What's That Aroma?

Greetings Dear Readers!

Welcome back again for another dose of delicious DANGER right on your desktop.

This week I decided to spend my day off in a quiet cafe in Studio City, except this time, Aroma Cafe wasn't very quiet.

One of my favorite places to grab coffee and read a bit, Aroma Cafe is tucked away on a street in Studio City. The back patio is full of lush greenery making it seem as if the cafe is hidden and secluded from the rest of the working LA world.

Except Sundays. I avoid this place like the plague on the weekends because it's usually packed, and that was the same story this past Monday when I visited.

Besides my usual coffee, I grabbed the Turkey Pesto Panini to quench my hunger. This sandwich is packed with roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, diced tomato, and fresh pesto pressed between two warm focaccia bread.

The roasted turkey breast was piled high and very flavorful making it the standout item in this sandwich.

The Swiss cheese added a smoky and savory flavor that worked together to create a tasty addition to the turkey. The pesto was delicious and complemented the turkey but also stood out on its own with a delicious garlic and basil flavoring.

The tomatoes though, I have to discuss with this sandwich. As you all may know, I'm not normally a fan of tomatoes on sandwiches as usually they tend to be too tough and mealy. Or, if they're in cooked sandwiches like this one, they tend to bee too watery and tasteless. This sandwich though managed to not make the tomatoes an annoyance. they added a slight tomato taste to the sandwich without being too watery.

Lastly, and certainly not least...ly, the focaccia bread. Golden, slightly crisped on the outside and fluffy warm on the inside, this bread was exceptional, and made me wish that more sandwiches used this delicious Italian bread.

Overall, it was a tasty experience and one that I will keep in mind the next time I am at Aroma and craving a sandwich.

**** Stars

Turkey Pest Panini

Aroma Cafe

4360 Tujunga Avenue

Studio City, CA 91604

http://www.aromacoffeeandtea.com/

Yeah Baby, Yeah!

Greetings Readers!

This week my adventures found me at one of my favorite places in Los Angeles: Swingers.

Now you may not know that this is one of my favorite places because it's been quite some time since I've been there, but I used to visit there quite often. A few times a week in fact.

Having landed on their front doorstep by luck, I decided to walk in and try one of my favorite sandwiches there for review here. Maybe it's just me though, but something felt a little different on this visit, like something had changed.

Oh well, the sandwich should still be good, right?

I ordered the stuffed grilled cheese which has jack and cheddar cheeses, sliced tomatoes, guacamole, and grilled onions on grilled sourdough bread.

It really sounds delicious, and I remember it being amazing, but this sandwich fell short this time.

The blend of jack and cheddar cheeses were great and the guacamole and grilled onions were a delicious addition. Even the grilled sourdough was excellent.

It was the tomatoes that steered this entire sandwich wrong though. They were too watery and with very little taste, essentially washing out the taste of the other items on the sandwich. When i pulled out the tomato from the second half, the taste returned and the sandwich was much more enjoyable.

It'd definitely recommend removing the tomato to anyone looking to try this sandwich. Maybe next time I'll even ask the waiter to leave it off as well.

Until next week, Readers!

P.S. - Philadelphia readers, I will be back in the 215 at the end of this month. If you have suggestions as to where I should visit for a great sandwich while I'm home, please leave the suggestion in the comments section. Looking forward to trying a number of different places.

Stuffed Grilled Cheese Sandwich

*** Stars

8020 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

swingersdiner.com

On The Lam(b) In The Valley

Greetings Dear Readers!

Was your Memorial Day filled with barbecues and sandwiches?

Well mine was, and I'm here to report my findings to you this week so that you may share in the joy I experienced this weekend.

I had just been recommended to visit Hardy's Meat Market in Studio City the other day, and couldn't for the life of me think of where it was located. After looking it up though, I realized that I had passed by this little corner deli/market a million times in the past but had never bothered to step in.

The two guys working at the deli counter were incredibly friendly and very fast in making this delicious sandwich. Although there is no real standard for each type of sandwich (it's build your own straight from the ground up).

