The Original Sandwich Blog

Ryan T. Burke: The man. The myth. The sandwich.

               

My coworker and chef buddy Ryan Burke approached me today with a brown paper bag. This could mean one thing: SANDWICH BOMB! Although I had just indulged in half of a pulled pork sandwich from Community BBQ (personal fave), it was only a matter of seconds before the contents of the unassuming paper bag  headed straight for my gullet.

Here’s what we’re lookin’ at, folks: serrano ham, Manchego cheese (both courtesy of Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market), with Ryan’s homemade apricot mustard on his fresh baked ciabatta. Albeit on the snack-size side of things, this sucker packed a punch.

Full disclosure — I am a total condiment junky. This apricot mustard deserves to be eaten by silver spoonfuls. Mustard can very easily overpower the flavor profile of a simple sandwich such as this, but the combination of the apricot’s sweetness and the tang of the grain was (forgive me)…the jam. Apparently he whipped it up “while The Baby slept this morning”. It complimented the serrano ham (Spain’s answer to prosciutto) without stealing its savory thunder. And what’s not to love about Manchego? Mild, buttery, thinly sliced and melted just so on the hot-pressed ciabatta. It was right at home with its Spanish kin, the ham. All of this is not to say that the bread was mediocre in any way. When you eat bread that came out of someone’s oven the same day, you can definitely tell. Throw a little butter on top, press the final product, and voilà! Bonus points for a perfect crunch without destroying the roof of my mouth.

Once upon a time Ryan gave me a Europe record because he said he didn’t need it to cheer him up anymore. If this man made me sandwiches on a regular basis, I would never have to listen to The Final Countdown again. Big ups, Chef Burke!!! 97 bites for you.

Movie pairing: Newsies

Banh mi? Banh you!

In all the hype around Lee’s Bakery, no one ever mentioned that the bánh mìs only cost $2.50. That’s TWO. FIFTY. for a fresh, satisfying, delicious sandwich. When I lived in Hawai’i as a kid, my dad and I would routinely have bahn mis on the weekends, so the nostalgia made my sandwich that much better. I’ve forgotten how good they are! Very simple and pretty light as far as sandwiches go. Today I tried the grilled pork, and there are bunch of other options. Had I known how cheap they were before I ordered, I would’ve brought a whole bag of them home. Really though, all of this rain we’re having made me crave pho and I wish I had honored that desire rather than play the dedicated sandwich blogger today. I did indulge in some Pocky though. Next time, pho. Next time.

The people who run the place are very warm and helpful. When I picked up a random baked good (which I thought was some sort of savory stuffed pastry), the woman explained that it was a meat patty. I took a bite. It just felt…wrong. She later explained to me that it was Vietnamese bologna, which Cydne interpreted as headcheese, which made my stomach turn. It’s not, but I’m gonna let that one marinate in the fridge for a minute anyway.

96 bites, cos it just cain’t get no cheaper.

Movie pairing: Indochine

Oh, Noni!

Admittedly, the only time I’ve been to Noni’s is well after suppertime. On a Wednesday evening, I could count the number of people in the place on one hand (including the bartenders). I like it that way! The menu is half pasta, half sandwiches (11), and there were several that caught my eye. Originally I was going to order one on foccacia, but I impulsively went with the Grandfather (on a sweet roll), which did not disappoint. This was my first time with porchetta (a traditional Italian boneless pork roast), and my mouth is literally watering at the thought of it. The meat was sliced pretty thin and layered, which I prefer to a big chunk of piggy in my sammie. Usually I steer clear of coleslaw and sweet pickles, but these two things totally made the sandwich. The homemade pickles were a plus, for sure, and rival my favorite of the sort at Henri’s Bakery. The moderately dressed gorgonzola vinagrette slaw added a subtle, salty crunch without making the sandwich soggy or messy. Zero drippage! Bravo. Without it, the house aioli-dressed, sweet white roll might have overwhelmed the whole operation. Oh yeah, and their garlic fries are the best I think I’ve ever had. BOOYAH. 93⅝ bites.

maiden voyage: a sandwich in Tunisia

Finally, my sandwich blog has come to fruition. Here goes nothin’!

The spicy Tunisian tuna sandwich from Alon’s Bakery was a bit of a let down, although I admit I didn’t know that “Tunisian tuna” meant it was like egg salad, potato salad, and tuna all mixed together. I was expecting something more like tuna salad with a twist. The capers, tomato, lettuce, and onion held most of the flavor in this sandwich, and it was far from ‘spicy’. A good amount of it fell out with every bite — not the most attractive thing to eat in front of my ladydate. It got the job done, nonetheless. I give this one 80 out of 100 bites.

My friend Kate ordered the superior sandwich (naturally) — grilled portobello on rosemary foccacia with sauteed spinach, Swiss cheese, and Thai basil pesto. 88 bites for you!

BONUS ROUND: The Shrimpcake Po’boy at Southern Sweets Bakery

(and a camera phone picture from 1922)

This badboy was too good not to photograph. I randomly dropped by Southern Sweets yesterday for the first time and, uh, HELLO ATLANTA, this place blows most bakeries out of the water!!!  The warm ciabatta was just soft enough and tasted like it was fresh out of the oven; much better it than typical po’boy baguette. The shrimpcake batter was perfect, with a hint of spice that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was no ordinary crabcake/fish fry. Even though I’m not crazy into seafood, the shrimp were really good too (Your Dekalb Farmers Market is right across the street, after all). The sandwich artist was generous with the capers and homemade tartar, which was not a problem for me. Lettuce, onion, tomato, you know the drill. I can’t get back to this place soon enough. There are like 20 more sandwiches for me to try! Not to mention caramel cake, lemon bars, peanut butter moose…

The verdict: 93 bites.