The Great Burbank Deli Hunt - Part 5

Greetings, Readers!

I am sad to announce some very bad news to you: this is the last entry in our Burbank adventure.

Did you think I was going to say I was ending the blog? Because that's insane. I may be on a new diet and exercise routine, but that does not mean I will give up my love of sandwiches, nor my love of reporting it.

The real problem with writing about Burbank is that there are just too many places to review, so I will have to tackle this area again in the near future.

On our last stop in Burbank, my traveling partner Bryan mentioned that the Burbank Deli & Carryout was known to have the best liverwurst sandwich in town. Now, I have never had liverwurst, nor had I even thought about it as a possibility for consumption, but I was up for the experience.

If i was going to try it, why not at the deli with the sign that says "best wurst in town"?

Sadly though (or luckily enough?) the deli hadn't served liverwurst in a few years, but had kept the sign because it had become such a staple of the shop. Speaking with the sandwich artist we were recommended two different sandwiches: The Pastrami and the Assorted Meats.

Having already tried numerous pastrami sandwiches, we decided to tackle the Assorted Meats Sandwich.

Stacked with ham, bologna, salami, roast beef, lettuce, jalapenos, peperoncini, provolone cheese, tomatoes, salt, pepper and mayo on a long Italian roll, this sandwich delivers with flavor and is filling.

Each of the meats lends their own distinctive flavor without really tripping over each other. The ham and bologna flavors blend well together with the salami and roast beef sticking out from the crowd with their own distinctive flavors. The peperoncinis and jalapenos add a spicy kick while the lettuce gives this meaty sandwich a little bit of crunch.

Oh, and the roll held up throughout the entire ordeal. Quite the feat for how much is contained inside.

So this ends this journey through Burbank to discover some of the best delis in town. Besides finding numerous delicious sandwiches to eat, I think I gained an insight into what makes Burbank a great town.

Not only did we find great neighborhood delis, but we met the people who owned them, who worked in them, and who added to the great culinary experience of Burbank.

Meeting the people was just as enjoyable as eating the sandwiches that made them popular.

So use this adventure as a reason to get out and learn about some of your neighborhood eats and learn more about your neighborhood/town/city. You'll be glad you did.

Until next week, Readers...


Assorted Meats Sandwich
**** Stars
Burbank Deli & Carryout
1414 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91506

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/

A Taste Of Chicago

Greetings Readers!

You know, I've been to 30 states and 12 countries, but one city that I have never actually stepped foot in is Chicago.

I've passed through the state of Illinois on one of my road trips to the west coast, but never actually was able to stop in this gleaming metropolis, and for that I feel cheated.

Despite this, I still was intrigued upon hearing of a restaurant here in Burbank called Taste Chicago, offering authentic Chicago-style food (and all Cubs and Sox games for you fans). I was even more intrigued to find out that the restaurant was owned by Arlene Mantegna, wife of famous character actor Joe Mantegna.

I didn't get to hear the voice of The Simpsons' Fat Tony while I ate, but I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of food here: Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, Chicago-style hot dogs, and the sandwich that I settled on, the Hot Chicago-Style Italian Beef.

The sandwich was packed with this delicious, thinly sliced, tender and juicy roast beef into a flaky soft Italian roll and then seemingly dunked into a vat of gravy because this sandwich was soaked in it.

My first thought upon seeing that was that there was no way this roll would stay in one piece until the end of this sandwich, but I was proven wrong. Bite after bite, the bread stayed together even though it was practically soaked through. My sandwich tray had a significant collection of the dripping (enough to dip the sandwich back into) and still managed to stay together. Bravo.

To make my sandwich "hot" besides just the temperature, Taste Chicago added a relish of sorts containing giardiniera peppers and other vegetables. This was the perfect flavor contrast and the spicy cut of the relish went up against the mellow flavor of the beef.

All in all, I must say that if the actual city of Chicago can present delicious sandwiches as good as the ones at the Mantegnas Taste Chicago, I will be headed there soon enough...and multiple times.

Until next week, Readers!

**** Stars

Italian Beef Sandwich (Hot)

Taste Chicago

603 N. Hollywood Way

Burbank, CA 91505

http://www.tastechicago.biz/index.html

Reading Terminal Sandwich Roundup

Welcome back dear seekers of DANGER!

This week's entry wraps up my trip to my hometown of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia has far too many spectacular eateries to visit in one week, so I will have to visit even more on my next trip home. Sadly I was not able to review any cheesesteaks from my favorite places or even try the cult famous Schmidtter (next time, sandwich!).

