hot pastrami and swiss

arguello's deli, arguello & cabrillo, san francisco

the aim of this blog is not sandwich criticism or comparison, but more just plain sandwich appreciation. so when I come across a sandwich that doesn't live up to expectations, it kind of leaves me at a loss. this is one of those sandwiches. its not that it was bad, per se- it just wasn't, you know, awesome. JoJoJoJo vouched for the hot pastrami and swiss at Arguello's, so I thought I'd give it a shot. but once again, I'd found myself at the deli counter well after the lunch hours, and frankly I don't think the guys behind the counter really have their hearts in it by five in the afternoon. as you can see, this sandwich is on sesame roll- that isn't by choice. it was the only roll they had left. I guess they must have their rolls delivered every morning, because otherwise I don't know why a grocery store would be out of rolls. as is also evident from the photos, this wasn't really stacked with pastrami. that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think I prefer that the meat in a sandwich not be dwarfed by the bread or other ingredients. and finally.... this was supposed to be a hot sandwich, but it was more luke-warm. swiss cheese doesn't always melt very easily, but the cheese on this was hardly melted at all. it wasn't a bad sandwich, but I'm willing to bet that the same sandwich is a lot better if you show up during their peak hours.

roast turkey sandwich

arguello's deli, arguello & cabrillo, san francisco

when the circumstances are just right, a roast turkey sandwich from the deli counter at the Arguello Market can be one of the best turkey sandwiches in the world. this is because they roast their own turkeys, in a giant rotating roaster. JoJoJoJo prefers the cracked pepper turkey breast (the kind that arrives at the deli packaged), but frankly I'm a little baffled by that, since that meat is available at pretty much every deli and there's nothing that special about the way Arguello's prepares their sandwiches. but to each their own sanwich.
the first time I tried this sandwich, JoJoJoJo had picked it up for me while I was doing my radio show at nearby KUSF. it was one of the most incredible sandwiches I had ever eaten- hot, freshly roasted turkey! on a sourdough roll, with all the right condiments!
but today, the circumstances were not quite right. I think perhaps I had arrived shortly after their lunch rush, because when I glanced at the preparation area behind the counter, I saw a sad, gristly looking pile of dark meat. like all of the fatty discards that were left over after everyone had gotten the good stuff. and that's what ended up on my sandwich. see, the thing is that when the meat is coming off of a freshly roasted turkey, timing is of the esssence, and today my timing was poor.
thats not to say this was a bad sandwich- it was pretty good. I could have used a stronger mustard, or sharper swiss cheese, but I understand that the turkey is meant to be the centerpiece of the sandwich. unfortunately for me, the turkey I ended up with today was not quite the best of the bird.

Before it was gone

All that remained -

This cracked-pepper turkey delicacy
nested between the FRESHEST sour dough
tangled in sweet red onion
tomato, pickles,
double teamed in Dijon and tucked under
a blanket of swiss...

mmmHmm. Arguello sandwiches,
I am in love with you <3