Sandwich Soirée

All glammed up in heels, pearls and lace, Kate and I voyaged over to the Beehive for dinner before an out-of-the-ordinary-fancy-dress fundraiser soirée. Sitting at the buzzing bar, we perused the menu for something that would thoroughly soak up large quantities of alcohol. The short rib grilled cheese sandwich caught our eyes almost immediately.

When the massive sandwich appeared in front of us, I had never been happier to share. Sizzling melted cheese trickled out of two thick slabs of soft, toasted brioche, and together they sandwiched an alluring portion of juicy, barbequed pulled beef. Sliced horizontally, even half of this superhero-equivalent sandwich was enough for a meal! Accompanied by mouth-watering cole slaw and pickles, the whole dinner was sinfully satisfying. Although the Bohemian décor and live jazz music create an eclectic, funky vibe, the grilled cheese was really what stole my heart.. ok fine, and the cute French babe crafting our drinks behind the bar!

The Earl

Arguing between Sbarro’s and the Earl of Sandwich at Logan Airport’s international terminal, I watch as a girl marches past her boyfriend toward Sbarro’s. Not so subtly, her boyfriend exclaims that the Earl’s is rumored to have amazing sandwiches. She shrugs, and simply states that she is not in the mood for a sandwich. I stare on in disbelief, as my heart fills with empathy. That poor sandwich-lover is not going to get the opportunity today to try Earl’s self-acclaimed "world's greatest hot sandwich”. Slightly in awe that the couple couldn’t just opt for different meals, I stand in Earl’s long line eagerly anticipating one of his famous hot sandwiches.

Scoping out the variety of options, I finally settled on the Caribbean Jerk Chicken to get me in island-vacation mode. Keeping my standards low, I bit into the hot, toasty baguette, lightly filled with chicken bits, banana peppers and “jerk sauce”. The filling can be most precisely defined as more of a spread, but regardless, the sandwich was…not bad. I wouldn’t cause a scene and run through security without a flight ticket to get my hands on one, but it was far better than any other options available near my gate (which were Master Wok, Starbucks and Sbarro’s). Although lacking some classics like lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, the banana peppers mixed with the jerk sauce gave the otherwise bland chicken a surprising kick.

I won’t be bowing down to you any time soon, Great Earl, but I may give your other sandwiches a shot next time.

Sandwiches with a Smile

After living in the North End for nearly five years, it wasn’t until six months ago that I really took notice to Volle Nolle. Next to the most popular restaurant in the North End, Giacomo’s, Volle Nolle is almost hidden from the standard human eye. Shying away with its humble chocolate-colored awning, Volle Nolle is quite possibly North End’s secret local hangout. Quickly becoming my favorite Saturday pastime, I am greeted by Torri the owner and my friendly North End neighbors as soon I walk through the door. Only open Monday through Saturday, from 11 AM to 4 PM, Torri sure knows how to draw a crowd. Business owners, restaurant workers and locals alike come to Volle Nolle for its delicious sandwiches and renowned chocolate chip cookies. I’ve tried four sandwiches so far – the Cubano, Portobello, Chicken Milanese, and Grilled Ham and Cheese – and I have yet to be disappointed. The Cubano, my favorite, comes on a grilled sweet French roll, and is stuffed with juicy pulled pork, black forest ham, salami, melted swiss cheese, spicy mayo, mustard, cumin and thinly sliced pickles. The sandwich is served hot, accompanied by a large bottle of Sriracha, so you can drizzle as much as you like to give your sandwich just the right amount of spice. Torri’s sandwiches are perfectly complemented with tiny, flavorful cornichons, and if you’re lucky you may even get a free chocolate chip cookie. The Portobello is a close second, with roasted Portobello mushrooms crusted with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, baby spinach, fresh basil and basil mayonnaise.

The Chicken Milanese was a real surprise. Thinking I was ordering your average fried chicken sandwich, I was mistaken. The fried chicken breast is crusted with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, similar to the Portobello, and topped with green leaf lettuce and lemon mayonnaise on grilled French white bread. The chicken is tender and moist, and so completely flavorful. As for the last sandwich I have tried, Torri likes to call it the “adult ham and cheese” – and there really aren’t any other words that more perfectly describe this sandwich. The swiss cheese and black forest ham are flawlessly paired with caramelized onions, frisee lettuce and mustard on grilled French white bread.

Although I have yet to try all of Torri’s sandwiches, I have no doubt that I will enjoy each and every one of them. Made with love and the freshest ingredients Boston has to offer, it's easy to see why Volle Nolle is the quintessential sandwich shoppe of the North End. Grab a seat in the window, order a sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie and strike up a conversation with the friendly stranger next to you.

