Sub Hunting in Burbank

Greetings Dear Readers!

You know, some days there's nothing more that I want besides an excellent sub (or hoagie for those of you also from the East Coast).

Sometimes though, I find it hard to actually find a good deli in Los Angeles that can make a delicious one for me.

It's nto that I haven't found any yet, because if you've been reading this blog long enough you know that I've found quite a few great ones like Giamela's in Burbank or Bay Cities in Santa Monica. it's just that it seems much harder to find really good ones out here.

So when I was doing some dangerous research this past week into a new sandwich shop in my area, I was intrigued to find Santoro's had so many excellent reviews.

Obviously I had to check it out.

It only took a minute to decide after I saw a Hot Pastrami Sub on the menu. The pastrami should be my measuring stick for many restaurants and delis because it can so very easily go wrong. If not of highest quality or preparation, it quickly can become fatty, chewy and downright inedible.

But this pastrami was not. Packed into a foot long Italian roll, the pastrami was flavorful and tender. Thinly sliced and thoroughly chopped, there wasn't even an opportunity for the meat to become tough or fatty. It was honestly, some of the best pastrami I've ever had.

On top of the pastrami was a little bit of mustard, chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, pickles, salt and pepper.

The only downside was the roll. By the time I got back to my apartment with it, the roll was looking a little sad in spots, and by the end of the sandwich it was falling apart. The heat and the juicy pastrami made the roll work a little too hard.

Now you all know how much I talk about the importance of good bread for a sandwich, and even though this bread was a little sub-par (get it?...sub-par) this should in no way turn you against this sandwich. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and is a definite must for anyone who is a fan of pastrami.

That being said, I think I need a vegetarian sandwich for next week.

I also must mention the service at Santoro's.

It was awesome.

I walked into the shop, and even with taking my time on decided which sandwich to order, I was out the door again in about 5 minutes. Not only was the staff incredible fast, and very friendly, but they didn't just throw the sandwiches together. They were fast and efficient, but also took care not to create a messy sandwich.

So if you're in Burbank and looking for an excellent deli sub, then I can highly recommend Santoro's as another great sub shop in the valley.

For now though, I have a date at Golden Road Brewery for a special beer tasting and dinner this evening. The work of a foodie and sandwichologist never ends.

Until next week...


Hot Pastrami Sub
**** Stars
Santoro's Submarine Sandwiches
1423 West Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA
http://santorossubs.com/

Caribbean By Freeway

Welcome Back, Dear Readers!

Hopefully your part of the world is expecting a lot more sun and warmth than Los Angeles is this week. Despite signs all weekend that spring was coming a bit early, this week is set to prove otherwise.

So what should I do to brighten up my days when the sun won't do it for me?

Eat delicious Caribbean style sandwiches.

Suggested by reader Mike, I headed to a little shack in Santa Monica called Cha Cha Chicken, home to the very promising Mulato Cubano sandwich.

Having talked at length about my love for Porto's Cubano sandwich numerous times, I was very intrigued to try a new style of cubano that came highly recommended.

Instead of various pork products piled high, the Mulato Cubano takes marinated shredded chicken, cheese, lettuce, pickles and mustard pressed inside a crisp baguette.

The baguette was excellent. Crisp and flaky outside and a warm inside, this pressed roll is the best pair of bookends a cuban sandwich could have.

I have to admit, that on my first bite, I was nervous about the chicken. The first mouthful wasn't very tender and lacked flavor, but as I continued, its quality increased and by the end of my first half I had devoured a large portion of incredibly tender, thoroughly cooked (although not overcooked), juicy, and deliciously marinated chicken.

The mustard, cheese, and pickles added their familiar tastes to this sandwich as they do all cuban sandwiches and are definitely a delight in this mix.

My favorite part of this sandwich was the jerk sauce (appropriately timed jokes....now) which was provided on the side. This allowed me to dip my sandwich or pour on as much as I wanted. Jerk sauce is a Jamaican style sauce similar to barbecue sauce, but a bit spicier. I used all of it that I could, but the sandwich is just as enjoyable without as it already comes packed with flavor.

As a side I ordered the fried plantains. While the fruit itself was not as sweet as a banana, the deep fried batter enveloping them provided a light sweet flavor that made these an enjoyable side dish.

The Mulato Cubano is indeed another excellent cuban sandwich and should be tried by anyone visiting Santa Monica. Is it better than Porto's Cubano? That's a tough call. Both are delicious and well made. Both have fresh ingredients. It's more of an issue of whether you're a chicken person or pork person.

Either way, you will not be disappointed.

Until next week....D-A-N-G-E-R and DANGER was his name-o.

Mulato Cubano

**** Stars

Cha Cha Chicken

1906 Ocean Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90405

chachachicken.com

Hey, Stunad!*

Ever since I started this blog, I have constantly asked for suggestions of places to try in my quest to find the ultimate sandwich.

And when I've asked for DANGER, dear readers, you have all reached out and thrown it my way.

And I applaud you.

This week I wanted to try a place that was recommended to me by numerous people: Bay Cities Italian Deli.

Sounds....DANGEROUS.

After hearing stories about long wait times, I was a little bit wary about my first expedition there. I headed out to Bay Cities around dinner time though and lucked out with a very short wait.

The most surprising thing about my visit to Bay Cities is that the deli itself was more than what I expected. I had gone there thinking it would be another east-coast style deli, but was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the deli was only one half of a fully stocked Italian Market. They were stocked with fresh baked goods and a wide selection of other items you would normally find at any local market.

The excellent selection of hard to find sodas in the back is always a welcome sight in a sandwich shop.

For my first expedition into DANGER, Italian Style, I saddled up to the counter where I felt compelled to order like a portly Italian man from Brooklyn.

Deciding that ordering a sandwich like Tony Soprano in this case would be more DANGEROUS than necessary, I grabbed a number and ordered the Godmother.

What a name.

I mean, with a name like that, you'd almost expect something magical.

And It delivered.

The Godmother consists of freshly baked Italian bread, genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto, and provolone. I also got it with "The Works" which adds mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, Italian dressing, and mild or hot pepper salad.

Now, that's a sandwich.

As I always like to do when evaluating a sandwich, let's start with the bread.

The Italian style baked bread is excellent. Soft on the inside, but a nicely baked tough crust on the outside. It's a real treat to find bread as well made as this. If it were used as a side, or torn off and covered in butter, it would be equally enjoyable by itself.

The army of meat is an delicious combination of Italian cold cuts. It is high quality deli meat that easily falls apart in your mouth. Combined with the more pungent and spicy "Works", this is an all around savory sandwich with a nice spicy kick that contrasts nicely with the subtle, but delicious combination of Italian meats.

The only problem though, and it's a minor one, is when these two parts of the sandwich are combined into...well, a sandwich.

With the tough exterior of the bread, any bite made into the sandwich pushes the contents out. By the end of your dining experience, your hands are covered in about four different liquids, and about a third of the sandwich may be on the table.

Nonetheless though, this is a first rate sandwich worth the drive out to Santa Monica.

Note, all sandwiches at Bay Cities come in small or large sizes. I highly recommend you get the small. It's more than enough, unless you just so happen to starve yourself three days in advance.

Bay Cities is the type of place I would love to live around the corner from. It has a wide variety of items, and the place has real charm. But those two things are easily trumped by the excellent deli counter, and their delicious sandwiches.

Until next week, Danger Lovers...

*(Stunad - n. Italian slang for a stupid person. Aka one who does not try Bay Cities' Sandwiches.)

****

Bay Cities Italian Deli

1517 Lincoln Boulevard

Santa Monica, CA 90401