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/

Fun Times in San Diego (Pt. 1)

Salutations DANGERfans!

Last weekend I made my way down to San Diego to celebrate the marriage of two friends of mine (congrats Eric and Wendy), and like any true Sandwichologist, i used this excursion to seek our new delicious sandwiches far from my base of operations.

Scouring the internet for the word on the street, I happened to find stellar reviews on a place called the Brown Bag Deli.

The Brown Bag Deli is truly a local hot spot.

Because you seriously need to be a local to even know where this place is.

After driving back and forth a few times, it was finally spotted, tucked into a corner of a strip mall on an major street in Ocean Beach. The inside of the deli lacked windows and any flair. Obviously it needed no pizazz to attract locals.

A promising sign, indeed.

I ordered the Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich with the works on Foccacia bread. This sandwich was piled high with the fixings and was quite a challenge to even take the first bite.

Seems to be a pretty great sandwich already, right?

Well, let's discuss what went wrong.

The bread is really the main culprit here.

Focaccia should be a golden colored bread. Maybe even a slight crisp on the outside with a nice soft interior. It should be able to support a decent sandwich without being too tough.

The focaccia at Brown bad was still doughy. It's as if someone took it out of the oven ten minutes early. No golden color, no flavor, and practically raw. Disappointing at best.

The turkey was bland, a bit too moist, and too thickly cut for being deli meat.

The "works" were the only bright spot in this sandwich. Lettuce, onion, banana peppers, avocado, jalapenos, mustard, and mayo worked for this sandwich and really gave it the only life that the sandwich had.

If the turkey and bread had been better, this may have been a delicious sandwich, but sadly, it was not meant to be.

Next week though, I tackle another sandwich from my time in San Diego, so be sure to return for more DANGER!

Until next time...Dia De Los DANGER!

* 1/2 Stars
Brown Bag Deli
1912 Rosecrans Street
Point Loma
San Diego, CA 92106