Into The Cold...For Christmas!

Greetings, Readers!

Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukkah to some of you out there!

I am heading home to celebrate Christmas this year in Philadelphia, and like any good trip back east, I am looking for some fantastic sandwiches to enjoy in the City of Brotherly Love.

I'm in the mood for some new, delicious cheesesteaks that I may not have tried yet. So, do you know a great local spot that only your neighborhood knows about? If so, let me know in the comments below.

Also, do you know of another sandwich you've had lately that you would consider a Philadelphia classic, like DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market?

Leave your suggestions in the comments below, and happy sandwiching to you all!

P.S. - If you haven't read my guest blog for Deli Fresh Threads yet, check it out here!

Until next week...

They Call Me...

Yukon Cornelius!

Greetings, Readers!

With "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" and Yukon Cornelius trending worldwide on Twitter last night because of it airing on TV, I got to thinking: I would like to create a sandwich that lives up to the name of the North Pole's most famous prospector.

To start, the sandwich has to be hearty, a meal to get a person through the harsh weather of the North Pole.

For me, the the sandwich should consist mainly of corned beef, not only because it's hearty and rich, but also because it sort of shares its name with the character.

While I try to hack out a delicious dedication to this classic character, what would you add to make this sandwich as much of a legend as its namesake?

Until next week...

Post-Thanksgiving Recovery

Greetings, Readers!

I hope your Thanksgiving was excellent, and that your Black Friday Thanksgiving Leftover sandwiches were equally enjoyable. 

There's something about that sandwich that's so enjoyable. Maybe it's the fact that all of the ingredients are readily at your disposal. Or maybe the fact that all of the ingredients of a Turkey Day dinner go so well together on a plate, why not just pile them between two slices of your favorite bread (rye or sourdough for me, please). 

Besides this dish though, there was a quick review I wanted to put out there. A new barbecue restaurant has opened up on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City called Barrel and Ashes. Even though I didn't try out any of their sandwiches on a recent visit, I did try their smoked brisket, which they do provide as a sandwich as well. 

Apologies as I hadn't expected to visit here, I wasn't expecting a sandwich trip.

The brisket was tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. A permeating smoke flavor with some sweetness were the main sensations with an underlying buttery flavor from the melty fat bits throughout the slices. Before we knew what was happening, the meat was gone.

I will definitely be returning here, and most definitely to give their sandwiches an actual try. While I haven't sampled the bread the sandwiches are on, I can't give this trip a full 5 Stars, but if the bread is even half as good as the meat itself, I can only imagine it'll easily grab my highest rating. 

Stop in, have some hoe cake, and enjoy some excellent barbecue.

Until next week...

Smoked Brisket

**** 1/2 Stars

Barrel and Ashes

11801 Ventura Blvd. 

Studio City, CA 91604