The Great Debate

Hello again Dear Readers!

This week's blog is sure to start areal debate with sandwichphiles: is a hot dog a sandwich?

Now I know most of you may already have the pat response of "No" just jumping from your mouths, but first a bit of discussion.

In the past I've written reviews for cheesesteaks, subs and a wrap, and those never sparked controversy on their status as sandwiches, so why is it that we cannot consider a hot dog as a sandwich?

Well, today I've decided to change that after visiting The Wien truck in Los Angeles.

I'd been following the truck on Twitter for a few weeks before I finally was able to sample their offerings as they stopped outside of my work one day in Studio City. I ordered the Stray Dog, an all beef hot dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, peppers, crema mexicana and delicious cotija cheese.

This is LA's official hot dog. When you walk around the streets at night, outside of bars, concerts or local hotspots, you will always see someone with a hot tray dishing out these dogs, and they are great.

The Wien does not disappoint with their Stray Dog. The bacon is perfectly cooked, a bit crispy and a delicious flavor to compliment the all beef frank. The grilled peppers added a nice smoked pepper flavor and the cotija cheese was something I had never tried before, but was definitely impressed by it's firm texture and slightly salty flavor.

Overall, the Stray Dog was an excellent addition to the Danger Sandwich compendium and I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

But let's keep the conversation going here: I think a hot dog is a sandwich. Why do/don't you?

Until next week...

The Stray Dog
**** Stars
The Wien Truck
Los Angeles, CA
thewien.com and @thewientruck on Twitter

Wild Things At Wild Wings

Welcome back dear Readers!

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for reading the blog as usual and passing the word onto friends. There is still one week left in this month and we've already surpassed more hits than any other month since I began this blog. So thank you so very much. Without you, this blog would not work.

But now onto the sandwich...

I took a detour on a cool early summer night in Burbank this week to find a surprise sandwich that I never would have sought out on my own.

Stopping at Buffalo Wild Wings, I wasn't sure that I would actually write a review for a sandwich here, mainly because I don't like reviewing restaurant chains. As you know, I'm a big fan of the atmosphere and local color presented in mom-and-pop shops, and maybe that's why I do end up reviewing places like this. Just to prove my point.

Looking through the menu, I finally decided upon the Screamin' Nacho Burger made up of two all-beef patties, chipotle barbecue seasoning, corn tortilla chips, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, pico de gallo, and southwestern ranch dressing.

I know, I know my physician called me halfway through the sandwich to say he was dropping me as a patient. It was crazy, and halfway through, my heart gave out...but then came back online when the hot wings with their spicy garlic sauce arrived. Wow.

The burger patties were delicious, although fairly skinny. The melted pepper jack cheese, southwestern ranch dressing, jalapenos and pico de gallo combined for an excellent taste of the southwest. They just work so well together.

The chips? Well they added a fun crunch texture to it that made this burger stand out.

Was the sandwich good? Yes, it really was, but don't get me wrong, the whole experience could have been a bit better. Even though the rest of the menu sounded pretty amazing. The food was good, but the fun and atmosphere sometimes gets lost in these big sports bars. Just a personal preference, you may not mind so much.

On the plus side, they did switch one of the televisions to the Phillies v. Mariners game. Again on the downside, the Phils lost.

Ah well, at least the wings were incredible!

Until next week!

Screamin' Nacho Burger

*** 1.2 stars

Buffalo Wild Wings

127 East Palm Avenue

Burbank, CA 91502

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