Between the Bread

Outside Lands: Sandwiches Behind the Scenes

nancyeinhart — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:24:11 PDT

I have yet to dine at Maverick or Flour + Water, though both are on my list. So in between catching sets by MGMT, The Roots, Vetiver, Mavis Staples, Beirut, and many more at this weekend's Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park, I sampled sandwich offerings from these two must-eat San Francisco eateries.

I love that Outside Lands eschews typical festival fare for booths from local restaurants, including my beloved Phil'z Coffee, Andalu, Memphis Minnie's, Namu, and on and on.

Mission district American hot spot Maverick featured just one offering: a Cincinnati pulled pork sandwich, dressed with coleslaw (pictured above). The tender, plush pork came on a soft potato-like roll, with potato chips on the side (which incidentally started blowing away with the wind, tragic). I washed mine down with a pisco punch before grabbing a spot at Girl Talk.

On Sunday, we stopped by Salumeria by Flour + Water, which also kept things simple with a single sandwich: peppery roasted porchetta on a standout ciabatta roll. It's hard to find a perfect ciabatta, but when I do, I consider it one of the most satisfying sandwich vehicles. The meat was succulently spiced and chopped, rather than sliced, with some sort of onion jam (I think) to complement the robust meat.

Did you make it to the festival this weekend? If so, what did you eat to fortify yourself for the fun?

On the Phone: Memphis Minnie's Pulled Pork

nancyeinhart — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:12:36 PST

Last night's post happy hour dinner: sweet pulled pork sandwich with North Carolina-style mustard BBQ sauce at Memphis Minnie's, one of the stops on my 10-sandwich tour of the US in San Francisco.

Saying "I Do" With Mini Sandwiches

nancyeinhart — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 10:15:10 PST

When Andrew and I were planning our wedding, almost everyone asked immediately, "Will there be sandwiches?" My answer: how could there not be? While I have a sandwich blog, Andrew is nearly as obsessed as I am, and our romance blossomed over a shared passion for sandwiches.

Our reception at Cafe Du Nord featured three kinds of mini sandwiches: turkey meatball (above), pulled pork with spicy slaw (below), and a veggie option with fresh mozzarella. Of course, I sheepishly requested some photos of them. The platters don't really do them justice, but they were pretty darn good, though not quite as transcendent as the mini corn dogs.

Broken Record Raises the Bar

nancyeinhart — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:26:08 PDT

I first read about the Broken Record on The Hamblogger, which inspired a long trek out to Crocker Amazon in search of the heralded bacon and beef burger. But the Broken Record is so much more than a purveyor of beef patties embedded with diced bacon - though that alone would be enough. It's really like a reverse epicurean mullet: dive bar in the front, duck confit salad in the back. The watering hole raises the bar on bar food. Click through to see how.

Clare's Deli, Delivers to Your Barstool

nancyeinhart — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:09:49 PDT

After a sunny Saturday in Dolores Park, the gang and I headed to 500 Club in the Mission, which has long been one of my favorite dive bars but scores even more points now thanks to its alliance with Clare's Delicatessen & Late Night Kitchen. The next-door deli is super cute, and the sandwiches are above average, but the best part is you can place your order at the deli counter and they'll deliver the sandwiches to the bar. Our six-sandwich order was ready in a flash and deliciously fulfilling. Click through to hit the scene.

July 4 Campwiches

nancyeinhart — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:11:30 PDT

Fourth of July camping means hot dogs, s'mores and - at my campsite - sandwiches. This time, the surfeit of sandwiches wasn't even my doing, but I'm certainly not complaining.

We spent the weekend car camping (or was it glamping?) at Salt Point State Park with a group of 11 friends and one toddler. We divvied up the meal duties, and on Saturday night, Adam and Libby made delectable pulled pork sandwiches served on outstanding slider rolls with purple cabbage slaw. So picturesque we stuffed ourselves silly.

Sunday morning, since Ann already called dibs on the usual breakfast burritos, Andrew and I took a stab at breakfast sandwiches. See the results.

Wild Young Bohemian Burgers at Frankie's

nancyeinhart — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:35:25 PDT

Rarely do I end up at Frankie's Bohemian Cafe sober. This bar's burgers would taste good any time, but it's just the perfect place to wrap up a sunny day like last Sunday, spent up to no good in Alamo Square. (I'm a bit late on this post, but that's what happens when you're having fun.)

Frankie's is famous for its beef patties, but I can't resist the iron turkey burger (top photo), made with ground turkey and spinach. Though simple, the sesame buns stand out for their perfect texture, and the burger toppings are creative. My friend Jonas got the Gilroy Burger (above), covered in a dangerous blanket of green garlic sauce.

Read on for more wild, young bohemian burger action.

Leftovers Gone Wild: Pulled Pork and Roasted Zucchini

nancyeinhart — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:54:23 PST

Lately I've taken it as a personal challenge to make killer sandwiches out of whatever's in the fridge (stay tuned for more experiments), and I've had some triumphs.

This sesame-bunned delight combined two dinners' worth of leftovers: pulled pork sandwiches, made with Trader Joe's surprisingly tasted preprepared meat, and zucchini and portobello mushroom tacos with red onions. Though admittedly unconventional, the sweet flavors of the meat contrasted nicely with the fleshy roasted zucchini.

I spread salsa on the bottom bun, topped it with pulled pork, added the zucchini and onions (there weren't any leftover mushrooms), and sprinkled some shredded four-cheese Mexican blend on top and let it melt.

What do you think: too weird? Would you eat it?

Postgame Recap: Super Bowl Sandwiches

nancyeinhart — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:44:26 PST

The man behind the blockbuster buffalo chicken sandwich is branching out. For Sunday's Super Bowl game, my friend Jonas expanded beyond his customary spicy chicken wings (which did not disappoint) and made pulled pork in his new slow cooker.

Our hostess whipped up some slaw, and we dressed the pork with an incredible homemade barbecue sauce with flavors of apple cider vinegar, mustard, and just a little spice.Served on a soft roll, the sandwiches paid homage to the po'boy, perfect for cheering on the New Orleans Saints and to pair with my Cajun bloody marys.

Did you have any sandwiches at your Super Bowl celebration? If so, let's hear about them!

Sandwich Share: Pulled Pork at Cafe Du Nord

nancyeinhart — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:12:47 PDT

Sometimes when making a big decision, you need an assist from friends. Thus, it was serendipitous the other day when, as I was mulling Cafe Du Nord as the site of an upcoming event, Phil proclaimed, "their pulled pork sandwiches are great!" Two days later, he snapped a photo for me. Cafe Du Nord, the music venue and former speakeasy, recently opened an actual cafe next door to the club, open during daytime hours and serving sammies and such. That's where Phil had the pulled pork, which does look impressive, as do the sweet potato fries.