Sandwiches of Future Past

Greetings, Readers!

I started this blog as a way to not only keep up with my writing, but also to explore many new places not only in Los Angeles, but outside of the city as well. I've come upon so many new and exciting places to eat that my eating experience has been fantastic over the past few years.

The one downside to trying so many new places is that sometimes some favorite, previously oft-visited places are not often returned to.

In my case, that would include Swingers Hollywood.

When I first came out to Los Angeles for an internship in 2005, I spent at least three nights a week at Swingers. It was a great diner-like atmosphere with excellent food, and usually a great spot to see B-list celebrities hanging out after being at clubs and bars.

If I wasn't interested in eating one of their delicious breakfast plates, my usual go-to was the Stuffed Grilled Cheese, which was thankfully still on the menu when my sabbatical from Swingers ended this past Friday evening.

Stuffed with melted Jack and cheddar cheeses, homemade guacamole, grilled onions, sliced tomatoes on sourdough, the Stuffed Grilled cheese is an excellent example of late night eats. The cheese is melty, the bread is lightly grilled and buttery, and the flavor added by the guacamole and onions is excellent.

If you find yourself not able to wait to bite into the sandwich, I suggest you have some water on-hand. The tomatoes can be quite a bit hot in the first few bites, so word of warning, be careful. After that though, this is an excellent sandwich, and perfect eats whether it's for lunch, or for soaking up the night's alcohol.

Since it had been so long since my last visit, I had to have desert here. Following up so much cheese, I could have probably picked a better flavor complement than the thick Peanut Butter and Banana milkshake, but really it was the right decision after all.

If you're in the area, you should definitely add a stop at Swingers to your itinerary. it'll be worth the visit as even the atmosphere is worth the dining experience.

Oh, and the jukebox? One of the best in town.

Until next week...


Stuffed Grilled Cheese
****
Swingers Hollywood
8020 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Big Bear, Big Sandwiches

Greetings, Readers!

As much as I love sandwiching here in Los Angeles, it is always fantastic to get out of the city and enjoy sandwiches in other locales.

Mostly, I've sandwiched in other major metropolitan areas but this past weekend I was lucky enough to not only enjoy the clean air of the mountains near Big Bear, but also enjoy a sandwich from a local deli nearby.

Heading up to Big Bear with friends for their annual Oktoberfest celebration, I wanted to do a bit of research beforehand so that I could find a highly rated local sandwich shop to visit. After reviewing quite a few, and needing to find one that was dog friendly, Bear Belly Deli and Cafe immediately shone through as a standout.

Off the main road that runs through Big Bear, this shop has a wide selection of classic deli sandwiches as well as create-your-own options. While the Reuben originally caught my eye, the John sandwich quickly took center stage and became my choice.

The John is stacked high with pastrami, and is topped with pepper jack cheese, Dijon mustard, pickle chips, chopped pepperoncinis and grilled onions on a grilled sourdough.

The sandwich, as well as the ingredients list, is quite the mouthful, but the combination works.

And works incredibly well.

To start, the pastrami is tender, juicy, well seasoned, and at no point was it chewy or fatty. This is some of the best prepared pastrami I have had in quite a long time. The pepper jack cheese was only on the top of the ingredients, but was melted so thoroughly that it permeated the entire sandwich.

The added pickle chips, pepperoncinis and grilled onions complemented the meat and cheese excellently. While the pastrami had the tender bite and smoky flavor, the added vegetables brought the crunch and tangy heat. As much as I love the flavor of pickles and peppers, there was just enough on this sandwich as it avoided becoming too overpowering compared to the other ingredients.

The sourdough bread was lightly grilled and gave a bit of a crunch without becoming too much like toasted bread. The sour flavor of the bread with the smoke added by grilling fit in perfectly. Even with all of these ingredients, it stayed together until the end as well.

Overall, this was an excellent stop for anyone to make if you're in the vicinity of Big Bear Lake, and is a place that will definitely become a yearly stop of my own every year that I return.

Until next week, Readers...

The John Sandwich
**** 1/2 Stars
Bear Belly Deli and Cafe
42530 Moonridge Rd.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
http://grizzlysbearbellydeli.com/

Three Little Pigs...Made Up A Sandwich

Greetings, Readers!

Having visitors come to Los Angeles is always a great excuse to use for actively seeking a new sandwich shop.

My sister was in town recently, and after a visit to the Rose Bowl Flea Market we all headed to Alhambra to the 38 Degrees Alehouse and Grill.

Besides having an incredibly tantalizing menu, the other reason for visiting 38 Degrees was their nearly overwhelming list of beers on tap and in bottles. Having visited near the end of one of their tap cycles, a few beers that I had originally picked were actually out of stock, but eventually I was able to get my lips on a glass of Stone Brewing Co.'s Grapefruit Slam. It's a delicious, highly-hopped beer with a taste of grapefruit that complements the hops perfectly. If you like IPAs, this is a beer you must try.

As for the sandwich, let's face facts here, how could I not pick something called Menage a Pork?

