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OK, today's Serious Eats newsletter put me over the top. I have to say something. Today's SE email had a link to their article on New York's sandwich alley -- a street I've never really dined on. They talked about Murray's (where I've eaten ice cream, but not a sandwich) grilled cheeses, lobster rolls (my most memorable came from McDonald's in Boston) and what they claim to be "the best sandwich in Sandwich Alley."
Oh I am slacking. Why? Lots of reasons. I do have about six sandwich articles hibernating in my drafts pile. They're waiting for me to edit them, but I've opted not to for the last few months, citing laziness and business. If you're curious, the most recent ones are about pregnancy, Hawaiians and peanut butter. But they may never see the light of day. Meanwhile, my tomato sandwich post is completely outdated, having passed by seasonal relevancy. Oh well.
So what's new? Now I have a good excuse not to update this blog. I'm writing a novel, and I only have 30 days to do it. It's a challenge called National Novel Writing Month, and I've accepted, agreeing to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. At this moment of procrastination in the very early hours of Nov. 7, I'm at 11,016, which I'm pleased with. That means I'm on pace, even if the novel's nowhere near coherent yet. I expect to fill a good chunk with sandwich descriptions when I get stuck. It's keeping me busy.
There you have it; that's where I'm at. I have the best excuse to date for not updating this blog, so there. If you have your own sandwich thoughts, send them my way, and I'll update it via you.
Chick-fil-A is doing a Labor Day promo today where you get a free Original Chicken Sandwich for wearing something with a sports logo on it.
Uncomfortable as I am with shilling for Big Sandwich, their Original Chicken Sandwich is in fact one of the best sandies on the market. Go get a free one and get it with Polynesian Sauce. Pro Tip: Only sauce the sandy with about half the container. Use the whole thing and you WILL over-sauce your sandwich and ruin it. I'm serious.
Now I need to figure out where the closest Chick-fil-A is. For some reason, the only one east of Colorado I can think of is at the Orlando airport. Through tempted, I don't think I'll be making the flight just for this promo.
Courtesy of Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1. Review pending. Initial thoughts: delicious. Heavy on the pork and cilantro but no problems there. Ordered it "spicy" but it only had a slight kick. Overall: excellent sandy.
This is the by-product of a long subway ride with nothing interesting to read.
"Double down or hit me?"
When meat supplants bread
And sandies' order's denied
Is anyone safe?
"What would Plato eat?"
Sandwich perfection
Which is better: less or more?
Consider Katz's
"Tomato sandwich"
Minimalism
Seasonal fruits sliced, piled high
Let their taste shine through
"Banh mi"
Radishes that mock
Our lunch monoculture
Ban me from turkey
"Free break room sandwich"
Where did it come from?
Sandwich wizards suspected
Thanks, mundane Merlin!
"Mayo vs. mustard"
Creamy or spicy?
Dijon, stone ground reign, but still
Not an easy choice
It's What's Between founding member Michael alerted me to the KFC Double Down, as reported by Food Geekery, who kindly supplied this photo. Make no mistake, this is the third horse of the sandwipocolypse, the first two being The Sandwich of Knowledge. What is it? It's two pieces of fried chicken, two kinds of cheese, bacon and the ominous "Colonel's Sauce." What about the bun, you ask? The fried chicken IS THE BUN. Playing devil's advocate, yes, the fried chicken is breaded, making it bun-like. Is bun-like good enough, though? No it is not. This is a mutant, and not in the next evolution of sandwiches sense. This ... thing ... must be destroyed. This is unnatural. This is wrong. Dammit, I must slay this unholy beast by going to KFC and eating it dead. This is my lot as a sandwich blogger, and a self-destructive one at that. I will eat it, or die trying, or eat it and then die later of related causes.
Sandwich aficionado Stu told me about a Spanish sandwich called the flauta d’ibéric d.o. jabugo, which New York Times food writer Mark Bittman said was the best he’d ever had. I recommend reading Bittman’s article for context here. En route to Spain for the running of the bulls, Stu visited Café Vienna in person to try this special sandwich. He was also good enough to share his thoughts on the sandy’s spot in the search for sandwich perfection and weighed in on the less vs. more debate.
In Stu’s words:
As far as sandwiches go, the Spanish believe that less is more. Most of the bocadillos we came across were simply meat and bread. Some had a thin layer of tomato spread across the bread in the same fashion you would spread butter and some had a light drizzle of olive oil. They are all about their meat, and pork dominates. You see legs of Jamon Iberico hanging everywhere. It felt like the Spanish treat the sandwich as more of a snack than a meal, and that could be a big reason for the less is more mentality, but it could also be a product of the fact the European portion sizes are smaller.
So the so-called world's best sandwich was a bit of a disappointment, but it could have been for a number of reasons (unreasonably high expectations, cultural differences, etc.). I personally didn't even think that it was the best sandwich that Café Vienna had to offer. Their beer, however, was probably the most refreshing beer I've ever had. It is a good sandwich, and a great snack, but not the world's greatest in my opinion.
In terms of the more or less argument, I think it’s a matter of personal taste. To me, it’s all about the meat. If the meat isn't quality, and there isn't a generous portion of it, then it’s just another sandwich. It doesn't matter what else is on there. I can appreciate unique and tasty ingredients, but to me it’s like putting really nice accessories on an average car. Occasionally a sandwich comes along that's an exception to this rule, but some of the best sandwiches I've ever had were simply meat and bread (and possibly a dash of spicy mustard). I think Katz's Deli is the best example of how good this philosophy can taste.
So I guess that makes me a "less" kind of guy, but I'm down on "more" too, so long as the core of the sandwich is built on a solid foundation.
I've always preferred gray areas, so I've never had much use for the idea of perfection. But lately I've been seeing and hearing a lot of claims about the perfect sandwich. I hadn't thought much about the perfect Ideal since Philosophy 101 until now. If there is an Ideal sandwich? How could that be possible with everyone's subjective taste?
After thinking far too much about this problem, I narrowed down the question. It's this: Is less more, or is more? In other words, which would make a better sandwich: one with the best meat, the best cheese, the best bread and a touch of the best mustard, or one with four of the best meats, two of the best cheeses, your five favorite veggies and your two preferred spreads? A perfect grilled cheese or a perfect Dagwood?
Along with my sandwich associates, I've been exploring this question over the past month. The search for Truth has thus far been confined to Brooklyn and Barcelona, but it extends much further in theory. Soonish, I'll be posting a series of accounts of some of the world's so-called "best" sandwiches.
I invite you to join me in the quest to discover whether less truly is more. I'm only kind of kidding.
P.S.: I was disappointed by the Google Image Search for perfection, so this post shall remain picture-free.
So what's new? Now I have a good excuse not to update this blog. I'm writing a novel, and I only have 30 days to do it. It's a challenge called National Novel Writing Month, and I've accepted, agreeing to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. At this moment of procrastination in the very early hours of Nov. 7, I'm at 11,016, which I'm pleased with. That means I'm on pace, even if the novel's nowhere near coherent yet. I expect to fill a good chunk with sandwich descriptions when I get stuck. It's keeping me busy.
