summer sandwiches: portland again! or in this case, grant's pass

1533 Northeast F Street, Grants Pass, OR
 http://parkwayvillagellc.com/gooseberries.php

I had so much fun the last time I was in Portland, I turned around and went straight back!  Actually, Els and I had been talking about going to Portland for a long, long time, and my last trip there was a hastily thrown together journey that didn't include Els.  It was a bro/road trip.  I wanted to say broad trip, but that doesn't quite work.  At any rate, it was time, once again, to drive through hours and hours of mountains to get to that rad city perched in the middle of the cultural desolation of Oregon.  Last time I went, I left San Francisco at something like seven in the morning in order to get to Portland before too late in the day (if you've never done it, the drive from SF to Portland is somewhere between 10 and 12 hours long..... be sure to stock up yr mp3 player before leaving...).  In order to make this drive a little less insane, we left Friday night and stayed in a hotel halfway.  Well it was supposed to be halfway, except Friday night traffic was gnarly and so we only got as far as Willows, which is only a few hours north of SF.   That meant a fair amount of driving left for Saturday, which actually ended up taking up most of the day.  We had a late breakfast (I had Burger King.... don't get the breakfast burrito there, it's awful and small and full of runny salsa, stick to the totally passable breakfast biscuit sandwich), so imagine my dismay when we passed signs indicating a MR PICKLES franchise just south of Shasta!  We were too full to stop already.  I blew it with my breakfast choice!  We would have to stop again for food before getting to Portland though, and by mid-afternoon we were deep in Oregon's mountains and our stomachs were grumbling. We got off the 5 at Hood River Grant's Pass and contemplated the assortment of fast food options, before spotting a grocery called Huckleberry's Natural Market Gooseberries Real Food & Deli (I couldn't remember the name of the market when I was writing this, just that it had berry in the name- hence my mistaken first assumption based on google results that we had stopped at a chain grocery called Huckleberry's).  Els, being a granola eating hippie, wanting to stop there for lunch, and I, being a junk-food loving carnivore who is smart enough to let his girlfriend get her way, acquiesced.  Reluctantly.  I steeled myself for a bland meal of fake meat products and foods advertising their lack of whatever we aren't supposed to be eating these days.  But inside we discovered a deli offering a variety of sandwiches, wraps, and burgers, and I'll be damned if they didn't actually sound pretty tasty (and pretty bad for you!! awww yeeaaaah).  I went with the "Huckleberry Gooseberry Special" or something like that, which was I think turkey, bacon, melted cheese (jack?) and honey mustard.  And pesto aioli, or avocado?  What's that green stuff up there?  I didn't write down the ingredients because I stupidly believed that a natural food store would have a modern website with a menu available.  Idiot.  Anyway whatever it was it was great and undoubtedly bad for me, which I appreciate, Huckleberry's Natural Market Gooseberries Natural Food & Deli.  Els got a wrap, which in my professional sandwich blogger opinion is not a sandwich, but we got photos of it anyway and here it is.  It was bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce, dressing (caesar or thousand island?) and I'm pretty sure it had turkey or chicken.  Maybe Els remembers.  I'd ask her, but she's back in Portland!  Again!  We can't get enough of that city, apparently.  Also, she just sent me a text about a toothless man trying to trade weed for two machetes at a garage sale.  Oregon!

 

After filling our bodies with this horribly unhealthy food from the health market, we got back on the road and saw some RIDICULOUS clouds.  Look at these dang clouds!  It's hard to get a sense of scale, but this was a massive cloudbank with a really weird shape.  Good stuff, Oregon!

summer sandwiches: turkey from meat cheese bread in portland

 

