Sub Hunting in Burbank

Greetings Dear Readers!

You know, some days there's nothing more that I want besides an excellent sub (or hoagie for those of you also from the East Coast).

Sometimes though, I find it hard to actually find a good deli in Los Angeles that can make a delicious one for me.

It's nto that I haven't found any yet, because if you've been reading this blog long enough you know that I've found quite a few great ones like Giamela's in Burbank or Bay Cities in Santa Monica. it's just that it seems much harder to find really good ones out here.

So when I was doing some dangerous research this past week into a new sandwich shop in my area, I was intrigued to find Santoro's had so many excellent reviews.

Obviously I had to check it out.

It only took a minute to decide after I saw a Hot Pastrami Sub on the menu. The pastrami should be my measuring stick for many restaurants and delis because it can so very easily go wrong. If not of highest quality or preparation, it quickly can become fatty, chewy and downright inedible.

But this pastrami was not. Packed into a foot long Italian roll, the pastrami was flavorful and tender. Thinly sliced and thoroughly chopped, there wasn't even an opportunity for the meat to become tough or fatty. It was honestly, some of the best pastrami I've ever had.

On top of the pastrami was a little bit of mustard, chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, pickles, salt and pepper.

The only downside was the roll. By the time I got back to my apartment with it, the roll was looking a little sad in spots, and by the end of the sandwich it was falling apart. The heat and the juicy pastrami made the roll work a little too hard.

Now you all know how much I talk about the importance of good bread for a sandwich, and even though this bread was a little sub-par (get it?...sub-par) this should in no way turn you against this sandwich. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and is a definite must for anyone who is a fan of pastrami.

That being said, I think I need a vegetarian sandwich for next week.

I also must mention the service at Santoro's.

It was awesome.

I walked into the shop, and even with taking my time on decided which sandwich to order, I was out the door again in about 5 minutes. Not only was the staff incredible fast, and very friendly, but they didn't just throw the sandwiches together. They were fast and efficient, but also took care not to create a messy sandwich.

So if you're in Burbank and looking for an excellent deli sub, then I can highly recommend Santoro's as another great sub shop in the valley.

For now though, I have a date at Golden Road Brewery for a special beer tasting and dinner this evening. The work of a foodie and sandwichologist never ends.

Until next week...


Hot Pastrami Sub
**** Stars
Santoro's Submarine Sandwiches
1423 West Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA
http://santorossubs.com/

Post Celebration Sandwiches

Greetings, Dear Readers!

I hope you enjoyed last week's Top 10 post and are finished with recovering from the celebrations of the blog turning 100.

Speaking of recovery, this week's sandwich came to me after a night of drinking and dancing at the Echoplex for a joint birthday of two friends.

As most of you may know, after a night at a bar, there usually is nothing better than some greasy diner food to prepare you for going to sleep and waking up hangover-free. Or at least, this is how I work.

Heading down to the Brite Spot after the Echoplex (on a few short steps away), we saddled up to a booth and stared at our menus. Debating on a number of great post-drinking meals, I finally settled on a steak sandwhich. Reading the menu, this sounded a bit like a high-cass cheesesteak, so it was definitely worth trying.

The sandwich for the most part was enjoyable. The steak was flavorful, and the cheddar cheese was melted throughout, but then the problems set in. The grilled peppers and onions were a bit too soggy and I had a number of pieces of steak that were a bit chewy.

Unlike a regular cheesesteak, these pieces of steak were more similar to roughly chopped cubes than thin slices, which lead to occasional fatty pieces.

Now this bad sandwich review should not scare anyone away from the Brite Spot. I've eaten there numerous times and have enjoyed all of the other meals I've had there (especially ones after the Echoplex), but I have to thoroughly caution you against ordering this steak sandwich.

It tried, but did not live up to any sort of cheesesteak standard.

Until next week, Readers!


Steak Sandwich
** 1/2 Stars
The Brite Spot
1918 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

The 100th Post - A Look Back

Dearest of all Dear Readers!

Hello and welcome to the 100th post here at The Danger Sandwich!

100. What a number. Truly crazy that I have gotten this far, but it is because of your support that I have been able to do so. This little blog keeps getting more and more hits every month, so I thank you for pursuing your love of sandwiches along with me.

100 weeks of sandwiching with friends, exploring cities, and finding out what it takes to make a delicious sandwich. It has been an experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and I am looking forward to the next 100 entries.