The "Sandwich or Not?" Game

I played a game with my co-worker Colin today called "Sandwich or Not?". Really put the ol' noggin to the test. Let's put some definitions into play before we start.

sand*wich/'san?(d)wiCH/

Noun: An item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them
Verb: Insert or squeeze (someone or something) between two other people or things, typically in a restricted space or so as to be uncomfortable
Sounds like: Sand-witch (Quite possibly a mythical creature made of sand who flies around on a broomstick. Or something I just made up that makes no sense.)

The "game" went something like this:
PB and J?
Obviously a sandwich.
Take out the J, just PB?
Hmmm.. PB sandwich, ok I'll take it.
Swap the PB for butter.
Butter sandwich? No way, that's basically two pieces of toast with butter.
Bagel with cream cheese?
Only if it's a bagel sandwich, i.e. has something else in there like meat or vegetables.
You just said two slices of bread with PB in the middle was a sandwich. HYPOCRITE!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, is it really important to put a definition on something as unpretentious and amiable as the sandwich? I would like to think not. And I hate being wrong, so let's just go with that. (Also, if anyone asks, a burger IS a sandwich.)

The Great Burger vs. Sandwich Debate of 2011

After a full-blown argument with my co-workers over whether a burger is actually considered a sandwich, I decided that our conundrum equates to a simple geometry lesson. Let's talk parallelograms. A square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn't a square. We learned this in grade school, right? So then, why didn't our teachers also educate our peers on the sandwich dilemmas of our generation? I'll step in to clarify. A burger is a sandwich but a sandwich isn't a burger. Mind-blown. Lesson over. A burger IS a sandwich. Now we can all be friends again.

Sandwich-Hands' Egg-cellent Adventure!

Wow, you're still reading this? Even after that outrageously cheesy title? Ok I'll try to make this worth it. After being thoroughly disappointed that Mr.Bartley's was closed on Sundays (and obviously didn't check the website before going there), my friends and I headed to Garden at the Cellar. Div, Jess and Kate were all in a burger mood, but I had heard so much about the egg sandwich (and after rave reviews from the waitress), I had to see what all the fuss was about. When the egg sandwich arrived, it looked like a piece of art; the skillet eggs were slightly protruding from the perfectly toasted bun, which was displayed affectionately aside a heaping pile of shoestring rosemary truffle fries. Lifting the top bun was like a pirate finding treasure in an underground cave. Excitedly, I took a long lingering glance at the fresh avocado slices, the melted cheddar cheese dripping toward the plate and the long, crispy applewood-smoked bacon strips with slightly burnt edges (just the way I like it). When the fatty avocado slices mixed with a garlicky-mayo spread on the slightly sweet brioche roll, the flavors that came together after that first bite were inconceivable. Let's just say I think I made my poor hungover stomach's day. I love breakfast sandwiches (usually sausage, egg and cheese on an english muffin from Theo's Cozy Corner on Salem Street is my go-to), but this glorified breakfast sandwich is in its own league. My only one suggestion would be to cook the eggs over-easy, I prefer my eggs more on the runny side. (Not so runny that it drips to my clothes, but enough so that the yolk can thoroughly soak into my sandwich.) The hard yolk ended up sliding out of my sandwich, and I was too busy micro-managing my avocado slices, ensuring they stay packed into my sandwich, to worry about the yolk. Definitely not a date sandwich, I went through a lot of napkins and had to re-fix my sandwich multiple times. Proven fact though: the messier the better.

The No Napkin Burger

While we’re talking burgers here, steer clear of 5Napkin Burger (small NY chain that just opened next to the Pru). I have received several contradicting reviews, but my experience was horrendous. Our burgers took almost an hour to arrive, and when we finally had them in front of us, they were cold, brittle and tasteless. Not a single drop of burger juice ever shed onto my plate. Div, who usually uses a fork and knife (yes, totally weird, but we still like her), ate this burger with her hands! Sorry 5N, there's so much better out there. I'm just not ready to give you another chance.

“Extra points for the big pickle”

Ev pointed out as I choked back my burger in an attempt to shout “that’s what she said”. After taking my first bite of Porter’s award-winning burger, I quickly recognized that the pickle on the side was not Porter’s only surprise. Although no R.F. O’Sullivan’s, Porter’s burger far outshines any other burger around the Garden. Chatting about Sandwich-Hands with Pat the bartender and the sweet couple sitting next to us, everyone seemed to agree that Porter’s is the bar to go to for dinner before a game. The sourdough bun could have been toasted, but it is easily forgotten after you taste the juices this burger has to offer. The best part? The proportion of burger to bun. It should be 50-50 to absorb all the juices and to make each bite equally delightful. Luckily, that’s exactly what you get here. You have the option of several different cheeses and toppings (although there are several varieties on the menu also). I went with smoked Gouda and mushrooms piled high with crisp lettuce, tomato and onions. (Although, I find it nearly impossible to hold on to the tomatoes.) The burgers come with the most incredible shoestring fries (much better than R.F.’s potato wedge fries). Go with the honey mustard sauce as a condiment for your fries, you won’t be disappointed.

