What's On The Sandwich Board?

Greetings, Readers!

I hope the past week has brought you many delicious sandwiches at new places for you.

Speaking of new places, every time I visit Philadelphia, I am amazed at the amount of sandwich shops that have sprung up in my absence. It seems that the City of Brotherly Love is embracing the art of sandwiching past just their fantastic cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches.

Case in point: going on a suggestion from Visit Philly (thanks btw!) I stopped at a restaurant I had heard about in whispers for awhile: Jake's Sandwich Board. A few years ago, they had a Ghost Pepper Cheesesteak on the menu which I had wanted to try, but I also did not want my stomach destroyed for a few days on vacation and so passed on it.

This time though, I wasn't going to be swayed. While I didn't see the Ghost Pepper sandwich, there were a number of options that seemed incredible, creative, and daring.

Heading there on a frigid night in late December, Jake's Sandwich Board is a small shop in downtown Philadelphia, a great place to settle in at a table, eat great food, and catch up with friends before heading out to some great bars in that part of town. We headed there one night to catch up with a friend we hadn't seen in awhile, but during dinner we weren't able to do a lot of talking because of the food itself.

I eventually settled on the 50/50, which contained half shredded pork (from locally sourced farms), half bacon, Sriracha spread and shredded provolone cheese.

The pork was plentiful, juicy and flavorful. The sriracha spread definitely gave an incredible spice kick, and the provolone was heavily present. Almost so much that it overpowered the sandwich in some areas. I really love provolone, but maybe a little bit less would help accentuate the delicious pork rather than overpower.

The roll held together until the end and was well made. A definite killer sandwich that I would absolutely have again my next time in Philadelphia.

If you're downtown and looking for a great sandwich stop, I highly suggest you check out Jake's Sandwich Board. While I had a pork sandwich (and there are others), they also offer options with brisket, turkey and veggies. You will have an excellent selection of options before you there.

Until next week...

The 50/50
**** 1/2 Stars
122 South 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
http://www.jakessandwichboard.com/

Meals on Wheels

Greetings, Readers!

As you know from reading this blog, I love sandwiches.

What I love even more is when a sandwich is delivered to me at my doorstep.

Enter, The Melt.

The other week here at my day job, we were given lunch from The Melt truck, which just so happens to be a tech-lover's dream as well.

In the front door of the truck sits a screen showing you the process of each sandwich ordered. It's a fun thing to watch, but also hard to tell which sandwich is yours as they weren't taking names on the day that we had our lunch.

Which lead to confusion later as sandwiches were being handed out to the wrong people.

Ah well, but was the sandwich delicious?

I ordered the Italian Job combo which included a Fontina and Provolone grilled cheese with a side of chips, a pickle and Italian sausage soup.

Oh, and of course I added bacon to the sandwich. Like that wasn't going to happen.

The sandwich itself had the perfect amount of cheese. Very melty, with the complementary flavors of Provolone and Fontina, but not too much that that I was choking on the sandwich with each bite.

The bacon added a bit of crispness along with the grilled bread to complement the softer insides.

Also, the sandwich was grilled after being covered in garlic and red pepper flakes giving it a nice dose of spice to the mix.

Overall, the sandwich was delicious and well made without overdoing any of its ingredients. My main complaint is just the process of getting sandwiches to customers, which in a large group it became quickly apparent that without taking names the order delivery became a bit confusing.

Not something that should keep you away, but one of the very few ways in which the truck service could improve.

Until next week, Dear Readers!


The Italian Job Combo
**** Stars
The Melt Truck
https://themelt.com/menu

Hometown Hero

Greeting Dear Readers!

It's baseball season, if you hadn't heard yet, and because of that I've decided to celebrate the return of one of my favorite pitchers to my home town team with a delicious sandwich of my own.

So in order to celebrate Cliff Lee's return to the Philadelphia Phillies, I decided to throw a party where we would watch the game, and I would be the sandwich maker under scrutiny.