Meat Cheese Bread, 1406 Southeast Stark Street, Portland OR

www.meatcheesebread.com/

Even before I went to Meat Cheese Bread in Portland, I knew I'd love the place.  There just something undeniably appealing about the simplicity of the name, that really captures the basic essence of sandwiches.... its perfect.  Unless there's no meat or cheese, but rather some sort of.... unnamed "x" variable...... and then, bread only appears in the name once, which might mistakenly cause people to envision open-faced sandwiches.  Still, "Meat Cheese Bread" is ALMOST the perfect name for a sandwich shop, and when showed up on my last day in Portland, the delicious sounding sandwiches on the menu reaffirmed my expectation that this place had a good take on sandwiches.  I went for the turkey sandwich, feeling like my sandwich choices over the last few days had been slightly insane, and wanting to see how this place treated one of the all-time classic sandwiches.  I even put on my "sandwich journalism hat" (not a literal hat) and tried to get some answers to questions I had about the menu, especially why pickles cost $2.5???  It seemed like a lot of money for one pickle, and the guy behind the counter said something about them being hand-crafted and made in the river(??).  Actually I didn't do a very good job of getting answers because I know how rude it is to complain about prices and so I just sort of awkwardly said "uh huh, oh wow, made in the river you say" and shuffled out with my sandwich.  THEN I did a pretty lousy job of paying attention to the sandwich as I ate it, because I was really hungry and the sandwich was really good.  I really liked how soft the bread was, and the turkey was appropriately mild in combination with the salty and crispy bacon.  Also featured were havarti and a sweet onion aioli.  What can I say, the sandwich was good!  I was hungry!  Its not like I'm getting payed for this, is what I'm getting at here.  Fortunately I will be returning to Portland in just a few weeks, this time with my trusty co-reviewer Els, so doubtlessly I will be able to return to this shop and do a proper job of verbalizing what makes their sandwiches so good.  Some of your sandwiches might have evaded me last time, Portland.... next time will be a different story.

the beach hut cafe at crissy field

the beach hut cafe, crissy field center, san francisco

"Park Club - natural turkey breast, ham, bacon, avocado, cheese and greens on whole wheat sourdough with mustard and mayo"
"Honey Dijon Turkey - natural turkey breast, jack cheese, honey spice Dijon and mayo with greens on whole wheat sourdough"

Els and I took advantage of a mid-week day off this week to go for a little bike ride, which was actually my first bike ride in several months. My gears were a little creaky, so were my legs, but we successfully made it from our starting point in the Mission to the buffalo enclosure at Golden Gate Park (despite being a resident of SF for close to a decade, I'd never actually seen the buffalo before!). Since we were so close to the beach, Els suggested that we continue on, and we did; upon arriving there, she mentioned a time that she and a friend had made the same bike ride, only to decide to continue up Ocean Beach and around the point to the Golden Gate Bridge.  So of course then she and I took that route to the bridge, which led to us biking over the bridge and back. Not only is that a significantly longer bike ride than I'd anticipated, but it also included several very steep hills and even a long dirt staircase that we had to carry our bikes up and over. Needless to say I was pretty destroyed by the time we got to Crissy Field. I also hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, which was hours and miles behind me. Els, too, seemed like she was ready to eat anything that stopped long enough for her to catch. Fortunately there was the Beach Hut Cafe waiting for us on the East end of Crissy Field, offering sandwiches, smoothies, and a bunch of really strange gourmet snacks, like fancy marshmallows, steak strips, and wheat-free dog treats. It was a little small inside and the assortment of snacks as well as Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge souvenirs made it feel like a museum gift shop inside, but it was sunny and sheltered from the wind that was coming off the bay. We ordered the first two sandwiches on the menu, as well as what we thought was a blood orange and cranberry juice drink but turned out to be a smoothie. The sandwiches were the "Park Club" (pictured at top) and the "Honey Dijon Turkey" (the third and fourth pictures above). Keeping with the museum gift shop vibe of the place (and therefore in line with museum food), the sandwiches were both overpriced yet competently prepared. Neither sandwich was especially interesting or noteworthy, but the "Park Club" edged out the "Honey Dijon Turkey" by offering a more diverse set of ingredients. The whole wheat sourdough was pretty bland and tasted like your standard store-bought bread, and the toppings were somewhat skimpy on both sandwiches in my opinion, but I enjoyed eating them. I wouldn't suggest that anyone go out of their way to find the Beach Hut Cafe, but if you want a picnic lunch at Crissy Field and don't mind paying a little more for somewhat generic sandwiches, this place really isn't a bad option. I would certainly consider returning the next time I'm out there, although I'm hoping that next time I will not have just unexpectedly biked for hours across the city. After devouring our sandwiches, Els and I hopped back on our bikes and headed back home, pausing only for a moment when my legs seized up and I couldn't move them for a few minutes (I have since regained the full use of my legs). When we got home I didn't move from the couch for the rest of the evening, except to go to the front door to get the pizza we had delivered.

