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Porchetta with salsa verde, Meat & Bread, Vancouver



Meat and Bread opened up right around the time I started having health problems. One doesn't consistently blog about sandwiches without paying a price. I had to stop eating meat for a while, which was pretty shocking to my closest friends.

I remember at the time a friend was taking a picture of the new window lettering when one of the owners came out and asked him what he was doing. My friend said he was taking a photo for his friend (me), who loved meat and bread. The owner smiled, but then my friend added that he was taking the photo because I couldn't eat meat and bread anymore.

My health has improved since, but the association of Meat and Bread with health complications have been intertwined in my mind since. I have tried to go, but they also close at 5 and are usually lined up out the door.

Today, at around 3 p.m., I finished a coffee meeting across the street and knew today was the day. The porchetta with salsa verde is the first choice, though I stood at the till watching them prepare the meatball sandwich which will be another time. I saw them lift the crispy skin to cut away the tender meat, but I found myself asking aloud for the extra skin.

Presentation gets top marks on the custom made slab of butcher's board. The dollop of hot mustard goes oh so well with the porchetta, which is just another version of the suckling roast pig found in most Chinese BBQ houses. The top tier restaurants will also offer the suckling pig with the same mustard, to dip that bit of meat in as it's all about the crispy skin.

I devoured the sandwich in no time, and it was everything I expected it to be, if not more. The miso shitake soup also smelled amazing and I'd very curious about their bacon maple ice cream sandwich (a sandwich is still a sandwich). I hear they are opening a second location just off Burrard, so the only thing I could hope for is new inspired staff as from the looks of things, the existing staff are stressed out and overworked.

I'm glad I can eat meat again, and at their prices, I will have to eat Meat & Bread in moderation.
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