For this party, I made my own cheesesteaks.

Now I've reviewed a few cheesesteaks from around Los Angeles, from the great to the abysmal. I've also eaten enough in my life that I know what I like and dislike on a sandwich.

So for starters, this sandwich will not include cheez-wiz

For the steaks, I grabbed up a bunch of Steak-umms from Ralph's and gave each sandwich 3 slices.

Off to the side of the cooking steaks, I had two different pans running: one with onions and peppers grilling in a little bit of olive oil, and the second with chopped baby bella mushrooms also in a drop of olive oil.

The problem really becomes co-ordinating the three pans at first. Mushrooms cook very fast and have a very small window of being perfect. A second too long and they're overdone.

When the steaks were just about done cooking, I added the mushrooms, onions, and peppers on top, and the laid down three slices of provolone cheese (i.e. not wiz) and let it melt for a few seconds before stacking it in the roll.

As a surprise ingredient, I had fries cooking in the oven which I then generously added to my sandwich. Taking cues from Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh, I thought I'd take a shot at this, and it turned out to be welcome addition. Try it next time you make your own at home.

My only regret with the sandwich was the bread. I searched around for good steak rolls, and then even good sourdough rolls but could not find any last minute as I prepared for the game. The rolls I had were somewhat fluffy on the inside, with poppy seeds on the outside. They weren't bad, but could have been a lot better had I time to look at another store.

So, whether you enjoy baseball or not, I highly suggest you try your hand at creating this sandwich in your own home. For me, it reminds me of growing up in a wonderful town that loves its people, its teams, and its history.

Until next time, Dear Readers...

Can The Streak Continue?

Welcome back, O Seekers of Danger!

Lately I have been on a record streak of WINNING sandwiches here (yes, I did it. Last Sheen reference for quite some time. Deal?) and this week's sandwich was no exception.

While strolling down Melrose Avenue late one Saturday afternoon I was informed that a spectacular sandwich shop was hiding a short distance away. Little did I know that this sandwich shop contained another of LA Magazine's 17 Best Sandwiches in LA.

It has been awhile since I've tackled another entry on this list of sandwich greats, but what better way to jump back into this list than to be taken by surprise?

All About The Bread is a tiny shop tucked into a strip of Melrose Ave, but what the shop lacks in size, it more than makes up for in flavor.

Every step of the way you are reminded that their Meatball Sandwich is among the city's greatest with numerous reviews posted, as well as the article from Los Angeles Magazine.

But does the Meatball Sandwich truly have what it takes to sit among the likes of Porto's Cubano or Bay Cities' Godmother?

To start, let me mention the bread.

Actually, let's just stop here before I make a fool of myself for being such a fanboy.

...No, I must continue! FOR YOU!

The bread is delicious. Readers, you all know how often I stress the importance of not only excellent taasting bread, but of the importance of pairing it with the right stuffing.

Well, this bread wins in every category. Freshly made in their ovens right before serving, this bread is a work of art. Golden and crisp with little bubbles pock marked across the outside, this bread is light, fluffy and warm on the inside. I would eat an entire roll by itself and still be incredibly happy.

But there's more.

The meatballs were so moist and savory with an amazing spicy kick to them. It didn't hit me at first, but after my second bite, i began to notice a bit of heat. They are so tender and the meat is incredibly savory, that I must say these may be the best meatballs I may have ever tasted.

The marinara sauce added its prominent flavor to the mix and contributed to the spiciness in the sandwich. There was enough of it applied to add to the flavor without drowning the meatballs in it or making the bread too soggy to eat.

Lastly, the cheese: Parmesan and Provolone melted together. At first, as you can see in the photos, it looks as if the cheese hadn't fully melted, but let me assure you all, it was a deliciously gooey companion to the rest of the sandwich. The smoky and savory flavor of the cheese perfectly combined with the zesty and spicy flavorings of the meat and sauce.

This sandwich was a true delight.

