This Ain't No Bull

 Greetings, Readers!

While my first day or two back in Pennsylvania wasn't exactly chilly, considering the fact it was December, by the time of my second sandwich stop, it was downright frigid.

Heading into Croydon on a cold Monday evening, we stopped by a small pub called the Dog and Bull House.


Standing right next to the local train stop, The Dog and Bull just oozes atmosphere. The restaurant is small and cramped, a little dim with low ceilings, but really on a cold night when you want good food and a high ABV beer, you couldn't ask for a better place.

After settling in with some fantastic beer from The Bruery, I ordered the Black and Blue Burger. Granted the suggestion is to drink a nice IPA with this sandwich, but on this cold night, nothing but a 9% or higher beer will do.

The burger, a thick beef patty, comes topped with blackened seasoning, blue cheese crumbles, all topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions between two sides of a toasted bun.

The sandwich was flavorful, the beef patty incredibly juicy and savory. The blue cheese brought a little funk, smoke and contrast to the overall savory flavor of the burger. The mushrooms and onions were cooked to perfection providing mild flavors of their own while also bringing a textural pop and bite to the sandwich.

Overall, The Dog and Bull provides excellent food complemented with fantastic beers. If you're in the Croydon area, you should definitely stop by. It might be an even better visit for you if one of their musical acts is playing that night too.

That's all for this week's review. Next week I have a really dangerous sandwich to write about, so I hope you'll join me back here next Wednesday for that.

Until then...


Black and Blue Burger
**** Stars
Dog and Bull Brew & Music
810 Bristol Pike
Croydon, PA 19021
www.dogandbullhouse.com

All Aboard The Flavor Train!

Greetings, Readers!

My expectation a few months ago was that by January I would be enjoying excellent winter-appropriate sandwiches because of the change of season here in Los Angeles seems to have fallen short.

Granted, I wasn't expecting the same temperatures as I had in Philadelphia, but I did expect something cooler than 80 degrees. Something that would make grilled cheese and tomato soup mildly appropriate.

Instead, this past weekend I found myself at a classic San Fernando Valley location with summer appropriate foods: Carney's.

This location on Ventura Blvd. has been around since 1981 (the original on Sunset has been around since 1975). The original owners, John Wolf Sr. and his wife Pat wanted to have an eatery that was memorable and easy to move if their original lease on Sunset Blvd. became too expensive. So they built the first location with an old Pacific Railroad passenger train.

The image of Carney's being cooked and served on an old rail car became so synonymous with the name that they kept with this theme when they opened the second location in Studio City.

Having passed this location numerous times in my six-plus years here, I never had the opportunity to stop in until this past weekend, and now I will be sure not to wait that long until the next time.

I ordered the Carney's Spicy Polish, a grilled spicy sausage topped with chili, cheese, onions and thick sliced tomatoes. The sausage was delicious, well grilled and a little bit of a spicy kick. Despite all of the toppings, the flavor of the sausage still shone through.

The chili added a bit of spice and smoke flavor to the mix, and it was added in copious amounts to the top of the sausage making this a slightly messy meal. The thickly sliced tomatoes were a great topper and not mealy at all. I ended up picking these off and eating them separately since the sandwich was already too big to take a bite out of of. The fresh flavor offered by the tomatoes was an excellent contrast to the savory flavor of the rest of the meal.

The only thing that may be off-putting to some people is that the onions are not cooked. Maybe this wouldn't be a problem on a different sandwich, but it was somewhat odd that they weren't grilled for this one. I feel like that extra step would have put this sandwich over the top.

Overall, the experience of eating in an old train car, as well as eating at a Los Angeles institution was excellent, and something I hope to do again sometime soon.

Oh, and for those outside the city who have always heard about Pink's and how awesome their hot dogs are? Carney's is just as good (if not better) and you won't have a two hour wait for a hot dog.

Make this your must-have hot dog on your next stop in the city.

