Chasing The White Whale

Greetings, Dear Readers!

I have some fun news to share.

Like Captain Ahab chasing the great Moby Dick, I have finally caught up with my own White Whale...except this time with much more positive results.

In the early days of this blog, when I first signed up for Twitter (@danger_sandwich) many moons ago, one of the first accounts I started to follow was that of The Grilled Cheese Truck (@grlldcheesetruk).

Even though I had wanted to find and sample from this truck from nearly the beginning of my sandwiching adventures, timing and location always seemed to elude me.

Well that all changed two weeks ago.

While at a comic book signing at House of Secrets in Burbank with Matt Fraction (@mattfraction) the Grilled Cheese Truck showed up outside to cater the event. Not only did I get to meet one of my favorite comic book writers, but now I could finally try my most sought after sandwich: The Cheesy Mac and Rib.

Yes, that sandwich sounds exactly like what it is.

Between two slices of seasoned grilled bread sits a healthy serving of cheesy mac, sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and shredded BBQ pork rib (you can get the sandwich just as the Cheesy Mac though without rib for you non-meat eaters).

Wow.

When I got home with the sandwich, I quickly took my first photo of it to show you, and I had planned to take another. Before I knew it though, the sandwich was gone.

Seriously, I could not put it down after I started. The sharp cheddar was an excellent choice for this sandwich because it's so full of flavor, you need a strong cheese to stand out. The cheesy mac, while plentiful, wasn't overloaded.

The BBQ pork was amazing. The smoky and tangy flavors brought to the plate with it were excellent complements to the sandwich, but also contrasted well with the sharp cheddar to stand out on its own. The caramelized onions gave a bit of textural difference...and then there's the bread.

You would think with this sandwich being packed with not only heavy ingredients, but also ones that would easily destroy bread, that it would fall apart after the second bite.

I can happily report though that the bread not only held together incredibly until the end, but also added a great grilled flavor to the mix.

Overall, finding my own Moby Dick was worth the wait, and is definitely a truck anyone in the area should try to find and eat from. It will be absolutely worth your time.

So now with the Grilled Cheese Truck crossed off my list, it's now onto finding another great sandwich. What will the next one be? Only time will tell.

Until next week, Readers...



Cheesy Mac and Rib Sandwich
***** Stars
The Grilled Cheese Truck
http://www.thegrilledcheesetruck.com/

Meals on Wheels

Greetings, Readers!

As you know from reading this blog, I love sandwiches.

What I love even more is when a sandwich is delivered to me at my doorstep.

Enter, The Melt.

The other week here at my day job, we were given lunch from The Melt truck, which just so happens to be a tech-lover's dream as well.

In the front door of the truck sits a screen showing you the process of each sandwich ordered. It's a fun thing to watch, but also hard to tell which sandwich is yours as they weren't taking names on the day that we had our lunch.

Which lead to confusion later as sandwiches were being handed out to the wrong people.

Ah well, but was the sandwich delicious?

I ordered the Italian Job combo which included a Fontina and Provolone grilled cheese with a side of chips, a pickle and Italian sausage soup.

Oh, and of course I added bacon to the sandwich. Like that wasn't going to happen.

The sandwich itself had the perfect amount of cheese. Very melty, with the complementary flavors of Provolone and Fontina, but not too much that that I was choking on the sandwich with each bite.

The bacon added a bit of crispness along with the grilled bread to complement the softer insides.

Also, the sandwich was grilled after being covered in garlic and red pepper flakes giving it a nice dose of spice to the mix.

Overall, the sandwich was delicious and well made without overdoing any of its ingredients. My main complaint is just the process of getting sandwiches to customers, which in a large group it became quickly apparent that without taking names the order delivery became a bit confusing.

Not something that should keep you away, but one of the very few ways in which the truck service could improve.

Until next week, Dear Readers!


The Italian Job Combo
**** Stars
The Melt Truck
https://themelt.com/menu

Big Flavor, Little Bear

Greetings, Readers!

Wow, here we are. The first full week of the Fall, and it's still over 90 degrees in Los Angeles. But do not let that deter you from enjoying the flavors of the season, as I have not.

I've had pumpkin everything so far, especially a number of pumpkins beers, but one of the best sandwiches for the season for me tends to be grilled cheese sandwiches. Paired with a delicious tomato or pumpkin soup and you have a definitive taste for Fall.


Keeping this in mind, I headed to a place I've been wanting to visit for quite some time: Little Bear. Located in the Arts District downtown, this restaurant has some amazing atmosphere. Dim lighting, with exposed steel and wood interior, this place is a perfect example of dining architecture in the downtown area (which just so happens to be spreading outward into the city).

Two problems here though.  1.) the beer menu. It is huge and very difficult to determine what I wanted to drink. Should I start off slow or go for one of those beers that those Belgian monks are famous for with 9% and above ABV? 2.) Which of these delicious sandwiches will I end up eating as there are five different grilled cheese melts available.

After settling on a Rochefort 8 Belgian amber tripel, I settled on the sandwich decision: Grilled Cheese Meat Loaf. A half inch thick slice of meat loaf topped with Vermont cheddar, housemade pickles and crispy onions of lightly buttered and grilled bread.

This melt was amazing. Like hands down one of the best sandwiches I've had in quite some time. Point, Fall.

The meatloaf is thoroughly seasoned, but not too overpowering.  Savory beef flavor with Italian spices added into it will honestly make your taste buds dance. The melty Vermont cheddar adds a smoky and smooth flavor to contrast the high points of the meatloaf. The crispy pickles are there to add some contrasting tang and the crispy onions join the grilled bread in adding some crunch.