Sharing is Caring

WARNING: This is not your typical deli sandwich.

Chez Henri is an upscale French bistro (with a chic Cuban twist), and (IMPORTANT NOTE) you can only order their famous Cubano sandwich at the bar. This is huge. The first time I went to Chez Henri, we got seated in the restaurant. All I wanted was the Cubano and I was highly disappointed when I wasn’t allowed to order it. (Admittedly it was really hard to stay mad at our total babe of a waiter; he looked like one of those ancient Greek warriors with wild, sun-kissed locks blowing in the wind. Where was that wind coming from anyways??)

Take two. Kate and I rocked up to the secluded bar on a Sunday night. Nervously flipping through the bar menu, we finally saw what we had excitedly been talking about all weekend – Pressed Cuban Sandwich, choice of traditional slow roasted pork or roasted vegetables with cheese. I had read a few reviews, so I was curious about the vegetarian Cuban. Very decisively (if you know me, that is an extreme rare occurrence), we ordered one of each to share. I can’t begin to describe the intensity and flavors that mixed together to create these sandwiches. Unexpectedly, I prefer the vegetarian. The marinated vegetables with the perfectly melted gruyere cheese made this sandwich incomparable to any other. Kate favors the traditional Cuban, so go with a friend and share! Each sandwich comes with a side of plaintain chips and salsa which is a really nice touch. Order the mojito, or if you’re more into beer, the Pretty Things went great with my Cuban.

10 Things I Hate About You

Dear 21A's Sliders,

10. I hate that you go straight to my hips
9. I hate when your juices run down my hands and drip to my clothes
8. I hate your stupid little pickles that fit inside those mini buns perfectly
7. I hate that exquisite crunch you have when I place those crispy onion rings right on top of the burger
6. I hate that I can eat you all up in just a few bites
5. I hate that Russian dressing you come with that makes you delectably creamy
4. I hate that no other slider will ever compare to you
3. I hate that you’re so damn adorable; I sometimes think you might be too cute to eat
2. I hate that I usually need to share you with my friends
1. And most of all I hate that I never want to put you down. You are the perfect little composite of a mouth-watering burger that I would order over the real 21st burger any day of the week.

Bites and Kisses XO

Hey baby, what kind of cheese do you want?

Stepping into Monica's Mercato, I am enveloped by the aromas of Italy, and greeted by the babes behind the counter almost immediately. Normally I cringe at the mere thought of a pet name, but you can't help but smile when these sandwich cuties call you "baby" or "sweetie". Featuring Italian specialties like buratta, handmade pasta and imported jars of Nutella, this quaint shop (fits about 6 customers max) surprisingly has a large selection of meats and cheeses.. And my favorite cold cut sandwich in the entire city. Although you can't go wrong with their Italian sub, my favorite sandwich is made of spicy soppresata, lettuce, basil, extra hot peppers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a cheese of their choice. You pick your own bread, there are several options including sub rolls, round loaves and onion foccacia bread, which is baked fresh that day at Monica's Trattoria down the street. Pick up a sandwich with a bottle of wine and a jar of mixed olives, and you have the most incredible picnic.

Dancing Tastebuds

What makes a great sandwich? The bread? The fillings? The condiments? My passion for sandwiches transcends theses questions as I review sandwiches all over the city of Boston (and maybe even beyond). Debating the name of this blog, as well as what kinds of sandwiches will be reviewed, my friends and I pondered the best sandwiches in Boston at R.F. O'Sullivan's today. Consequently, it only seems right to start off with the best burgers in town. Although Mr. Bartley's is next on our list, R.F. O'Sullivan's burger is number 1 in my mind. Biting into this burger (I ordered the Blackjack), the juices ran down my hands, cheese dripped down from the back of the crispy bun and my tastebuds danced around the creole spices in which my perfect burger was coated. Having been to several burger joints in the city, R.F.'s is at the top of my list for now. Although the R.F. burger hits the spot of pure delight, this blog certainly does not discriminate and is dedicated to the perfection of all kinds of sandwiches. Next posts will involve Chacarero, Volle Nolle, All Star Sandwich Cafe, Cutty's, and Chez Henri.. just to nibble on a few ;)