A Little Bit of Italy in a Town Called Burbank

Welcome back DANGERites, for another informative and provocative edition of The Danger Sandwich...

Just kidding! This blog is beyond DANGERous!

I know you were all a bit nervous that this search for the elusive Danger Sandwich had driven me mad, but fear not, as I have made it through another week of grueling taste testing, just for your benefit!

This week, on a recommendation, I headed out to Burbank to visit The Monte Carlo Deli and Pinocchio's Restaurant to taste a selection of fine Italian paninis and sandwiches.

I was recommended a few sandwiches to try, but something in my gut told me to take a more DANGERous route and try one of the daily specials: Capicola, Mozzarella, and Assorted Greens.

Let me interject here before giving my full review: Normally when experiencing a place that has been recommended to me, I like to try out that person's recommendation, because the sandwich is obviously noteworthy at said establishment. Sometimes though, I will buck the trend and go for something that has not been tried or tested. This is where true DANGER may lurk.

Well, not this time.

When I ordered, I should have known something was about to go wrong when I saw that the sandwich I had been given looked as if it had been sitting out for awhile.

The small Italian roll was excellent. Rich, thick, and a little tough, it definitely made the sandwich and contrasted well with the very soft insides.

The mozzarella was thickly cut, easy to chew, and despite being a little cool it still melted in my mouth. An excellent sign for such a thick cheese.

The capicola was the big let down of the afternoon. So much of it was packed into this sandwich, and yet so little taste or enjoyment followed. It seemed to lack all of the spices and subtle smoked flavor that it is known for, and I was left with bland deli meat.

Also, capicola is an incredibly thinly sliced type of meat from the shoulder or neck of a pig, and very similar to prosciutto. The problem when you have so much thinly sliced meat crammed together is that it comes off as mushy.

The fact that capicola can also be a very fatty meat didn't help either.

Even with the toughness of the bread and the greens adding some crispness, it's not enough to save the capicola from being a bit of a let down. I am curious to know if this could be remedied if it had been kept in the fridge while waiting for a seeker of DANGER, or if the sandwich had instead been made fresh for me.

High marks do go to the two side salads I had with the sandwich. Both the bean salad and pasta salad were excellent, and would normally be a good companion to any type of Italian deli meat sandwich.

Now don't let my review of this one sandwich deter you from Monte Carlo. It seems as if the Meatball subs or Sausage and Peppers sandwiches have a number of fans. Just make sure that whatever you get is freshly made.

Until next week! More DANGER awaits!

*** Stars

Monte Carlo Deli and Pinocchio's Restaurant

3103 W. Magnolia Blvd

Burbank, CA 91505

www.montecarlodeli.com