guess I'll just have to keep making you sandwiches until you post about one!" she said.
...
SO... this is NOT a review of today's lunch, an amazing sandwich with eggplant and fire-roasted peppers with Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam cheese, and carmelized red onions and black olive in a homemade [updated: carmelized balsamic] vinaigrette, and spicy dijon mustard that gave it a little extra bite.  I am not reviewing the fresh french roll that was so crunchy it could barely contain the eggplant, nor am I going to compare the bites that had extra Cowgirl Creamery cheese to "beams of light shining through the clouds" (I wouldn't say that even if this WAS a review, because man is that goofy).  If this were a review, I would say that it was a fantastic lunch... but this isn't a review.  SORRY ELS- I guess maybe I'll just have to post about one of your sandwiches another time.

pal's veggie of the day (on january fifteenth)

 pal's takeaway, 24th and hampshire, san francisco

 Friday's veggie sandwich at Pal's Takeaway wasn't too fancy- broccoli, hard-boiled egg, cucumber and gruyere cheese on two slices of poppy seed-wheat bread.  Yet perhaps due in part to the sandwiches simplicity, it was very flavorful and fulfilling.  Each ingredient stood out, and the sharp, fresh flavors worked well together.  My favorite part of the sandwich was the subtle flavor of the poppy seeds, which added some sweetness to the otherwise somewhat sour sandwich.  The sausage sandwich was greasy and decadent, and this sandwich was a perfect counterbalance- healthy, light and refreshing.

lao sausage from pal's takeaway

 

pal's takeaway, 24th and hampshire, san francisco

"Fuck Leno...me and the staff ain't goin nowhere without our Pal's sandwiches!"

-Conan O'Brien, on today's Pal's menu

After multiple failed attempts to get a sandwich from these gourmet-liquor-store-sandwich innovators, today was the day I finally managed to stop by during Pal's limited hours of operation (M-F, 11-2:30 PM).  The Friday menu consisted of a thai chili-marinated chicken sandwich, a Lao sausage sandwich, and the veggie sandwich of the day (more on this one tomorrow!).  Since I came for two sandwiches, and had already decided that one was going to be the veggie, it was either the chicken or the sausage.  But what was the Lao sausage?  Chicken?  Pork?  I asked the dude behind the counter, and he explained all about how his Laotian neighbors made this homemade pork sausages with rendered fat and.... and.... I was spacing out.  But now that he had gone through the effort of telling me all about the sausage, it would be rude to then not order it, so sausage sandwich it was!  Fortunately, this turned out to be a great decision.  The sausage itself was black-peppery, greasy and crumbly; reminiscent of breakfast sausage, but not dry and crappy like Jimmy Dean or whatever.  It was salty and very, very spicy.  Balancing out the sandwich was a kimchi mayo (which I think was also spicy, as well as very creamy) and a cucumber-cilantro relish which cut the saltiness and spiciness somewhat (but not too much!) and added a little crispness.  The bread was a delicious crusty sour roll, and given the greasy sausage and creamy mayo, I'm frankly amazed at how well the sandwich held together!  I also picked up some of the "Full Belly Farm yellow creamer potato salad", because I'm a sucker for potato salad and can't say no to trying a new type.  This also turned out to be a great decision- the potatoes were cut in generous chunks, mixed with hard-boiled egg, edemame and celery in a Dijon-mustard vinaigrette.  It was an excellent take on the old deli standby.  Even Els liked it, and she claims to not like potato salad (yeah right)!  I can't believe I didn't try Pal's sooner, and if this sandwich was any indication of their typical quality, I'll be back soon.

piccolo pete's - one final note

piccolo pete's, bayshore blvd & tunnel ave, san francisco

If you want a salami & crab salad sandwich, and are bold/drunk enough to order one- Piccolo Pete's will make this for you.  There's some kinda cheese on this, but I can't recall what it was- jack?  Let's say jack.

Piccolo Pete's Pickled Reuben

Walking into Piccolo Pete's was seemed like stepping into a picnic lover's armory. They seemed to have everything one could ever want for an indulgent day of eating stocked from floor to ceiling in every corner. There was no shortage in what they had to offer. A basket of bread towered on the deli counter, their deviled eggs consisted of three egg halves cupping an ice cream scoop of egg salad - even though I split one with AW, I was unable to even eat half - a long counter shelved multiple crock pots of soups, a wall was dedicated to the most well organized chip selection, and I can't even begin to talk about the drink selections (alcoholic and non).

I went wall-eyed, froze and chose the most basic sandwich I could think of, a Reuben. I should have been prepared for the what I got, after all, all signs pointed to over-the-top indulgence. The tang of the sauerkraut could not be enough, a layer of pickles had to be added for a bigger taste-y sourness. Or at least this is what I can assume, I would be remiss in my journalistic duty if I failed to admit I do not eat pickles and shortly after taking photographic evidence of my sandwich I passed them along to AW.

Once cleansed of pickles, my Reuben was ready to be devoured. Unfortunately, looking back, I believe the pickles were the key ingredient which set this Reuben apart from others, because in the end it was just a regular Reuben. This isn't to say that I would sway sandwich goers away from Piccolo Pete's. To the contrary, I think meat eating sandwich lovers need to experience this place for themselves! Set aside a day, because afterward one will want to revel in his or her bloated belly food-coma, grab a Cactus Cooler or broski and enjoy the meal in Piccolo Pete's cozy back patio.