A Little Slice of New York

Greetings, Readers!

I am currently sitting here, thinking about the rain that is coming to Los Angeles for the next few days. There's nothing I enjoy more than a cool rainy day in the city with some warm soup, a good grilled cheese sandwich and a dark beer.

Before I get to that weekend activity though, I must recount a recent trip to a spot out in Camarillo, only a short jaunt from Los Angeles.

Stopping at the Old New York Deli and Bakery Company, I was immediately overwhelmed by the size of the menu. Even with the length of line I waited in to order my sandwich, I still didn't have enough time to take in all of the items on the menu. Immediately drawn to the Deli Sandwiches section on the menu board though I decided that it was a pastrami or corned beef sort of day.

Straying away from a straight forward option, I went for the Coney Island Style on Rye with Pastrami and Swiss. Essentially I was going to recreate a Reuben, which I had not seen on the novel of a menu until I had already ordered.

Pastrami, Swiss cheese, cole slaw and Russian Dressing stacked between two slices of rye bread, this sandwich started off in a good direction. The temperature contrast between the warm corned beef and the cold cole slaw was an interesting mix. It was slightly off-putting though since I had initially wanted a Reuben, with its warm sauerkraut, instead of this option with a cold and warm temperature competition.

The pastrami was good, though a few pieces could have been cooked a little longer so that it fell apart in your mouth. The combination of Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and sweet cole slaw produced a variety of flavors in my mouth that was enjoyable from start to finish.

The rye bread is also made in house, and is fantastic. So much so that an entire loaf was purchased on the way out the door.

Overall, the sandwich was a bit of a letdown, but I feel it was mostly due to the fact that I was hoping, or expecting, something else. Next time I'm in the area, I believe I'll just shoot straight for the Reuben and see how that sandwich fares. If you happen to be nearby the Old New York Deli and Bakery Co. though, I suggest you take your time in deciding which sandwich to take on. I'm sure there have to be some real winners on that massive menu.

Until next week, Readers...


Coney Island Style on Rye w/ Swiss
*** 1/2 Stars
Old New York Deli and Bakery Co.
4972 Verdugo Way
Camarillo, CA 93012
http://www.oldnewyork.com/

Celebrating My 21st Amendment Rights

Greetings, Readers!

It's been a busy few weeks, but thankfully I was able to get away from Los Angeles for a weekend and get a little R&R.

Heading up to San Francisco, I had plenty of options for sandwiches that I wanted to pursue (thanks to all of you). The problem is that if I wanted to eat at all of the places, I would have to spend about three full weeks eating every meal at a different stop.

Having to narrow down my selections a bit, I decided to make my sandwich stop at one place that combined my love of beer and sandwiches: 21st Amendment Brewery.

Down the street from AT&T Park where the Giants play, this brewpub is an ode to delicious food and well-crafted beer.

The problem I've always had with 21st Amendment though is that it is impossible to get their beer in Los Angeles, though easy enough to come by 3000 miles away on the East Coast.

Odd.

So obviously I stocked up on their beer for the trip back.

Settling down with my first beer and meeting up with friends for lunch, I had a few options to choose for this sandwich, but of course one in particular caught my eye: The Cubano.

Seeing as how one of my favorite sandwiches has become the Cubano (in LA and in general), this was one I could not pass up. This Cubano was packed with the standard roast pork, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard between a pressed French roll. The amount of meat packed into this sandwich tops every other Cubano I've had.

The roast pork and black forest ham combination was delicious with its flavorful combo shining through but not overpowering the smoky Swiss cheese or salty bite of the pickles and mustard. The French roll on this sandwich was pressed and grilled slightly giving it a crispy bite to contrast the soft insides of the sandwich.

Porto's in LA makes an excellent Cubano and has been one of my highest rated sandwiches since starting this blog. Well, good nears Readers, as this Cubano reaches those heights as one of the best versions of this style of sandwich I've ever had. Washed down with some delicious 21st Amendment beer and you have a clear winner for a lunchtime stop.

If you're in San Francisco sometime, I would recommend this stop simply for the beer as it's an excellent ode to the craft of brewing. But do not forget to save room for the Cubano. You will not be disappointed.

Until next week, Readers...


The Cubano
***** Stars
21st Amendment Brewery
563 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Sandwiching Up North

Greetings, Readers!

This past weekend I found out that I will be making a short stop in San Francisco next weekend, and I couldn't be more excited. 

The Bay Area has been on my list of sandwiching destinations for quite sometime. 

That's where you come in to help though. I've looked up a number of sandwiching spots and really can't narrow down my choices. If you live in SF or have been through before and know of some great places you could recommend, please list them below in the comment. 

I'd love to be able to knock some options off my list as I don't want to gain about 50 pounds in two days while there. 

See you next week, when I have my first of a few sandwiches from San Francisco!