A Return To An Old Favorite

Greetings, Readers!

After taking a break from burgers for last week's blog, I felt compelled to take one more week off before returning to the Burgering Adventure.

I wanted to return to a place I hadn't been for quite some time: Sweetsalt.

It's been awhile since I've been to this little shop on Riverside, but it looks like business has been good as they've expanded the seating area inside.

I had originally planned to get the Duck Confit sandwich that I had gotten on my last visit but perusing the menu led my eye to the Short Rib sandwich.

Now I've had short rib sandwiches before (here and here) so this wasn't anything new, but would it be able to hold up to my previous experiences?

The short rib on this sandwich was delicious. Shredded, sweet and at the same time a little spicy, from the beginning it's noticeable that this is a standout.  Topped with goat cheese, braised onions, roasted garlic and a handful of wild arugula, which added a mild mustard flavor to the mix, this is a top short rib sandwich. it is definitely a contender for one of the best in the area.

Also knowing what the rest of their menu is like (especially the outstanding Lavender Duck Confit), Sweetsalt is now even more of a must-visit place in Toluca Lake.

So now, for real, I will return to reviewing the Burgers of Burbank again next week. I have so many more to tell you aout, and Bryan and I are about to take on some more again very soon.

Until next week...


Short Rib Sandwich
**** Stars
Sweetsalt Food Shop
10218 Riverside Drive
Toluca Lake, CA 91602

The Twelve Days of Sandwiching

Greetings, Readers!

I hope that the holiday season has left you in high spirits without completely bankrupting your wallet.

Because otherwise, how would you afford even the most inexpensive sandwich?

Having finished my holiday shopping early (actually in record time this year) Charlene and I decided to stop in for a sandwich on Saturday afternoon to enjoy our relaxing weekend before Christmas.

Again, this is a record first for me.

Spending time in downtown Burbank we decide to stop into the Market City Caffe at the Corner of Palm and San Fernando. This spacious Italian bistro was surprisingly empty for a Saturday at lunch, but all the better for us as we were seated and enjoying their delicious breadsticks in no time.

Looking at the menu, my eyes went directly to the Panini section and stopped at the Panini Salami: goat cheese, imported salami, arugula, olive oil, baby lettuce and tomato on a French roll.

Hearing the word "panini" though I half expected this sandwich to be grilled or warm, but it was not. This was not a disappointment, but actually came as a pleasant surprise. The sandwich tasted fresher than it would have been after being grilled with butter or oil on the bread.

There was a nice amount of salami on the sandwich without being too overpowering for the other ingredients.  The arugula and lettuce added a little bit of crunch as well as fresh green flavors. The goat cheese was a great complement of strong flavor to the salami but was also not overpowering of the greens.

The French roll it was served on was lightly toasted on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and as delicious as the amazing breadsticks the Market City Caffe serves as an appetizer.

I can also guarantee that the sandwich is still delicious as leftovers hours later.

So what about you, Readers? Have you enjoyed any sandwiches over the holiday season? Is there one in particular you are looking to try before 2012 comes to a close?

Until next year, Dear Readers...


Panini Salami
**** Stars
Market City Caffe
164 E. Palm Avenue
Burbank, CA 91502
http://www.marketcityburbank.com

The Chevre Challenge

Greetings, Readers!

This past week I decided to finally do something that I haven't done in awhile.

Eat a meatless sandwich.

I know, I know, with the sandwiches I review, you're probably thinking that you've ended up at the wrong blog this morning, but fear not.

Looking to make a quick stop after work one day, I did a bit of research on Toluca Lake on Yelp.

The search results for that are becoming slimmer as I have hit up so many of the restaurants in that area already. This time though, Studio Cafe Magazzino popped out to me. The only problem was that I would have to rush there after work as it closed at 4pm and was not open on weekends.

Studio City Magazzino sits right across from Warner Bros. Studios on Pass Avenue (which is why this place is really only open during normal office hours). A small cafe with a rustic Italian feel, this place offers a wide variety of sandwiches, soups and salads.

The one sandwich to catch my eye though was the Chevre sandwich. A fancy name for goat cheese, Chevre may be one of my favorite cheeses and is joined in this sandwich by sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, house vinaigrette and lettuce on a ciabatta roll.

The sandwich is simple, and the Chevre provides a solid punch of smooth, yet pungent, flavor. I also thoroughly enjoyed the ciabatta, which was a bit thick and rustic, providing a tougher texture than the ingredients inside of the sandwich. If you're looking for a simple, fresh and easy sandwich to enjoy, this should definitely be your go to lunch time destination.

My only disappointment with the sandwich is not that there was no meat to be found, but that the other ingredients didn't add much to the sandwich. I didn't even realize there were roasted red peppers until the end of the sandwich, and of course lettuce doesn't add much in terms of flavor. The sun dried tomatoes were present, but it's hard to keep up with as powerful a flavor as goat cheese.

Regardless, still an enjoyable journey into a less heart attack inducing sandwich realm.

Until next week, readers!



Chevre Sandwich
*** 1/2 Stars
Studio Cafe Magazzino
109 N. Pass Avenue
Burbank, CA 91505