Hot Veal Sandwich, Nonna's Place, Toronto

It was during my last trip to Toronto where I noticed deli signs glowing the mysterious and alluring siren call of a "Hot Veal Sandwich." I was a passenger in a car when I first noticed this, and the driver suggested the markets, which I take it to the St. Lawrence Markets, but that sounded high end, and I wanted the real deal.

This last time out, I was wandering the long way towards a studio visit near the chocolate factory, and came across Nonna's Place on Bloor. Mildly starving and sleep deprived, I walked in to a pretty good vibe of a table full of construction workers mawing down their sandwiches. Ordering the hot veal sandwich with mushrooms and onions, I sat down with my San Pellegrino aranciata and waited.

I did not know that I was about to eat the sandwich of my dreams right here, right now. A perfectly tender and juicy hot breaded veal cutlet slathered in marinara sauce with the requested mushrooms and onions sat between a perfect crusty bun. This is the type of sandwich I yearn for out west, because there is simply no comparison. Perfect in every bite, I will continue to think about you, Nonna's. Always and forever.

Comments

Monty’s Bakehouse wrap, Air Canada

I’d rate this wrap as strange. Its packaging created expectations of a more appetizing experience, which it was not. After a vastly superior egg salad sandwich from London Heathrow, I could not greet this airplane freebie with serious interest, but at least it was hot, and at least I could review it for this blog. Steaming contents were oozy and largely undistinguishable, but suggested some kind of red pepper or sundried tomato origins.

Specialty Sandwich, Amtrak train dining car

Advertised as the "Specialty Sandwich" on board the Oakland to Los Angeles Amtrak train, this $9.75 grilled cheese seems a safe vegetarian bet, just as a bagel and cream cheese does when faced with weird processed meat choices aboard the VIA Rail in Canada. The specialty allegedly features gruyere and smoked cheddar, however each cheese was tasteless, plastic, and greasy, cooling to reveal six slices of highly processed cheese product. The crisp, somewhat grainy bread absorbed cheese sweat from inside, completely obliterating any relief that the mustard or tomato could have provided, and was thoroughly saturated in a meaty residue from the grill on the outside. This sandwich leaves the kind of mouthfeel that a glass of water cannot wash away. Note: pack toothbrush in carry-on.

Kim Anh Subs, Calgary

It's no secret I'm a fan of the Vietnamese sub. Hell, they've prevented my vegetarianism . But I do enjoy the vegetarian option now and again, especially when it's warm marinated soft tofu rather than the shredded fake meat variety. In Calgary one weekend, a friend and I found ourselves stranded in the city due to a snow storm, so lounging around 17th Avenue, cold, tired, hungry, and near broke, we popped our heads into Kim Anh Subs where he had ventured once before. Offering a whole wheat sub bun option, Kim Anh's subs were a bit more expensive than what I'm used to for a sub of this style ($3.50 is my price range), but it's Calgary, so what can you expect.

You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

Search This Blog