Regardless, I chose to tackle a sandwich that was recommended by about 15 people before I even showed up: DiNic's Roast Pork Sandwich.

I can't remember the last time I was at the Reading Terminal Market, but it's been at least a decade. And for whatever reason, it seemed even more packed than I remember it being years ago.

After wading through people to find DiNic's amid the Christmas Chaos, I was surprised to find a line so long that I waited in line for nearly half an hour. Would it be worth the wait?

I ordered the roast pork on an italian roll with sweet peppers and provolone. The roll was fresh, soft, and delicious with an amazing golden color. When I bit into the sandwich, the roll had just the right amount of give so that it wasn't too mushy or tough. Just right for this sandwich.

The provolone cheese was placed on the roll itself, underneath the pork. Normally, I prefer it to be on top of the sandwich, so that the cheese can melt down into the sandwich, but the pork was just hot enough when added to create a gooey layer of cheese along the roll.


The pork is roasted in a gravy throughout the day, and was very tender from the hours of marinating and cooking. As tender and juicy as the roast pork was, I expected a slightly stronger taste. Something that screamed "I'm marinated for hours and full of flavor" but my expectations were not met.

Did the pork taste well? Yes. Was it as overflowing with flavor as I would have liked it? Not quite.

The strong taste of the provolone and the roasted sweet peppers produced a smoky and then sweet taste to the sandwich, but definitely overpowered the taste of the pork. If I hadn't taken a slice off of the sandwich, I wouldn't have been able to sample the true roast pork flavor. It was great, I just wish it had been more prominent.

Overall, I enjoyed the Roast Pork Sandwich at DiNic's. I think it's worth a try, and I'd definitely give it another shot because maybe I just came on an off day. I'm just not so sure I'd wait another half hour for the sandwich next time.


Roast Pork Sandwich
*** 1/2 Stars
DiNic's Oven Roasted Beef and Pork
Reading Terminal Market
51 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA

A Little Bit of Italy in a Town Called Burbank

Welcome back DANGERites, for another informative and provocative edition of The Danger Sandwich...

Just kidding! This blog is beyond DANGERous!

I know you were all a bit nervous that this search for the elusive Danger Sandwich had driven me mad, but fear not, as I have made it through another week of grueling taste testing, just for your benefit!

This week, on a recommendation, I headed out to Burbank to visit The Monte Carlo Deli and Pinocchio's Restaurant to taste a selection of fine Italian paninis and sandwiches.

I was recommended a few sandwiches to try, but something in my gut told me to take a more DANGERous route and try one of the daily specials: Capicola, Mozzarella, and Assorted Greens.

Let me interject here before giving my full review: Normally when experiencing a place that has been recommended to me, I like to try out that person's recommendation, because the sandwich is obviously noteworthy at said establishment. Sometimes though, I will buck the trend and go for something that has not been tried or tested. This is where true DANGER may lurk.

Well, not this time.

When I ordered, I should have known something was about to go wrong when I saw that the sandwich I had been given looked as if it had been sitting out for awhile.

The small Italian roll was excellent. Rich, thick, and a little tough, it definitely made the sandwich and contrasted well with the very soft insides.

The mozzarella was thickly cut, easy to chew, and despite being a little cool it still melted in my mouth. An excellent sign for such a thick cheese.

The capicola was the big let down of the afternoon. So much of it was packed into this sandwich, and yet so little taste or enjoyment followed. It seemed to lack all of the spices and subtle smoked flavor that it is known for, and I was left with bland deli meat.

Also, capicola is an incredibly thinly sliced type of meat from the shoulder or neck of a pig, and very similar to prosciutto. The problem when you have so much thinly sliced meat crammed together is that it comes off as mushy.

The fact that capicola can also be a very fatty meat didn't help either.

Even with the toughness of the bread and the greens adding some crispness, it's not enough to save the capicola from being a bit of a let down. I am curious to know if this could be remedied if it had been kept in the fridge while waiting for a seeker of DANGER, or if the sandwich had instead been made fresh for me.

High marks do go to the two side salads I had with the sandwich. Both the bean salad and pasta salad were excellent, and would normally be a good companion to any type of Italian deli meat sandwich.

Now don't let my review of this one sandwich deter you from Monte Carlo. It seems as if the Meatball subs or Sausage and Peppers sandwiches have a number of fans. Just make sure that whatever you get is freshly made.

Until next week! More DANGER awaits!

*** Stars

Monte Carlo Deli and Pinocchio's Restaurant

3103 W. Magnolia Blvd

Burbank, CA 91505

www.montecarlodeli.com