A Visit With Jersey Mike

Welcome back, dear Readers!

This week I took a little trip to Jersey.

Well, maybe just a place called Jersey Mike's whose cheesesteaks the locals have recommended to me numerous times before.

I figured, maybe I should try it and see if these Angelenos have any idea what they're talking about in the realm of cheesesteak science.

Heading out to Burbank, I arrived at Jersey Mike's and was greeted by something odd insider: A sign that said 'Parking For Dodgers Fans Only'.

Excuse me, but I'm fairly certain a sign like that in New Jersey would like end with your body being disposed of in the Pine Barrens (No idea what that is? Click here).

Despite the sight of this sign, I decided to give this authentic cheesesteak a try, and ordered the Big Kahuna, which has grilled onions and peppers, plus mushrooms, jalapenos and extra cheese.

Now as you Readers know by now, I've had some good experiences with cheesesteaks on the left coast, and I was hoping that this one would deliver, but I was sadly disappointed. While it was good, it wasn't great, and didn't stand out from the pack of contenders. The steak, jalapenos and mushrooms were tasty, for sure, but the problem was the cheese. There was just too much of it that it overpowered most of the flavor.

I did like that they heated the sandwich up and then wrapped it in foil before serving it. It sealed the bread up nicely and kept the insides nice and hot.

Overall though, this sandwich was somewhat of a disappointment. The locals here may like it because it's their only exposure to a true Philadelphia sandwich, but I would highly recommend a number of other places that would better serve your tastebuds.

Until next week Readers...

P.s. - What's on your favorite cheesesteak, and where do you get it from?

The Big Kahuna Cheesesteak

*** Stars

Jersey Mike's (various locations)

http://www.jerseymikes.com/

The Great Debate

Hello again Dear Readers!

This week's blog is sure to start areal debate with sandwichphiles: is a hot dog a sandwich?

Now I know most of you may already have the pat response of "No" just jumping from your mouths, but first a bit of discussion.

In the past I've written reviews for cheesesteaks, subs and a wrap, and those never sparked controversy on their status as sandwiches, so why is it that we cannot consider a hot dog as a sandwich?

Well, today I've decided to change that after visiting The Wien truck in Los Angeles.

I'd been following the truck on Twitter for a few weeks before I finally was able to sample their offerings as they stopped outside of my work one day in Studio City. I ordered the Stray Dog, an all beef hot dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, peppers, crema mexicana and delicious cotija cheese.

This is LA's official hot dog. When you walk around the streets at night, outside of bars, concerts or local hotspots, you will always see someone with a hot tray dishing out these dogs, and they are great.

The Wien does not disappoint with their Stray Dog. The bacon is perfectly cooked, a bit crispy and a delicious flavor to compliment the all beef frank. The grilled peppers added a nice smoked pepper flavor and the cotija cheese was something I had never tried before, but was definitely impressed by it's firm texture and slightly salty flavor.

Overall, the Stray Dog was an excellent addition to the Danger Sandwich compendium and I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

But let's keep the conversation going here: I think a hot dog is a sandwich. Why do/don't you?

Until next week...

The Stray Dog
**** Stars
The Wien Truck
Los Angeles, CA
thewien.com and @thewientruck on Twitter