PS- the steak strips were pretty good (I got the "Cajun"), the gourmet marshmallows (we tried "Caramel" and "Chocolate") tasted like marshmallows. Go figure. We didn't try the wheat-free dog treats.

andersen's turkey, avocado & swiss

 

andersen's bakery, crocker galleria, market & new montgomery

Due to recent work obligations, I've been spending a fair amount of time in the Crocker Galleria, an exceptionally boring mall in San Francisco- its small size and lack of interesting shops make it more or less a glorified food court.  And being a glorified food court, the options for a good meal are pretty slim.  So when I went to Andersen's Bakery for lunch the other day, my expectations were low.  But there were already a few signs indicating that this might be one of the better lunch options in the mall: for one, they bake their own bread, and two, there were only about five sandwiches offered.  The small size of the sandwich menu gave me hope that there would be a few well thought-out sandwiches, unlike shops that try to offer everything but don't manage to do anything very well.  My hopes turned out to be well founded, because this was a very good sandwich.  It wasn't great by any means, but certainly better than I expected from mall food.  I went with the turkey, avocado & swiss on sourdough, one of the all-time classic sandwiches and fairly easy to do right.  Andersen's version was definitely enjoyable.  Curiously, both halves of the sandwich came individually wrapped- I don't know why, except perhaps because the slices of bread were long enough to make the sandwich too large to fit into the bag as a whole?  As for the bread, the sourdough was soft in the crumb, tough on the crust, and had a pleasant albeit unexceptional sour flavor.   The rest of the ingredients were able to pass muster as well; the turkey was tasty and somewhat dry (and not slimy like you might expect from cheaper sandwiches), the avocado was delicious in spite of it not being avocado season, and the swiss cheese had enough flavor to be noticeable (unlike other sandwiches we've had lately where the cheese was too subtle and got lost in the mix).  One aspect of this sandwich that I liked best was the sweet mayonnaise, a staple of deli sandwiches that is frequently omitted from the high-concept sandwiches I mostly eat these days.  All around, this was a comforting sandwich that definitely defied my low expectations for food from Crocker Galleria.

driftwood market in Palo Alto

driftwood market, el camino & fernando, palo alto

There aren't a whole lot of good sandwich options in Palo Alto, but when I was trying to find new places to go, I heard a lot of good things about Driftwood Market.  I decided to try it out one day when I was in the area, and see what the fuss was about.  Firstly, I was impressed by the friendliness of the people there- I was greeted as soon as I walked in, asked if it was my first time there, and asked if I wanted help making a selection. I admire a sandwich shop that takes pride in their presentation and service!  As for the sandwich, it was very satisfying.  A turkey club is a pretty traditional and comforting sandwich, and this was pretty faultless.  The bacon was perfectly crunchy, and the mayo and sourdough were sweet and sour in a very complimentary way.  There maybe wasn't anything very original about this sandwich, but then that's what I was hoping for so it wasn't a problem.  I'm looking forward to trying out more of their menu soon.

cajun turkey at Tasty's

Tasty's, 24th & utah, san francisco

The consensus between Els and I is that this is the best po'boy we've tried at Tasty's.  The turkey was moist and topped with capers, and best of all, it held together much better than the shrimp or fried fish, which tended to tumble out of the sandwich.  The meat really is the centerpiece of these sandwiches; the bread and veggies don't really add that much, so it's important to find a meat that can stand alone.  Thus far we think this is the best of the options at Tasty's.

the valencia

Like I promised, a quicker turn-around on sandwich reviews! This tasty little number is the Valencia from Rhea's, a sandwich best described as "creamy". Turkey, havarti, avocado and mayo get together for a real chill time in your mouth. But then bacon, pickles and pickled onion show up and bring some crunch to the happenings. It works out pretty well I would say. Rhea's is definitely becoming more and more my go-to sandwich shop- they have ordering sorted out in a more organized manner, and the seating makes for some good Valencia people-watching. I felt like I was being adventurous by ordering a Turkey sandwich when there are so many more interesting sandwiches on the menu, but if yr folks are in town and the idea of a spicy korean steak sandwich sounds like too much for them, try suggesting this sandwich. Maybe they will even dig the pickled onions.

bummer sandwich

submarine center, ulloa & west portal, san francisco

There's a pretty strict rule regarding negative reviews here at bxb, which is that we don't write them.  Everyone has different things that they like, and talking trash about someone's hard work never appealed to me.  So far, in the year and a half that this blog has been going, following this rule hasn't been difficult.  Sure, I've had a few disappointing sandwiches, but nothing so awful I wasn't willing to give the sandwich makers the benefit of the doubt.  So it's not lightly that I say that Submarine Center sucks and that no one should eat there. But-