Until next week...


Carney's Spicy Polish
**** Stars
Carney's Studio City
12601 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
http://www.carneytrain.com/ 

It's Truffle Season

Greetings, Readers!

I am back after taking last week off to concentrate on my NaNoWriMo novel, which I can happily reveal I have hit the minimum goal for the month. In order to celebrate this achievement, last night I went to dinner at Umami Burger in Burbank.

Some of my long term readers may remember that I visited Umami in Los Feliz before (nearly three years ago!) but ever since this new location opened in Burbank, I've been intrigued to return mainly since there is a twist at this location.

This new Umami converted the old Papoo's Hot Dog Show that has stood on this location since 1949. Directly across from the original Bob's Big Boy and the exceptional Mo's, Umami has a lot of competition and history to stand up against.

Wanting to try the specialties of this location, I immediately settled on the Truffle Dog, a long hot dog topped with roasted garlic aioli, house truffle cheese, and truffle infused port onions. Obviously Umami was all in on the start of Truffle Season.

The hot dog had a smooth savory flavor with the casing giving a little bit of pop without being too difficult to bite down on. The garlic aioli and truffle cheese added to the savory umami flavor. The truffle infused port onions were fried and added a bit of crunch to the sandwich, while also adding to the umami flavor without the overpowering taste that onions in that quantity can bring to the table.

Looking back on my previous experience combined with this one, I think my only problem is with the bun. My initial run at Umami was sullied by the fact I wasn't a huge fan of the brioche bun, and that situation is the same with the hot dog. It isn't terrible, I'm just not a fan of Umami's brioche. It also wasn't as disappointing on the hot dog as it was with their burger son my previous trip.

Overall, the Truffle Dog is an enjoyable sandwich, and eating at this location is a great experience with excellent atmosphere in such a historic spot. With the option of trying the hot dogs, as well as their Burbank specialty burger, this location of Umami is the one to try if you haven't before, or if you're looking to try something new from this restaurant.

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow for all you Readers here in the States. What's your favorite way to take care of leftovers on Black Friday? Obviously I love a good ol' turkey and stuffing sandwich with cranberry spread on some thick toasted bread. Share your suggestions!

Until next week!


The Truffle Dog
****
Umami Burbank
4300 Riverside Drive
Burbank, CA 91505

Bird Is The Word

Greetings, Readers!

If there's one thing I've come to realize since I started this blog, it's that sometimes some of the best sandwiches you have just reveal themselves to you.

For example, this past week I was researching sandwich shops in North Hollywood when I came across a place called the Cahuenga General Store.

No one had ever recommended this place to me. I wouldn't have just found it by driving my usual routes. Heck, I wouldn't even have known it existed had I not done my research.

But there it was, a little general store in a somewhat industrial part of town, hidden in a quiet neighborhood. Even the inside looks like this shop came straight from the wild west in the mid-1800s.

Originally opened in 1995 as a place for film productions to rent props for period pieces, the General Store has moved on to sell delicious sandwiches, coffee, and baked goods to the locals.

After salivating over their menu while researching, when I arrived I decided I would choose the Bleu Bird.

This sandwich is packed with grilled chicken, bacon, bleu cheese, fresh slices of Red Delicious apples and glazed onions on a toasted French roll.

I'm going to make a bold statement here, but this sandwich is absolutely, and easily, in my top 3 favorite sandwiches on this blog.

With the first bite I was blown away by the flavor. The chicken was tender, juicy and delicious. The onions added a little bit of tang to the sandwich, while the combination of bleu cheese and thick apple slices was absolutely mind-blowing.

The cheese and apples flavors complemented each other so well with the cheese added it's characteristic flavor and the apples added a sweet, but complementary flavor.

Combining all of these ingredients on a perfectly toasted French roll, it is like the Sandwich god himself came down from the baked bread heavens and handed this sandwich to man.

Oh, and did I mention bacon? Yes, bacon.