Oh, and the bread? Lightly buttered, lightly grilled and held on until the end. Excellently done.

This sandwich is one of the most flavorful and well-made sandwiches I have had not only in the past few months, but overall since I've begun this blog. Toss in a few Belgian beers, and this sandwich is an excellent choice for dinner and unwinding on a Friday night.

Despite being a little out of the way for some Angelenos, Little Bear is definitely worth the trip.

What an excellent way to ring in the first blog entry of Fall with an excellent grilled cheese melt and some delicious beer to accompany it. Now the only problem becomes living up to the first week of the cooler seasons.

Until next week...


Grilled Cheese Meat Loaf
***** Stars
Little Bear
1855 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021

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?

8 Ounces of Heaven

Welcome back Sandwichphiles!

I have been taking a number of sandwich excursions over the past few months, and even with this feat, I am still up to my neck in recommendations. Regardless, please keep the suggestions flowing in!

Out of those suggestions, one of the most highly recommended places has been 8oz Burger Bar in Los Angeles.

With a name like that, how can you turn it down?

For my first visit to 8oz Burger Bar, I had the delicious Short Rib Grilled Cheese, and this time at least real ribs were used to make this sandwich (refer to last week's blog on the McRib). Even though the burger selection seems phenomenal, how could I turn down the promise of short ribs on a sandwich?

The ribs are marinated and then slow roasted until they practically fall of the bone. They are then roughly chopped and piled high upon this sandwich. Tender, fully flavored, and delicious, you'd wish there were more on this sandwich, even though it seems like there is enough rib meat on here to feed a full summer bbq.

Onion marmalade and Bel Paese cheese are mixed nicely together with the ribs. The onion marmalade provides a slight sweet flavor to complement the spice marinated ribs.

The cheese on this sandwich was one I had never tried before. Bel Paese is a semi-soft Italian cheese that has a light buttery flavor. It melts very well and is sometimes used as a substitute for mozzerella. So if you've tried mozzerella you'll have a good ideas as to how this Bel Paese fits with this sandwich. No other cheese really would have worked as well with this sandwich. It had the an excellent light flavor that didn't take away from the delicious short ribs.

After eating, one question popped into my mind: Was this in fact a grilled cheese?

I've discussed this numerous times before with people about whether or not adding ingredients to a grilled cheese will still technically make it a grilled cheese.

So I offer this to you: If the cheese is the main ingredient to the sandwich, then yes it is a grilled cheese (e.g. adding a slice of avocado to the grilled cheese sandwich). In the case of this sandwich though, the short ribs would be the dominant ingredient and hence should be considered a "melt" even though the cheese is plentiful.

Regardless, it is an excellent sandwich and you should either give 8oz Burger Bar a try, or find a similar sandwich in your area to compare.

Lastly, before I head out onto the hunt for next week's sandwich, a note for all of you East Coast Readers! I will be visiting Philadelphia and Washington DC for the holidays and will be looking for numerous places to sample sandwiches there. Please leave a comment with your suggestions so that I have a plethora of options while visiting.

Until next week readers, happy sandwiching!

**** Stars
Short Rib Grilled Cheese
8oz. Burger Bar
7661 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Cleveland does, in fact, rock.

The life of a Sandwichologist is not an easy one. Sometimes you are required to leave your area of comfort and head off into the great wide open in search of elusive sandwiches that may be ripe with DANGER.

For my first adventure away from Los Angeles, I decided to make a stop at Melt Bar & Grilled in Cleveland, OH (note: technically it's Lakewood).

Now this being my first time to Cleveland, I had no idea what deliciousness lay in hiding from me. Thank you to reader, Melanie for the suggestion.

Upon arriving at Melt, I was greeted by a half hour wait to be seated. But trust me, if you're ever in Cleveland, the wait is worth it, so mark this down on your GPS.

The menus are almost overwhelming at first. Printed on the back of old LPs, there are quite a lot of variations of grilled cheese sandwiches and melts to take in. Thankfully, with the King on the back of my menu, I picked "The Winter Chicken Melt" which contains grilled chicken, honey tomato chipotle sauce, and pepper jack on toasted sourdough bread.

I feel like i should take a moment to explain something about my sandwich preferences.

Sourdough is my absolute favorite type of bread. Nothing tops it. Yes, rye is good in certain situations, and challah has its moments as well, but nothing is as delicious as well made sourdough.

Seriously, if you gave me a sandwich on Sourdough, we could have Northridge (the famed 6.7 magnitude 1994 earthquake) Part 2, and as my apartment collapsed around me i would blissfully munch away on its deliciousness.

That being said, this sandwich had the most perfectly grilled, lightly buttered sourdough. It got your fingers a little greasy when you picked the sandwich up, but not too overpowering to make the taste overpowering.

The chicken has been lightly grilled, and is incredibly tender and very juicy. After it's been cooked, it is bathed in a very light honey tomato chipotle sauce. While chipotle can sometimes be overpowering, and even too spicy for some people, this sauce is a smooth smokey flavor that adds a nice bit of pep to the sandwich. Top it all off with melted pepper jack and you have one delicious melt.

If you get the chance to go to Melt, i also highly recommend the fries (perfectly crisp and lightly seasoned) and the sweet slaw (cole slaw...but sweet).

That's it for this edition of The Danger Sandwich oh faithful followers. Speaking of which, if you're reading this, and haven't clicked the "Follow" Button the left, please do so!

And keep your suggestions coming, I'll be following up with more of them in the coming weeks.

Melt Bar & Grilled

14718 Detroit Avenue

Lakewood, OH 44107