chicken, fig and goat cheese

Here's a sandwich Els whipped up for lunch today!  One of the things that most impresses me about her cooking is that before last night, she had never cooked with fig before.  Yet somehow we ended up coming home from the store with figs and now today I had before me a chicken sandwich topped with fig.  I thought the combination of flavors in the sandwich was amazing.  The very first taste I noticed was the sweetness of the fig, which was very sugary and gooey.  The sweetness gave way to the sour sharp flavor of the goat cheese, the creamy texture of which melted together nicely with the fig.  Finally, there was a very surprising spicy bite from the mustard Els used- surprising because the mustard has such a strong and typically overwhelming flavor, but was used in moderation and so it didn't become noticeable until after the other flavors.  I think the only drawback to this sandwich was that we ran out of roast chicken- the various flavors of this sandwich were so strong that I think they could have used a more neutral flavor at the center, and big chunks of chicken would have done nicely.  Still!  This was such a good lunch.... I think Els is some kind of sandwich savant.

RUMBLE AT 24TH AND HAMPSHIRE, PT 2: DAGWOOD'S CONTINUED

Called "The Billy", this was the second sandwhich Els and I picked up at Dagwood's. The sandwich is advertised as featuring goat cheese, olive spread, tomato, cucumber and sprouts. We opted for toasted sliced wheat bread. While the Holy Molé was fine if perhaps underwhelming, this sandwich was pretty much just bad. The goat cheese and olive spread were both extemely salty, hiding the other flavors of the sandwich. There wasn't really that much else to hide, however; the sandwich-maker had opted to substitute shredded iceberg lettuce for the sprouts, and hadn't included any tomatos at all. Also, this sandwich cost seven dollars!! This basically sums up my impression of Dagwood's: they have some pretty good-sounding sandwiches, and it seems like a fair amount of thought and creativity went into the menu, but the execution is totally lacking. I'm always rooting for new sandwich shops to be great, but Dagwood's doesn't really seem to have it together yet. Next up: Pal's Takeaway!

bold yam statement

With the return of Spring, I recently started thinking of all the things I enjoy doing during the warmer days in the city. One of the activities I am most excited about is popping off to the Atlas Cafe to leaf through their great selection of magazines and eat their fantastic sandwiches... this sandwich in particular.

It's a pretty bold statement, but the yam sandwich at Atlas is my FAVORITE sandwich. Roasted yam, chevre goat cheese, thinly sliced red onion, parsley, and cherry tomatoes are served on a lightly toasted fresh sourdough baguette. Why I claim this as my favorite sandwich is one, the flavors and two, the textures. Texture is a huge thing for me when I'm eating. The sweet yam is sooooooo soft, melts in the mouth and blends so well with the chevre, the tomatoes burst with juicy bright tang, the red onion adds a hint of crisp spice and the toasted baguette gives the teeth something to rip into. Most of this I have no trouble re-creating on my own at home, however, the roasted yam is perfected at Atlas. I have tried countless times, different marinades, cut widths, cook times, cast iron skillet, baking sheet pirex dish but its just not the same. Maybe it's the way they cook the yam, maybe it's the act of eating this sandwich with the combination of the back patio and the fashion magazines, but for me this is one of the most comforting and satisfying sandwich experiences I have yet to have and am excited for the return of Spring and Summer when I look forward to lazy afternoons at Atlas.

guest review - turkey with pear and goat cheese

socha, mission & valencia, san francisco

To be honest, this sandwich was more strategic than anything else. I knew I was in for a coffee-addled late night finishing a project. I was getting my first refill and made a split second decision and ordered this sandwich instead of my usual fare. (…Oh hi, I’d like a refill please and maybe… one of those cinnamon rolls… oh make it two….yes they can go on the same plate…. thank you. ) That being said it was pretty good, although it kind of seemed like it was supposed to be a salad. Pear, goat cheese, turkey, and arugula sounds like a salad to me. But they serve this salad-sandwich on a super soft focaccia that ends up pulling it all together. Also, to its credit, I ate it too quickly to really judge it any further.

guest review by Katie Roquet