I know, I've mentioned recently about doing an entire month of just vegan or vegetarian sandwiches, and I promise that's still on track. I just have more planning and research to do. So for the time being...pork.

Did I mention this sandwich was also called Menage a Pork? I think I did, but I wanted to say that again. Composed of ground pork and chorizo, the thick patty is topped with pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, baby arugula, and bacon jam.

BACON. JAM.

There are a variety of different flavors going on in each bite of this sandwich. The  chorizo and pork patty is delicious and juicy, with the chorizo adding a bit of spice to the sandwich. The chipotle aioli adds more of a mild spicy flavor to the mix while the baby arugula adds the contrast of greens with a peppery bite.

The bacon jam is delicious but also an interesting experience. It's a little sweet, but at the same time you get the crunch from bacon bits and the usual smoky bite of bacon. It's an amazing, and surprising, addition to the sandwich and makes me wonder what other sandwiches it would serve as a good match for.

Regardless of bacon jam's other applications, it works wonderfully well with this sandwich and elevates the Menage a Pork to one of my favorite pork sandwiches. Ever.

If you happen to be out in Alhambra to visit 38 Degrees, it might be worth your time to stop by Banh Mi My Tho which is only a few minutes away. I reviewed their Banh Mi back in September of 2010, and it is still ranked as one of my favorite Banh Mi sandwiches. Though you could always try 38 Degrees' Boar Banh Mi, which will be my next sandwich here.

Alhambra is now easily shaping up to be one of my favorite sandwich areas in all of Los Angeles. So make sure you take the time to visit this area for its delicious sandwich offerings.

Before I wrap up this week's blog, I'd also like to mention a new addition to the blog for the time being. In the right hand column of the blog I've not only added my twitter feed (Follow me for frequent sandwich updates) but I've also added a widget tracking my National Novel Writing Month progress. Whether it is about sandwiches or not, check out my progress each week and keep the high fives coming so I make it to the 50,000 word count goal.

Until next week, Readers...

Menage a Pork
***** Stars
38 Degrees Ale House and Grill
100 W. Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801

Sandwiches....For Breakfast?

Greetings, Readers!

I realized the other week not that sandwiches can be for breakfast (as I've done that numerous time), but I realized that I rarely review them on the blog.

So this past weekend, while out wandering The Grove in Hollywood, we sat down to brunch at the French inspired Marmalade Cafe.

A sunny, open and airy little cafe along the main drag in The Grove, Marmalade Cafe was made to have brunch in.  Not only the atmosphere but their selection of breakfast/lunch hybrids is excellent.

Deciding to pass on the tempting Colorado Lamb Burger, I went with Bobby's Breakfast sandwich: two fried eggs, applewood smoked bacon, crisp lettuce, a slice of tomato and pepper jack cheese on toasted sourdough bread.

With a side of roasted potatoes this is an excellent brunch offering.

I may have also had it with a blood orange margarita (I totally did. I love blood oranges. Love).

The eggs, cheese and bacon provides the typical breakfast offering with crisp and fresh lettuce, as well as a non-mealy tomato that combined added a clean tasting contrast to the fried eggs and bacon.

Though don't misinterpret me. The eggs were perfectly cooked and the bacon had a crispness without being overcooked. Combined, they were delicious.

The sourdough bread as well, was toasted to perfection and held together until the end of the meal.

Overall, this is an excellent entry in anyone's brunch repertoire and you should definitely visit Marmalade Cafe if you ever stop at the grove.

But somehow I forgot until after we ate that Gordon Ramsay's The Fat Cow is also located at The Grove, a place I have been wanting to visit since their opening a few months ago, but this was at least a very enjoyable replacement experience.

Next time, Chef Ramsay!

And until next week, Dear Readers...


Bobby's Breakfast Sandwich
**** Stars
Marmalade Cafe
The Grove
Los Angeles, CA

There's No Place Like 'Home'

Greetings, Readers!

Summer is just grinding along here in Los Angeles with the temperatures again hitting triple digits this weekend, I wanted to continue our summer discussion here on Burgers before the unofficial end to summer with Labor Day.

On a Friday night, we headed to Home, a quiet restaurant in Los Feliz made to look, well, home-y with a house-like exterior and a warm atmosphere lit by candles and accent lights at night. This is an excellent place to have a quiet dinner with one person or a small collection of friends, and was a place I hadn't visited in over two years.

Not planning to actually review a sandwich at this place, I quickly changed my mind when I saw that they had a Hawaiian burger on the menu. It had been quite awhile since I had one of those, and was curious to try it even though my original intention was some breakfast food.

The Hawaiian burger is made up a of a thick and juicy beef patty, topped with a thick slice of grilled pineapple, roasted green ortega chili peppers, pepper jack cheese and Home's special sauce.

The mixture of the slice of pineapple and the spicy green peppers and pepper jack cheese are the perfect combination. In each bite your taste buds surge between sweet and spicy. A perfect contrast and combination.

The burger patty was thick and juicy and, despite the flavor blast of the other ingredients, still shines through.

Really, the only downside here was the bun. By the end of the burger it had fallen apart because of the other ingredients. Don't get me wrong, this was very delicious, but by the end, you may be opting to use a fork instead.

