This weekend on a rare trip to Berkeley, I scoped out a perfect brunch spot, only to arrive and discover a 45-minute wait. New plan! My mom and I wandered into a seafood joint I had never heard of called Sea Salt.
I figured I might as well order seafood, and why not get a sandwich? Though my mom's crab cake benedict was better (hard to make that bad), the trout sandwich was well done. Pan-seared fish, the perfect thickness, served on a house-baked roll with sides of tartar sauce and slaw on the side. I wondered if trout sandwiches are a local specialty anywhere in the States. Curious? Keep reading.
New Orleans is one of the great sandwich cities, rivaled perhaps only by Philadelphia. Though it lays claim to just two iconic sammies — the po'boy and the muffuletta — both are transcendent, and the po'boy comes in so many varieties that it's pretty much a category of its own. In honor of Mardi Gras, take a 'wich trip through New Orleans's sandwich history.
Meanwhile, I'm going to New Orleans again in April, so if anyone has any recommendations, please share. I haven't been to Parkway, so that might be on my list.
Since it's always difficult for me to decide what sandwich to order, I am a big fan of strategic sharing. I order one sandwich, my companion orders another, and we swap halves. That way, we both get plenty of food — in some cases, an obscene amount — and variety too.
On a recent stop by DeLessio, I didn't want a whole Cuban sandwich, but had I only eaten the turkey and cranberry, I would have been jealous of Andrew's Cuban. This solution satisfied us both, and both sandwiches were scrumptious in their own way. Do you do this?
Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, all it takes is a good sandwich to make me feel better. (In extreme cases, I turn to the PMS muffin 'wich.) Often, this sandwich needs to be obtained right away, but sadly, my neighborhood is lacking in sandwich destinations, especially compared to my old place right next door to Estela's.
In search of a mood lifter, I recently turned to the Bean Bag Coffee House, which I've lived within a mile radius of for like five years and never been to. I ordered the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich, expecting it to be mediocre. It was actually quite lovely! The perfectly marinated mushrooms came with tomatoes, caramelized onions, spinach, roasted red peppers, and gorgonzola cheese, all warm and melty. See even more mouth-watering pics.
Oh how I miss living right next door to
Estela's. Now my giant
veggie sandwiches are few and far between. Thankfully I got my fix for lunch on Saturday. Andrew got pastrami, which was better after he warmed it in the oven.
I got the smoked gouda veggie sandwich. They gave me the wrong bread; I wanted sliced wheat. But this roll, despite being enormous, was a fresh and fine substitute. As usual, the filling was a rainbow of perfectly ripe produce. Yum.
After being thwarted on my latest visit to Ike's Place by a horrifically long line — seriously, who waits an hour for even a great sandwich? — Andrew and I ducked into Starbelly. A new-ish, chic-cazh Castro eatery from the folks behind Beretta, Starbelly has a brunch menu offering everything from French toasts to pizzas to a pristine Pimm's Cup. Of course, I was in the mood for a sandwich; we split one along with a pizza and some fries. All delicious, so check out the slideshow below.
My hometown isn't the part of Florida known for its Cuban sandwiches. But we have enough Cubans in Pensacola (like, one family) to bring an excellent Cuban restaurant, which happens to be at the airport.
When I arrived way too early for my flight out of town, I got to enjoy an excellent coda to my fried seafood bonanza: a midday Cuban mix. A cubano consists of roasted pork, thinly sliced ham, cheese (usually Swiss), mustard, and pickles, pressed on French-style bread (most authentically, Cuban bread). For all of the history and firsthand deliciousness . . . keep reading.
Ever since I heard there was a po'boy place in San Francisco that orders its French bread from Leidenheimer in New Orleans, I have been dying to eat at Yats. Originally tucked away in an outer Mission dive bar called Jack's, Yats recently announced it was closing for a few months to open a standalone location in Bayview.
I cursed myself for never making it to the original eatery, but the soon-to-open restaurant in Bayview is hardly more convenient. So imagine my ecstatic delight when Yats decided to come to me! On Friday, the owners temporarily took over the kitchen at Annie's Bistro, a restaurant about nine blocks from my place. However, I am not quite sure if sandwiches are on the menu. From Yats' site:
Ok..We got bored fast. While the new location is under construction, Yats has taken over the daytime kitchen at Annies Bistro . . . We will be featuring such items as Crab and Corn Bisque, Rustic Gumbo, Shrimp Etouffee, and Catfish Courtbouillion.
I will have to give them a call next weekend and see if they can satisfy my fried seafood jones.
Source: Yelp User Diane D.
I only had one chance to order lunch at Jerry's Cajun Cafe, another must-stop when I visit Pensacola, and I sort of blew it. Namesake owner Jerry is from Louisiana, so even though Pensacola is three hours from New Orleans, you can get a great fried oyster po'boy here.
I usually get the combo: half oyster, half shrimp. This time, out of some misguided obligation, I felt like I should order something different. The Gulfuletta was too tempting: a version of one of my favorite sandwiches, the muffuletta, made with fried seafood instead of salami and ham. It sounded too good to be true. Alas, it was.
When I travel to my hometown of Pensacola for Christmas, I have at least two must-dos: shopping at Target and eating a grouper sandwich. This year, I got to do both in one glorious, hungover day.
Last year, I sampled the local favorite fish at two spots: a
grilled grouper sandwich with fried green tomatoes at
Fish House and a more
downhome cornmeal-fried version at
Marina Oyster Barn. Both were distinctly delicious. Since then, my mom has done some crucial grouper sandwich research and discovered what she thinks is Pensacola's best, at
Peg Leg Pete's on Pensacola Beach.
Want to know the verdict? Read on.
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