I had the gents at the counter pile on the warm sliced leg of lamb on top of a baguette with mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños and onions. I wasn't too sure about the mustard and mayo at first, but I did insist the guys pile on the works, and they assured me it would taste good.

And you know what? It did. Those two condiments really did blend well with the delicious lamb.

And speaking about the lamb, it was amazing, tender and flavorful. It stood out from all of the accessories of the sandwich and really shined.

The greens on the sandwich were fresh, crunchy, and flavorful, adding a nice flavor contrast to the lamb and adding a bit of crunch to the sandwich as well.

The bread was a flaky baguette that held up under the weight of all of the fixins the sandwich crafters piled on. It also happened to be very tasty bread as well.

Overall, this was an excellent recommendation and I enjoyed the sandwich highly. I will have to make this a future stop on my way home from work more often now that I know what hidden gems are hiding away in this inconspicuous corner market.

Until next week, Readers!

Roast Leg of Lamb Sandwich

**** Stars

Hardy's Meat Market

12903 Moorpark Avenue

Studio City, CA 91604

A Hidden Gem

Dearest Readers!

I've learned on this wonderful sandwich journey thus far, that sometimes the best sandwich places are very deceiving in looks.

What I mean is that sometimes, the fancy, five-star restaurant on 5th Avenue is not always the best place to get a delicious sandwich. Sometimes the best place is somewhere you'd walk past until you're told about it.

Visiting downtown LA recently, I was instructed to visit a small deli in the lobby of the Lady Liberty Building at 843 S. Los Angeles Street. A very unassuming lunch counter is a marbled lobby that you wouldn't even notice if you didn't stop to look around.

All of the sandwich options sounded delicious, but after having eaten a bunch of not-so-healthy sandwiches lately, I thought I would go for the healthy turkey option...with the works.

This sandwich had delicious Boar's Head cracked pepper turkey, with onions, lettuce, provolone cheese, tomatoes, banana peppers and cucumbers, mustard and mayo, all on top of a freshly baked baguette.

Wow. The turkey was unbelievably delicious. Probably the best turkey I've had to date. Just fresh and with a great smoky flavor and a slight pepper taste. Delicious.

The baguette had just come out of the over and was so delicious, I could have just eaten that alone and been entirely satisfied. It was a little bit flaky on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside.

The one flavor that took me a few minutes to figure out was the cucumbers. Mixed in with the other vegetables and the two spreads, the flavor wasn't as prominent as cucumbers can be, but mixing in with these other flavors, it provided an entirely new, creamy flavor that worked wonders with this sandwich.

Overall this was an excellent sandwich, and a true delight to find a great deli, though it may be far removed from the majority of Los Angeles. This is definitely a sandwich I will be trying again.

Until next week readers, keep up the good fight, and find that DANGER sandwich!

**** Stars

Peppered Turkey Sandwich

New York Deli

843 S. Los Angeles Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Potato Chips Are Always A Good Thing

Greetings, Dear Readers!

I should tell you that there is one thing in life that I love almost as much as I love sandwiches, and that is potato chips.

Hands down, 1000% love affair with those crispy snacks. So when I heard about a restaurant called Potato Chips, I had to check this place out.

The selection isn't expansive, but everything on the menu sounded amazing. Particularly amazing sounding was the Spicy Salami sandwich.

Salami, goat cheese, red onions, reg peppers, avocados, and shredded lettuce piled onto a flaky golden roll. Sounds delicious? Sounds right.

The roll was excellent. Golden, flaky, crispy, and slightly toasted, this roll was the best choice for this sandwich.

The goat cheese was a bit dry, and its pungent flavor contrasted well with the strong flavors of the salami, which was equally delicious.

The lettuce, peppers, and avocado were all incredible fresh, flavorful, and added an excellent crunchy contrast that really helped tie the whole sandwich together.

Every ingredient in this sandwich stood out on its own, but also contributed to an amazing overall flavor. This sandwich was excellent.

So the lesson I've learned this week is that my love of potato chips can now extend to places named Potato Chips, and both of them lead to my tastebud nirvana.

Until next week, Readers!

Spicy Salami Sandwich

**** 1/2 Stars

Potato Chips

7613 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

There's No Sinking This Sub

Greetings, Dear Readers!