This sandwich is amazing, and is absolutely worth checking out if you are in the North Hollywood area.

Well, now that I've had time to recover from this sandwich, it is time to move on and see what other sandwich surprises may come my way.

What sandwiches have you had lately, Dear Readers, that have blown your mind?

Until next week...


Bleu Bird
***** Stars
5510 Cahuenga Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

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

On The Lam(b) In The Valley

Greetings Dear Readers!

Was your Memorial Day filled with barbecues and sandwiches?

Well mine was, and I'm here to report my findings to you this week so that you may share in the joy I experienced this weekend.

I had just been recommended to visit Hardy's Meat Market in Studio City the other day, and couldn't for the life of me think of where it was located. After looking it up though, I realized that I had passed by this little corner deli/market a million times in the past but had never bothered to step in.

The two guys working at the deli counter were incredibly friendly and very fast in making this delicious sandwich. Although there is no real standard for each type of sandwich (it's build your own straight from the ground up).

I had the gents at the counter pile on the warm sliced leg of lamb on top of a baguette with mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños and onions. I wasn't too sure about the mustard and mayo at first, but I did insist the guys pile on the works, and they assured me it would taste good.

And you know what? It did. Those two condiments really did blend well with the delicious lamb.

And speaking about the lamb, it was amazing, tender and flavorful. It stood out from all of the accessories of the sandwich and really shined.

The greens on the sandwich were fresh, crunchy, and flavorful, adding a nice flavor contrast to the lamb and adding a bit of crunch to the sandwich as well.

The bread was a flaky baguette that held up under the weight of all of the fixins the sandwich crafters piled on. It also happened to be very tasty bread as well.

Overall, this was an excellent recommendation and I enjoyed the sandwich highly. I will have to make this a future stop on my way home from work more often now that I know what hidden gems are hiding away in this inconspicuous corner market.

Until next week, Readers!

Roast Leg of Lamb Sandwich

**** Stars

Hardy's Meat Market

12903 Moorpark Avenue

Studio City, CA 91604

There's No Sinking This Sub

Greetings, Dear Readers!

Welcome back for another excited sandwiching experience in Los Angeles.

This week, I was asked to come to Giamela's Submarine Sandwiches in Burbank for one of their highly praised submarine sandwiches.

What I really liked about this place was how stripped down it was. The sign offered only a handful of choices for sandwiches, and all looked delicious. The interior of the shop was basic: wood colored walls, not many signs, a small TV, and a few tables to sit at. This was a great place to have a dinner and not be distracted by noise.

After taking a few moments to decide between two different sandwiches, I stepped up and ordered the pepper steak and cheese sandwich with everything on top.

The sandwich itself was delicious. In a way, it was very similar to a cheese steak with the chopped steak and melted cheese, but the meat wasn't heated up as much as a cheesesteak normally is. I would have to say it was an Italian sub style take on one of my favorite sandwiches.

Topping off the steak and cheese was lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and onions.

The steak was excellent. Seriously amazing. It was lean, cooked to perfection and delicious. Oh and the quantity was ridiculous. I mean, this sandwich was bursting with meat, it was hard to take the first bite without trying to flatten the sandwich some.

The bread taste good too, and did an excellent job at holding the sandwich together. With that much filling stuffed in there, you'd think it would fall apart after a few bites, but it toughed it out and made it to the end. it's pretty commendable for bread to not only taste good, but be tough enough for a job of this proportion.

The toppings of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and onions added well to the flavors of the sandwich and were made of some of the freshest ingredients I've had at a sandwich shop in awhile.

All in all, my first experience at Giamela's was an entirely positive one. The next time you're heading to Burbank from further west in the valley, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for this small shop on Magnolia before you cross the 5.

The shop may be small, but it's big on flavor.

Until next week, Readers...

**** Stars

Pepper Steak and Cheese Sandwich

Giamela's Submarine Sandwiches

216 W. Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91502