I think I'd have to consider my suummer of exploring summer foods has been a fairly large success. There have been some real winners (here and here) that I hope you will get a chance to try out, or at the very least find a comparable option in your neighborhood.

This weekend I am off to Cleveland for a wedding, but have no fear, I will still have time to delve into the sandwiches while there. So stay tuned for next week's blog entry all you 216-ers.

P.S. - Thank you for all of your votes for LA Weekly's Best of Web competition. I did not get nominated, but your support is greatly appreciated. I will try to get even better by next year's nominations so that hopefully I have a shot to be nominated. Thanks again!


Hawaiian Burger
**** Stars
Home
1760 Hillhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
http://www.homelosfeliz.com/

Wild Things At Wild Wings

Welcome back dear Readers!

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for reading the blog as usual and passing the word onto friends. There is still one week left in this month and we've already surpassed more hits than any other month since I began this blog. So thank you so very much. Without you, this blog would not work.

But now onto the sandwich...

I took a detour on a cool early summer night in Burbank this week to find a surprise sandwich that I never would have sought out on my own.

Stopping at Buffalo Wild Wings, I wasn't sure that I would actually write a review for a sandwich here, mainly because I don't like reviewing restaurant chains. As you know, I'm a big fan of the atmosphere and local color presented in mom-and-pop shops, and maybe that's why I do end up reviewing places like this. Just to prove my point.

Looking through the menu, I finally decided upon the Screamin' Nacho Burger made up of two all-beef patties, chipotle barbecue seasoning, corn tortilla chips, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, pico de gallo, and southwestern ranch dressing.

I know, I know my physician called me halfway through the sandwich to say he was dropping me as a patient. It was crazy, and halfway through, my heart gave out...but then came back online when the hot wings with their spicy garlic sauce arrived. Wow.

The burger patties were delicious, although fairly skinny. The melted pepper jack cheese, southwestern ranch dressing, jalapenos and pico de gallo combined for an excellent taste of the southwest. They just work so well together.

The chips? Well they added a fun crunch texture to it that made this burger stand out.

Was the sandwich good? Yes, it really was, but don't get me wrong, the whole experience could have been a bit better. Even though the rest of the menu sounded pretty amazing. The food was good, but the fun and atmosphere sometimes gets lost in these big sports bars. Just a personal preference, you may not mind so much.

On the plus side, they did switch one of the televisions to the Phillies v. Mariners game. Again on the downside, the Phils lost.

Ah well, at least the wings were incredible!

Until next week!

Screamin' Nacho Burger

*** 1.2 stars

Buffalo Wild Wings

127 East Palm Avenue

Burbank, CA 91502

Maybe I should try something....healthier.

Good morning and salutations, DANGERites.

Welcome to another edition of The Danger Sandwich.

Before beginning the usual dangerousness, I must say I have come upon a realization over the past few months of writing this blog. Something that may help you in your own search for your Danger Sandwich.

Even though this search for a Sandwich that will take my life because of its amazingness is a personal journey that I alone must embark on, I have found that having company along with you for a sandwich excursion can always make the experience that much more enjoyable.

Good talk, good food, and of course, people asking for your opinion while you're eating (and sometimes even staring at you until you give your initial opinion) can be incredibly enjoyable and add to the overall experience.

But is this anything new? Have I not known that good company can always improve the atmosphere and overall experience of eating? Of course I'm not that dense, but it never hurts to be reminded of this fact...especially if the sandwich is delicious.

For this week's review, I headed to Barney's Beanery in Santa Monica with a few very close people (maybe too close for how DANGERously I tend to live.

Barney's is a great place. A very cool sports bar on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, you can't go wrong with one of their burgers here. I've tried many, and have never been let down.

This time though, I've decided to try something new, something potentially more DANGERous.

I tried the Avocado Melt.

Prepare for DANGER.

The Avocado Melt contains half of a sliced avocado, loads of Jack Cheese, grilled onions, tomatoes, all on grilled marble rye.

I am a huge fan of avocado, and can never have enough on a sandwich. It was perfect here, very flavorful, thinly cut, and with a perfect ripe texture that was very creamy yet a little firm.

The marble rye, while normally it would be a very good choice for this sandwich, was grilled just a little too long. The bread in for this melt should have some toasting to it, but I feel like it was just overdone in this case. The bread became a little too hard and tough.

The tomatoes and grilled onions also seemed to take a bit away from the sandwich. They were cooked too long and most of their favor had disappeared, leaving a very bland addition from two vegetables that can normally add a nice punch up to any sandwich.

Despite this though, the sandwich was still enjoyable. The only downside being that I know it's potential was so much higher than it ended up being. So, if you happen to make it out to Barney's Beanery, I'd suggest you just stick with a burger, especially if it's your first time.

Next week, I will be tackling some more recommendations from readers. My last few weeks have been a slight letdown, so I need to have a great experience or dear readers, I will be in DANGER of becoming lost in Sandwich Limbo!

It's like real limbo, just a bit more delicious.

Until Next Week!

*** Stars
Barney's Beanery
1351 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401