Three Little Pigs...Made Up A Sandwich

Greetings, Readers!

Having visitors come to Los Angeles is always a great excuse to use for actively seeking a new sandwich shop.

My sister was in town recently, and after a visit to the Rose Bowl Flea Market we all headed to Alhambra to the 38 Degrees Alehouse and Grill.

Besides having an incredibly tantalizing menu, the other reason for visiting 38 Degrees was their nearly overwhelming list of beers on tap and in bottles. Having visited near the end of one of their tap cycles, a few beers that I had originally picked were actually out of stock, but eventually I was able to get my lips on a glass of Stone Brewing Co.'s Grapefruit Slam. It's a delicious, highly-hopped beer with a taste of grapefruit that complements the hops perfectly. If you like IPAs, this is a beer you must try.

As for the sandwich, let's face facts here, how could I not pick something called Menage a Pork?

I know, I've mentioned recently about doing an entire month of just vegan or vegetarian sandwiches, and I promise that's still on track. I just have more planning and research to do. So for the time being...pork.

Did I mention this sandwich was also called Menage a Pork? I think I did, but I wanted to say that again. Composed of ground pork and chorizo, the thick patty is topped with pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, baby arugula, and bacon jam.

BACON. JAM.

There are a variety of different flavors going on in each bite of this sandwich. The  chorizo and pork patty is delicious and juicy, with the chorizo adding a bit of spice to the sandwich. The chipotle aioli adds more of a mild spicy flavor to the mix while the baby arugula adds the contrast of greens with a peppery bite.

The bacon jam is delicious but also an interesting experience. It's a little sweet, but at the same time you get the crunch from bacon bits and the usual smoky bite of bacon. It's an amazing, and surprising, addition to the sandwich and makes me wonder what other sandwiches it would serve as a good match for.

Regardless of bacon jam's other applications, it works wonderfully well with this sandwich and elevates the Menage a Pork to one of my favorite pork sandwiches. Ever.

If you happen to be out in Alhambra to visit 38 Degrees, it might be worth your time to stop by Banh Mi My Tho which is only a few minutes away. I reviewed their Banh Mi back in September of 2010, and it is still ranked as one of my favorite Banh Mi sandwiches. Though you could always try 38 Degrees' Boar Banh Mi, which will be my next sandwich here.

Alhambra is now easily shaping up to be one of my favorite sandwich areas in all of Los Angeles. So make sure you take the time to visit this area for its delicious sandwich offerings.

Before I wrap up this week's blog, I'd also like to mention a new addition to the blog for the time being. In the right hand column of the blog I've not only added my twitter feed (Follow me for frequent sandwich updates) but I've also added a widget tracking my National Novel Writing Month progress. Whether it is about sandwiches or not, check out my progress each week and keep the high fives coming so I make it to the 50,000 word count goal.

Until next week, Readers...

Menage a Pork
***** Stars
38 Degrees Ale House and Grill
100 W. Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801

The 100th Post - A Look Back

Dearest of all Dear Readers!

Hello and welcome to the 100th post here at The Danger Sandwich!

100. What a number. Truly crazy that I have gotten this far, but it is because of your support that I have been able to do so. This little blog keeps getting more and more hits every month, so I thank you for pursuing your love of sandwiches along with me.

100 weeks of sandwiching with friends, exploring cities, and finding out what it takes to make a delicious sandwich. It has been an experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and I am looking forward to the next 100 entries.

As I mentioned last week, I thought there was no better way to celebrate 10squared than by looking back at my top 10 favorite sandwiches on the first part of this sandwichology journey.

Problem is that I originally came up with about 35. So it took me a bit of time to whittle it down.

Each sandwich name will be clickable to take you back to the original post. Enjoy!

10.) The Winter Chicken Melt (Melt, Cleveland, OH) - My first stop in Cleveland was also rewarding on the sandwich hunt as this chicken melt warmed its way into my stomach.

9.) Mediterranean Madness (HyMart, Noho Arts District, CA) - Grape leaves stuffed in a wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and hummus. What isn't good in this sandwich?

8.) The Stray Dog (The Wien, Los Angeles, CA) - a hot dog truck with high end vision for their dogs? This place is an awesome addition to any warm summer night in LA.

7.) The Schmitter (Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA) - At one of my favorite places in the city, this new Philadelphia staple is the perfect complement to a night at the ballpark.

6.) Banh Mi Sandwich (Banh Mi My Tho, Alhambra, CA) - it may be a trek to get to this shop in a strip mall, but the banh mi makes the drive worthwhile...and the price can't be beat.

5.) Hammer and Pickle (The People's Sandwich of Portland, Portland, OR) - A random find in Portland turned out to be the best sandwich I had in the town. An amazing cubano that will knock your socks off.

4.) Lavender Duck Confit Sandwich (Sweetsalt, Toluca Lake, CA) - The only sandwich I've reviewed thus far that uses duck, this sandwich is delicious, and doesn't fall victim to the usual duck problem: greasiness.

3.) Oinkster Pastrami (Oinkster, Eagle Rock, CA) - I talk about a lot of pastrami on this blog, because frankly it's one of my favorite sandwiches. Notable mentions are Brent's Pastrami in Northridge, CA and Paty's in Toluca Lake.

2.) South Street Steaks Cheese Steak (South Street Steaks, Burbank, CA) - No it's not from Philadelphia...technically. This shop, owned by two Philly transplants, is a great dose of home near the studios in Burbank. The best cheesesteak in town.

1.) The Cubano (Porto's, Los Angeles CA) - It's not the only cubano on the list, but it is the best (though not by much, Portland!). This is the sandwich I always go back to whenever I want something good for lunch. It is the standard by which all are measured.


What do you think of the list? Did some entries surprise you? Which of my reviews would you have put up in this list instead?