Submarine Center sucks and no one should eat there!  God, what a bunch of jerks these guys were.  Els and I made a special trek out to West Portal yesterday, because we'd heard so many good things about Submarine Center and wanted to try it out.  When we arrived, the line stretched from the counter in the front of the long, narrow shop, out to the front door.  Looking over the enjoyably old-fashioned menu, we decided to try their home-roasted turkey on one sandwich, and pastrami on the other.  We reached the counter and placed our order, and then followed the couple that had ordered ahead of us to a second line leading to the cashier.  While it seemed like this line wasn't very formal- some people moved up to the front of the line when their order was called- we nevertheless waited patiently for our turn to pay.  When we reached the front of the second line, the man at the cashier gazed vacantly at me as I tried to explain what I was paying for.  I told him what we had ordered, asked for a potato salad, and pointed to the sandwiches on the counter that Els and I had been watching from the line.  "We ordered two sandwiches.... I think those ones are ours" I said, indicating the wrapped sandwiches.  At this point the man who made the sandwiches glared at us and asked, voice dripping with hostility, "You mean the ones I've been calling for the last ten minutes?"  I should point out that A) I wasn't talking to the sandwich maker, I was talking to the guy at the register, and B) I wasn't complaining, nor did I have any kind of attitude or frustration in my voice; I was just trying to communicate to the cashier which sandwiches I was paying for.  So the guy making sandwiches went out of his way to give us shit, for no reason.  I can understand that maybe there is a system at Submarine Center for paying for your sandwiches as they are called, but there's nothing to communicate this system to the customers, and neither Els nor I heard him calling our orders (we were standing in line basically in front of him, and he certainly didn't make any effort to make eye contact or communicate directly with us).  And we weren't complaining about how long the order had taken or anything else; we simply waited to order sandwiches, ordered, waited to pay for the sandwiches, and then got a load of this guy's shitty attitude for no reason.  By the way, I work a service job and have to put up with needy and rude customers all day, so don't think I don't know what it feels like to have to deal with a high volume of demanding customers.  In fact, I go out of my way to be polite to people working service jobs because I know that some customers can be a handful.  So in this case, the sandwich maker was being an asshole to us simply because he was an asshole and apparently it's totally OK to treat customers that way at Submarine Center.

Now I know that, if you are like me, you are thinking "So you had a crappy experience but what about the SANDWICH".  The sandwich was boring and plain and devoid of anything noteworthy.  The bread was dry and flavorless, the turkey was forgettable, the "secret sauce" tasted like the Submarine Sauce you can buy at Safeway (which in turn tastes more or less like Italian dressing).  If Submarine Center had charm I would have given the sandwich credit for being just an old-fashioned sub from a unpretentious sandwich vendor, but do you want to put up with people giving you shit just so that you can buy a bland sub?  I don't.  Els and I had made plans to come back and try out different subs while we were waiting to pay, but after experiencing their terrible brand of customer service, why would I ever go out of my way to go back to this place?

Oh yeah their potato salad sucked too.  Screw this place.

Hospital food BATTLE! Turkey burger vs Veggie burger!

This tasty battle took place at Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco. I was a little surprised to see a decent looking cafeteria with a grill, deli, and salad bar. The grill is open from 11am until 7:30pm Monday through Thursday and has a modified schedule Friday through Sunday that I can't remember. They have daily specials like any cafeteria but I was drawn to the grill.

It seems that every time I eat a sandwich I seem to be starving like no other. Above is the turkey burger which everyone around me was ordering and the cook had multiple patties on the grill. It smelled so good and I wanted to see what the whole fuss was about. I felt a little skeptical about the fries as I enjoy mine crispy and smaller cut or large wedges fried to perfection. I figured I would skip on the fries when a woman in scrubs encouraged me to get the fries. What the hell? I was hungry! I sat down and sliced the burger in half and popped open my can on coke. I normally avoid soda but I can't drink anything else but if I am having a burger. It's the American way!

I have to admit I was disappointed in the turkey burger. It was dry, as turkey often is, and I couldn't eat it with ketchup. I should have put more mustard and mayo on my burger but even then I don't know if it would have saved it. I usually avoid turkey just because eating it without stuffing feels blasphemous and brings back memories of painful Thanksgiving dinners I wish I could forget. The fries, too, were too soft for my liking. I sadly have to admit that I forced myself to eat this. I would not eat this turkey burger again!

