Blue Sky Blue, Toronto

When my friend said we were going to a sandwich place inspired by Wilco, I didn't quite expect this. A very homey down to earth shop, they were playing Wilco (of course), and a long list of sandwiches named after Wilco songs were available plain or grilled.

My companion had been craving the One Wing sandwich, which is basically turkey, cranberry, and stuffing between cranberry bread. I had a bite, and the stuffing was pretty damn good.

I went for the How To Fight Loneliness sandwich, which was mostly just bacon and apple, with a custom replacement of turkey instead of chicken. It also had a hint of dijon, which was not entirely necessary, but it's kitschy gourmet stylings was a nice touch.

The most surprising part was how simple it all was. Get your sandwich grilled, otherwise the bread may be disappointing. Definitely nothing special going on here, but the concept seems to be working for them. It wasn't busy when we stopped by, and the guy behind the counter was more than a little strange, but who wouldn't be if you had to listen to Wilco all day and night every day.

Check out their menu and see which song you crave. The link between the sandwich contents and the songs also remains a mystery, but one that I would be into solving.

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.

Haloum Grille, Depanneur Le Pick Up, Montreal

A friend and I agreed the personality of the sandwich changes with each person who prepares it, and today we felt something was a little less than parfait with our Haloum Grille. Folks at Le Pick Up seemed stressed . The longest wait ever, and our lunches sat around too long. Temperature of the cheese is important to experiencing haloumi’s firm the texture and the release of its saltiness, and I prefer when it’s grilled directly before entering the sandwich. Creamy spicy slaw of red cabbage, carrot, and kale soothes the major crust burn associated with the crispy multigrain toast. Ideally it’s the bread that should be soft and the haloumi that gets to shine as the crispy grilled champ that it is. Nevertheless, we stayed for hours at the back picnic tables, chatted with the servers, overheard some drama about the evening closing procedure, broke a dish, and spilled a coffee. A good day.

Panini, Piazza Barberini, Rome

Having recently returned to Rome, I was quickly reminded that sometimes the most simple is the most delicious. By the third bite, this panini sandwich picked up from the Piazza Barberini neighbourhood interrupted my thoughts with " Good Lord, this sandwich is awesome !" Taking a photo so that I may remember for possible replication here at home, this sandwich was most straightforward: a very seedy fresh wholegrain bread, Italian salami, oven-roasted yellow bell pepper, soft mozzarella, and arugula. I'm seduced by the mystery of Italy, and how everything tasted so amazing there ... is it the freshness of the olive oil? Absolutely wonderful.

You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

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