As I mentioned last week, I thought there was no better way to celebrate 10squared than by looking back at my top 10 favorite sandwiches on the first part of this sandwichology journey.

Problem is that I originally came up with about 35. So it took me a bit of time to whittle it down.

Each sandwich name will be clickable to take you back to the original post. Enjoy!

10.) The Winter Chicken Melt (Melt, Cleveland, OH) - My first stop in Cleveland was also rewarding on the sandwich hunt as this chicken melt warmed its way into my stomach.

9.) Mediterranean Madness (HyMart, Noho Arts District, CA) - Grape leaves stuffed in a wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and hummus. What isn't good in this sandwich?

8.) The Stray Dog (The Wien, Los Angeles, CA) - a hot dog truck with high end vision for their dogs? This place is an awesome addition to any warm summer night in LA.

7.) The Schmitter (Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA) - At one of my favorite places in the city, this new Philadelphia staple is the perfect complement to a night at the ballpark.

6.) Banh Mi Sandwich (Banh Mi My Tho, Alhambra, CA) - it may be a trek to get to this shop in a strip mall, but the banh mi makes the drive worthwhile...and the price can't be beat.

5.) Hammer and Pickle (The People's Sandwich of Portland, Portland, OR) - A random find in Portland turned out to be the best sandwich I had in the town. An amazing cubano that will knock your socks off.

4.) Lavender Duck Confit Sandwich (Sweetsalt, Toluca Lake, CA) - The only sandwich I've reviewed thus far that uses duck, this sandwich is delicious, and doesn't fall victim to the usual duck problem: greasiness.

3.) Oinkster Pastrami (Oinkster, Eagle Rock, CA) - I talk about a lot of pastrami on this blog, because frankly it's one of my favorite sandwiches. Notable mentions are Brent's Pastrami in Northridge, CA and Paty's in Toluca Lake.

2.) South Street Steaks Cheese Steak (South Street Steaks, Burbank, CA) - No it's not from Philadelphia...technically. This shop, owned by two Philly transplants, is a great dose of home near the studios in Burbank. The best cheesesteak in town.

1.) The Cubano (Porto's, Los Angeles CA) - It's not the only cubano on the list, but it is the best (though not by much, Portland!). This is the sandwich I always go back to whenever I want something good for lunch. It is the standard by which all are measured.


What do you think of the list? Did some entries surprise you? Which of my reviews would you have put up in this list instead?

That's Amore!

Greetings, Dear Readers!

Sorry to those of you who may have shown up at the regularly scheduled time this morning to not find my new post. Your faith sandwichologist is a bit under the weather today and could not finish the post in time. 

But, enough of this pity party! On to this week's sandwich.

As you may have seen in the last few weeks, I've been trying to get to know my neighborhood a little bit better. The Noho Arts District, and adjoining Toluca Lake, are filled with numerous cafes and restaurants each with their own styles and flavors.

For this week's entry i simply crossed the street to Little Toni's, an Italian restaurant on the corner of a six-point intersection. Which is also impossible to get to without going south about 5 blocks and then crossing over.

But this isn't called the DANGER sandwich for no reason, so we ran quickly across the middle of the street to get there. 

Now, a warning for those that may not have been to this restaurant before, it can be quite a wait when the place gets packed. The times I've gone to Little Toni's, even after being seated, it's been some time since I've even seen a server.

This just gave me more time to consider which sandwich I've wanted. This time it happened to be the Meatball Sub. 

This sandwich was excellent. The meatballs were fully cooked, but moist and full of flavor and spices. The cheese was layered on above and below the meatballs, sealing in the delicious sauce (gravy for you crazy Italians). There were some points where too much mozzarella was in a mouthful, but it wasn't that much of a problem if you enjoy cheese, which I do. 

Lastly, despite all of this weight on top of a lightly toasted Italian roll, the sandwich held together very well, even with the roll soaking up some of the sauce during the sandwich. 

All in all a delicious experience, especially for someone who doesn't normally crave Italian food.

Don't forget that next week is the top 10 sandwiches of the last 100 posts. Will yours make it onto the list? Which sandwich would you put on the list if you were me?

Until next week...

Meatball Sub

**** Stars

Little Toni's

4745 Lankershim Blvd

North Hollywood, CA 91602