If you happen to need to settle the score with hunger while shopping along Melrose Ave, All About The Bread should be at the top of your list.

Until next week, Readers!

Meatball Sandwich

**** 1/2 Stars

All About The Bread

7111 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Danger.....OVERRULED!

Welcome back Dear Readers!

I hope the week since we last met has treated you well.

I know the sandwich gods were looking down on me this week as I've found some excellent entries to tell you about in the weeks to come.

But for now, let's travel back in time to my Jury Duty this month, when I was lucky enough to try a famous restaurant twice in the same week.

This time I tackled the Braised Short Rib sandwich at Gram and Papa's

I've already described in detail the decor of Gram and Papa's in my post two weeks ago (The Verdict Is...Dangerous! 1/12/2011), and this aspect alone makes this an excellent spot to lunch with friends.

But now that I wasn't taking in my surroundings and could solely concentrate on the sandwich at hand, would it still hold up to the gold standard of the Chicken Salad Sandwich?

I mean, we are talking about a Braised Short Rib sandwich here.

Then again, short ribs layered on Cheerios sounds appealing to me. How could we go wrong here?

The thing is that G&P's has another home run on their hands with this sandwich, even for people who aren't as taken in with short ribs as I am.

The ribs themselves are delicious. Tender, slightly smoked, and incredibly juicy, you don't ever want to stop chewing because every bite adds another dose of flavor to the mix.

The ribs are covered in a smoky provolone. It's perfectly melted between the the roughly chopped chunks of meat and adds an excellent flavor contrast to the ribs.

Finishing off this sandwich is a delicious dipped brioche roll. With a lightly glazed and golden exterior, and a fluffy and buttery inside, this bread is an excellent match with the sandwich and just falls apart when you bite into it because it's so soft.

It's rare that I've written about two different sandwiches from the same restaurant but Gram and Papa's deserves it.

As to which is better, The Chicken Salad Sandwich or the Braised Short Ribs Sandwich, I'd say it's close but I'd make the Chicken Salad Sandwich the winner.

But in the end, we're all winners when we get to eat these two DANGERous entries.

Until next week, Readers!

Braised Short Rib Sandwich

**** Stars

Gram and Papa's

227 E. 9th Street

Los Angeles, CA

A Challenge To The Throne

LO AND BEHOLD seekers of DANGER!

We have a challenger stepping into the ring this week.

A sandwich that looks to topple one of the top rated sandwiches here at The Danger Sandwich.

Recently, I had a run in with the South Philly Experience, a food truck that stocks up on Herr's chips, Hank's colas, Tastykakes, and of course a variety of styles of cheesesteaks. But would this mecca of food from my home city be DANGERous enough to top the sandwich styling of South Street Steaks in Burbank?

Continue reading...IF YOU DARE!

To start, the roll is a true, flown in from philadelphia, Amoroso roll. But i have to admit, that something got lost at customs, because these rolls were a bit too doughy, heavy, and a little too chewy.

Definitely not fresh enough for my liking.

The steak is chopped up rib-eye, and it was amazing. I've never had a cheesesteak where the meat itself was so full of flavor. It's just a shame this was the only highpoint of the sandwich.

And that brings me to the cheese.

So i chose the provolone, since cheez wiz is an abomination to man, and boy did they get this essential part of the sandwich so wrong.

Instead of placing the cheese on top, and allowing it to melt down into the sandwich, effectively mixing it, the cheese was placed first on the roll.

Underneath the meat.

And so I was left with delicious steak on top of four slightly warm, but not melted, slices of cheese.

Also, the truck was out of tastykakes too. How'd anyone let that happen?

Fail.

Overall, the excellently seasoned grilled steak was not enough to make up for the serious shortcomings of the rest of the sandwich. You tried South Philly Experience, you really tried, but it wasn't enough to become top cheesesteak in LA.

Until next time, DANGERites...

** 1/2 Stars

South Philly Experience

http://www.southphillyexperience.com/