Now this veggie burger was a delight! What I like about veggie burgers is that they can be very filling if the patty is made right. This one definitely is! I put on a generous amount of mayo and mustard on top to make sure it didn't get dry like the turkey burger and when I sliced my burger a little squeezed out on the side. It was very filling and satisfying and hit the spot (as I seem to say often) and is on the cheaper side at $3.25 before taxes. I didn't miss the fries (though I have yet to have the curly fries) and was really happy with what I ordered.

Now, I don't know why you would eat at a hospital over any other places in the neighborhood but there is plenty of good people watching to be had. There are the doctors, nurses, construction workers, security, patients, family, and friends of patients, too. I can also see as how this would be a total bummer place to eat since I have seen a couple people just sit around and stare at their food sadly. The fluorescent lighting isn't exactly mood lighting, either. If you're in the area, though, and don't feel like venturing to the Fillmore, Japantown, or the Inner Richmond or anywhere else in the area it's worth a shot just to say you have done it. It's located on the first floor to the right.

Also, how do you eat your burger? I learned to cut my burger in half by my friend Ciaron who learned this during a visit to Texas. I eat my burgers this way now and put a generous amount of ketchup on the side to dip the burger half into. It makes for a lot less messiness and it's good for the times when you're eyes are bigger than your stomach and you need to take the rest to go.

So, how do you eat a burger?

atlas turkey sandwich

 

 atlas cafe, 20th & alabama, san francisco

 Although this is my first review of a sandwich from Atlas (bxb contributor Katie reviewed their grilled cheese and apple sandwich last year), its certainly not my first sandwich from the Mission coffee shop.  While I've very much enjoyed the beetloaf sandwich in the past, and Els swears by the roasted yam sandwich, I've also had sandwiches at Atlas that didn't impress me much.  So my hopes for this turkey sandwich were rather subdued when I ordered.  It didn't help that I was HUNGRY and I recalled Atlas' sandwiches as being on the smaller side.  As it turns out, my worries were for naught- this tasted hella good and was pretty filling too.  The turkey was fresh and flavorful, and of course turkey on sourdough is basically the most classic combo of all time.  But, this wasn't yr average turkey sandwich.  Sharp cheddar and red onions bit at the taste buds, and a sweet chipotle-fig chutney balanced out the stronger sour and savory flavors.  Get this, a ginger lemonade, and enjoy the backyard patio if it isn't too packed.

hey there sexy bird

oralia's, 3rd & 22nd, san francisco

Yes, I did call this sandwich sexy.


Oralia's is this fairly recent deli around my place of work in the Dog Patch. I don't go too often because I have to admit I didn't really enjoy the first sandwich I got there. But, I think it was Monday, there were slim pickens in my kitchen and I created this bare bones sandwich that I was not excited to eat when lunch rolled around. And for reasons that I don't need to get into, I chose to try Oralia's again.

I walked in with low blood sugar, looked at the menu and grimaced. I thought to myself, "well hells bells... I guess I'll go with turkey, it's hard to fudge a turkey sandwich." Sos, I ordered roasted turkey on rye with cheddar and all the fixens minus the pickles - we've been over this before, but I'll repeat, I don't like pickles. My bill came to be $8.20 and like the menu I had previously been looking at, I again grimaced and thought, "awfully steep for a plain ol' turkey sandwich..."

But then, oh but then, a big hunk of plump juicy roasted turkey was pulled from a big ol' warmer and thick slices of meat were cut off for my sandwich.

I got back to my desk, sat down, unwrapped my sandwich from the confines of it's parchment paper and took a big bite. I had never tasted such freshness in what I normally considered a safe basic. And the meat! Oh the meat... I have never had such moist turkey, it seemed like it had been soaking in a bath of real broth - not canned or boxed, but fresh.

