Between the Bread

Rarely do I visit my parents in Pensacola without stopping off at Target. So when my mom told me a new sandwich place called Roly Poly had opened across the street, I felt obligated to go. Founded in Atlanta in 1996, Roly Poly specializes in wrap sandwiches, cold rolled or hot pressed, and has stores in 24 states. Remarkably, this was the first I'd heard of it.

The place was buzzing around noon, and what it lacked in atmosphere (pretty standard healthy fast-food shop) it made up for in choices. The regular menu includes more than 15 cold sammies (including a Cobb salad roll and a basil cashew chicken, to name a few) and even more hot ones. The hot rollups looked and sounded better, so that's what we got.

My mom ordered the Santa Fe chicken (chicken breast, melted jalapeno jack cheese, plum tomatoes, onion, and ranch dressing with a side of salsa), which was a little bland; we both agreed the salsa left something to be desired. I got one of the turkey wrap specials (pictured) with brie and swiss, honey mustard, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes, which was far more flavorful.

I'd deem Roly Poly a good option for healthy fast-food sammies, though the menu seems hit or miss. That said, I'd be willing to experiment to find more hits. Anyone have any favorites?

• Roam Artisan Burgers earn of a moment of silence — The Hamblogger
• The Reuben at Morty's deli keeps your wondering for hours — SFoodie
• Impressive pressed sammie: blackberry brie panini — YumSugar
• Fish sandwich faceoff: McDonald's vs. Wendy's — Serious Eats
• Ina Garten's ultimate grilled cheese induces swoons — Smells Like Home
• Caprese sandwich: no bread required — Insanewiches
• Could Ike's find a home in the Lower Haight? — Haighteration

Is it a burger or a sandwich? Or merely a monstrosity? In Santa Ana, CA, Carl's Jr. is testing a new footlong cheeseburger, which Food Beast suggests is an attempt to generate some Double Down-like buzz. It's basically a sub sandwich on what sounds and looks like subpar bread, with multiple burger patties as the meat filling.

I'd argue that this is more of a sandwich than a burger. Like a patty melt, it uses hamburgers inside another sandwich shape, as opposed to a hambuger, which is its own defined thing. What do you think? And would you try it?

Photo Source: Food Beast

In August, I reported that KFC was testing a sandwich called the Double Down, which uses fried chicken patties in place of bread. After an apparently successful run in Nebraska and Rhode Island, the Double Down will become a standard KFC menu offering.

The sandwich will make its decadent debut today. The chain lists the nutritional info if you're interested (hint: it's bad for you) along with this description:

two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken fillets (Original Recipe or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!

As one Facebook reader commented the first time I wrote about this, when does it stop being a sandwich and start being chicken cordon bleu? Good question. Another might be, when does fried food stop being good and just start being gross? Probably when you're deep-frying a sandwich made with French fries. Would you gamble on the Double Down?

Source: Flickr User Daves Cupboard

I often worry about how sandwiches will affect my waistline, but I've yet to consider what they'll do to my jaw. So thank goodness for this cautionary tale! According to AOL News, a man named Chad Ettmueller of Georgia (not pictured) dislocated his jaw while eating an enormous sandwich.

The incident occured at the Which Wich sandwich chain after the man purchased a "Wicked" sub, which has five different kinds of meat and three kinds of cheese. He made his a double, but after biting into his feast, Ettmueller's jaw locked, and he remained in this painful situation for more than 12 hours. How ironic that a cute pun like "wicked wich" led to something so sinister!

A devoted Which Wich fan, Ettmueller opted not to sue the chain, which is especially admirable considering that a couple of yahoos tried to sue Blimpie for sandwiches they claim are too small. Perhaps Chad should stay far away from the Double Down.

Source: Flickr User Kona99

Whether you need a healthy breakfast or hangover cure, Subway is here to help. Starting in April, the sandwich chain will roll out a breakfast menu featuring egg sandwiches on your choice of whole-wheat English muffin, flatbread, or yes, Subway's usual six-inch or footlong rolls.

I love breakfast sandwiches with an all-consuming passion, especially after a night of drinking. But 12 inches of bacon and egg seems a bit excessive. On an English muffin, though, the other choices sound reasonably healthy and yummy: Western egg and cheese, ham, egg, and cheese, and steak or bacon with egg and cheese. You can even garnish them with veggies or order egg whites only.

Oddly, the article makes no mention of Subway's first attempt at breakfast sandwiches on round kaiser rolls many years ago. Am I the only person who remembers those?

Is it wrong that I think that McLobster sandwich looks really good? Apparently so, because it made the list of the 15 worst fast food failures on Chicago Now. The McLobster is available in some areas of the Northeast and costs $6. On second thought, I don't think I could bring myself to eat lobster at McDonald's.

Other sandwich-related items on the list include the McBrat bratwurst sandwich, the Hula Burger (pineapple in place of a meat patty — ew), Taco Bell's Bell Beefer, and the Arch Deluxe. Actually, I used to eat at McDonald's during the Arch Deluxe era, and I loved those damn things. But clearly, I am not the target market, since that was pretty much the last time I ate at McDonald's.

So what sounds grosser to you: the pineapple patty or the McLobster?

Photo Source: Flickr User jonchia

Keep in mind, when Men's Health says "worst," it means worst for you, not worst tasting. In fact, I'm sure all of these sandwiches taste pretty damn good. But in terms of calories, fat, and sodium, they are bad.

Some of them really surprised me. Subway's footlong meatball sub is a given, but I still remember my horror when I first learned that Arby's Market Fresh sandwiches are some of the most calorie-laden around. Keep in mind, this is based on nutritional information available from chain restaurants, so the list doesn't include decadent sandwiches from local purveyors — say, Katz's pastrami or Bakesale Betty's fried chicken sandwich or pretty much anything from Ike's. Still, good to know if you're trying to order healthily. Check out the full list.