Between the Bread

Crafting the Tuna, Fennel, and Lemon 'Wich at Home

nancyeinhart — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:08:28 PDT

The mayo-free tuna sandwich at 'Wichcraft is one of my favorites, and compared to many of the other recipes in the cookbook 'Wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich Into a Meal - and a Meal Into a Sandwich, this one is relatively simple. The resulting meal is so magnificently complex and and innovative, I couldn't believe I'd made it all by myself.

As I learned making 'Wichcraft's goat cheese with avocado and celery, this cookbook gives you the option (and the recipes) of making many of the ingredients from scratch. In this case, I skipped the homemade lemon mayo but did make the lemon confit, which was extraordinary. I have since used the thinly sliced, cured lemons on numerous sandwiches and salads, and it's a great accent to have in the fridge.

Get the recipe now.

Old and New Favorites at 'Wichcraft

nancyeinhart — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:56:10 PST

The onion frittata breakfast sandwich at 'Wichcraft is one of my current (and all-time) faves; I have to keep myself from ordering it every single time I'm there. The chutney-like roasted tomatoes, sharp white cheddar, and perfectly tidy egg patty motivate me when I have to go downtown to run obligatory errands.

Last weekend, house boy came with me, which means I got to order my old fave and try something new: ah, the beauty of going half-and-half. Andrew selected one of the cold sandwiches I've been curious to try: tuna with fennel, black olives, and thinly sliced lemons like you get on sushi rolls. I liked it so much I happily traded my other half of onion frittata. The buoyant, flaky fish and olives offered the flavor of nicoise, but the lemon and fennel added a tangy freshness. Remarkably delicious.

Any other 'wichcraft sandwiches I should try? The anchovy and pulled pork are my other go-tos.

On the Phone: Anchovy Sandwich at 'Wichcraft

nancyeinhart — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:20:07 PDT

Probably one of my all-time faves: white anchovies and soft egg with some amazing herby salsa. Mmmm...

nancyeinhart — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:05:26 PDT

'Wich of the Week: Goat Cheese With Avocado and Celery

After enjoying my fair share of sandwiches at 'Wichcraft, I finally whipped up one of the recipes from the 'Wichcraft cookbook. Inspired by a salad popular in Sisha Ortuzar's native Chile, this celery, avocado, and goat cheese concoction looked easy, summery, and delicious. Plus, I was intrigued by the use of celery in a sandwich.

nancyeinhart — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:43:11 PDT

'Wich of the Week: Onion Frittata at 'Wichcraft

The other day I had a sudden, strong craving for an egg sandwich, so I headed to 'Wichcraft with the onion frittata in mind. A brilliantly constructed breakfast sammie, it uses precooked frittata and incredibly fresh ciabatta, so it's not at all messy. The combination of white cheddar, Parmesan, and slow roasted tomatoes creates a rich, multifaceted flavor that's almost - but just almost - too bold.

How 'Wichcraft Won Me Over

nancyeinhart — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:32:49 PDT

It's hard for an expensive sandwich to win me over. With so many cheap, delicious, and giant sammies available (banh mi comes to mind, as does the Honey Baked Ham store by my house), a sandwich over $8 better be transcendent. So when 'Wichcraft, the upscale NYC sandwich shop founded by Sisha Ortuzar and Tom Colicchio (of Craft and "Top Chef" fame), opened in San Francisco, I was prepared to hate it.

Admittedly, the first sandwich I tried (chicken salad) was somewhat disappointing. Not bad, but not transcendent. Then I tried again with something totally far-out: the marinated white anchovies with soft-cooked egg, roasted onion, salsa verde, and frisee on country bread. Now this is a sandwich well worth $9, assuming you like anchovies. An unexpected combo of unlikely, gourmet ingredients I'd never make at home. I found myself craving it.