After my sandwich seduction, I will never second guess Oralia's when my brown bag lunch seems unexciting.

going home for thanksgiving

ike's place, 16th & sanchez, san francisco

Though perhaps not a seasonally appropriate sandwich for these sunny times, I've been jonesing for some American comfort foods after my recent travels to the southern hemisphere and, besides the already reviewed "Montana to Rice" from Ike's, I couldn't think of anything more distinctly American or generally comforting than the idea of a thanksgiving leftovers-style sandwich: turkey, cranberry sauce, and havarti. While placing my order I was thrown a curve ball and presented with the enticing option of adding sriracha hot sauce to "balance out the sweetness" of the cranberry. Having never considered enjoying my very American sandwich with the accompaniment of an Asian (though really, Californian!) hot sauce, I accepted this culinary and psychological challenge and set out to breadxbread's preferred Ike's testing ground: Dolores Park. While settling into this sandwich, I quickly realized that I probably ordered too many ingredients and would have to contend with an array of flavors and textures that don't necessarily fit the conceptual model of "thanksgiving sandwich." Though there are many ways to adapt this palate of flavors to the sandwich realm, in this instance I am not sure they necessarily benefit from the lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and everything else that usually accompanies an Ike's sandwich. This surplus of condiments made my eating experience a difficult one to navigate through smoothly (my notes read "drawbacks - messy as shit"), but it was also very enjoyable. This was made possible by the amazingly warm and zesty flavors that surged throughout the "Going home for Thanksgiving." I was so happy to find that the sriracha really did balance the sweetness of the cranberry sauce; and together with the buttery havarti and perfect amount of turkey, it made my re-acquaintance with my favorite American comfort food completely satisfying.

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.

tom tom

mr. pickle's, 20th & south van ness, san francisco

The second day that JoJoJoJo and I were in SF, I had a gnarly hangover. The kind where you are certain that the sun is shining specifically because it hates you and wants you to suffer. So JoJoJoJo and I decided to tackle our mental impairments head on, pulling out every weapon in our arsenal to counteract the misery in our souls with positivity. We decided that old reliable stand-by, Mr. Pickle's, was in order. I practiced a little free-style walking on the way, stopping only to buy a little Animal Crossing charm outside the liquor store on 23rd and Capp. When we got to Mr. Pickle's, I decided I needed to try something new- and remarkably, this sandwich, the Tom Tom, was something I had never eaten. There are a number of factors behind this- I usually feel guilty about ordering anything with bacon (or I used to, anyway); and the menu at Mr. Pickle's has so many strange combinations that a turkey club just didn't seem exotic enough. But it turned out to be a great sandwich, much less intense than some of the other sandwiches at Mr. Pickle's, but certainly a worthy turkey club. We ate in the little park (Alioto? it has one of those old-timey SF names) that is usually full of drunks and hobos, but it wasn't too bad that day. The sunshine felt good and the sandwich elevated my feeble state from "critical" to "tolerable".

pesto turkey burger pt 2

After making my last sandwich too strongly flavored, I tried to make this one a little more reserved. And it was more mild, both in flavor and in appearance. As you can tell, this wasn't the most colorful or appetizing sandwich to look at. Still, it tasted pretty good. You can't really go wrong with a combination of turkey, cheese and avocado.

pesto turkey burger pt 1

Once again, I decided to try out something new from the grocery store. This time, I bought frozen pesto turkey patties, which I believed to be fully cooked and in the shape of a normal burger. However, when I got home I discovered that that they were uncooked, as well as being rectangle in shape. Because the patties were greenish-grey, it was kind of hard to tell when one was done cooking. But I decided to take a risk and call it done. I threw on some of the sharp provolone I had from before, some tomato and red onion, and put the whole mess on a burger bun. It tasted pretty good, but a lot of the flavors were really sharp and acidic and it gave me a little of a stomach ache. I decided the next patty I cooked would be paired with more mild flavors.

what was i thinking about

Dinner tonight resembles
the quantity and quality
of an after school, home alone,
throw things together and hope
for the best sort of meal.
i used love,
first and foremost,
followed by the ready-sliced
honey smoked
turkey breast, paired with
middle sharp cheddar.
Add a little beer 'n brat
horseradish mustard,
though just a little, it's spicy...
and slap two fresh-cut
sides of sourdough
infused
with rosemary and olive oil.
grill it panini-style,
al la george forman
and pair it with your favorite
fritos flavor (mine being
chili cheese)

sandwich over-stimulation pt 2

Veggie chiken patty with potato salad

alexander's brite spot, west sunset & glendale, los angeles

Chicken breast on focaccia


veggie chicken patty with fixins

sandwich over-stimulation pt 1

fromin's deli, wilshire & 19th, santa monica

Open-faced turkey with gravy

the fix burgers, hyperion & tracy, los angeles

Ostrich burger with cheddar

fromin's deli, wilshire & 19th, santa monica

Pastrami on rye

fromin's deli, wilshire & 19th, santa monica

Turkey pastrami on rye

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