Welcome back for another excited sandwiching experience in Los Angeles.

This week, I was asked to come to Giamela's Submarine Sandwiches in Burbank for one of their highly praised submarine sandwiches.

What I really liked about this place was how stripped down it was. The sign offered only a handful of choices for sandwiches, and all looked delicious. The interior of the shop was basic: wood colored walls, not many signs, a small TV, and a few tables to sit at. This was a great place to have a dinner and not be distracted by noise.

After taking a few moments to decide between two different sandwiches, I stepped up and ordered the pepper steak and cheese sandwich with everything on top.

The sandwich itself was delicious. In a way, it was very similar to a cheese steak with the chopped steak and melted cheese, but the meat wasn't heated up as much as a cheesesteak normally is. I would have to say it was an Italian sub style take on one of my favorite sandwiches.

Topping off the steak and cheese was lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and onions.

The steak was excellent. Seriously amazing. It was lean, cooked to perfection and delicious. Oh and the quantity was ridiculous. I mean, this sandwich was bursting with meat, it was hard to take the first bite without trying to flatten the sandwich some.

The bread taste good too, and did an excellent job at holding the sandwich together. With that much filling stuffed in there, you'd think it would fall apart after a few bites, but it toughed it out and made it to the end. it's pretty commendable for bread to not only taste good, but be tough enough for a job of this proportion.

The toppings of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and onions added well to the flavors of the sandwich and were made of some of the freshest ingredients I've had at a sandwich shop in awhile.

All in all, my first experience at Giamela's was an entirely positive one. The next time you're heading to Burbank from further west in the valley, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for this small shop on Magnolia before you cross the 5.

The shop may be small, but it's big on flavor.

Until next week, Readers...

**** Stars

Pepper Steak and Cheese Sandwich

Giamela's Submarine Sandwiches

216 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91502

A Desert Oasis of Sandwiches

Greetings Dear Readers!

For this week's post, I contemplated not even reviewing the sandwich so as not to give away one of my favorite remote places in Los Angeles county, but realizing that I have a job to do (and that most people won't make the 45 minute trek) I decided it was okay to blab.

I took a trip this past weekend out to Littlerock, CA, a small desert town near Palmdale in LA county.

Littleorck is a very small town with lots of area of open desert straddling route 138, but along this tiny road is an outpost of delicious treats, and excellent sandwiches.

Appearing out of the hot desert sands is Charlie Brown Farms, a general store with a deli counter, a wine tasting room, toys, games, kitsch, locally grown foods, and so many more things it's amazing they all fit it into one building.

Your first time here though, you could probably spend about a half hour trying to decide which sodas you may want to take home (note: a lot of the ones here are made with real can sugar and not corn syrup. dig it.)

The sandwich that I had been craving was the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich, and I decided that it was time to make the trip out again to enjoy it.

Readers beware though, on a typical day you will wait about a half hour for your food, but it really is worth it.

For this pulled pork sandwich, the fine folks at CBF really love to stack as much of the meat on as possible, which is perfectly fine with me, because the pork is delicious. It's slow roasted until it's so tender that it just falls apart.

You may get a few pieces of pork that are slightly more well done than others, but it's still great. The smoky flavors added from the more well done pieces really stand out and I feel like it makes them even more delicious.

On top of the pork, they pour two healthy doses of barbecue sauce. So much so that the bread really does not hold up to this sandwich. By the time I got to my table, the bread had already soaked up a good portion of the bbq sauces and started to fall apart by the third bite. But this didn't stop me.

Even if I happened to be wearing a pristine white shirt.

I know that I really push the importance of good bread, and I don't want any of you to think I'm retracting my statements on that topic, but in this situation, it really serves its purpose by holding the sandwich together as long as possible before you start to use your fork.

That being said, I wonder if this sandwich would get the five stars if the bread were a better selection.

Regardless, make the drive out to Charlie Brown Farms, preferably before the summer heat as it'll easily kick up to 115 degrees out there, as this sandwich really is worth your time.

Until next week Readers!

**** Stars

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Charlie Brown Farms

8317 Pearblossom Highway

Littlerock, CA 93543