Elm Cafe, Edmonton

Standing no bigger than a service counter in a storefront, Elm Cafe in downtown Edmonton always feel busy, even if it's just the two people behind the counter. Serving pretty good coffee, the draw has been their extensive sandwich list, from morning to noon specials and even muffulettas.

Now they've been boasting that they serve the best sandwich in town, and so naturally I had to check this out.

Stopping one bright and early a.m. for a morning sandwich, the special that day was free run organic egg and with brie and herbs. Served on a sizable whole wheat baguette that was a bit dry, there was something missing from each bite that prevented this sandwich from being awesome. Was it seasoning? Perhaps. The egg mixture was a bit bland, and could have really benefited from some colour and flavour from some roasted vegetables or anything not in the white to beige spectrum. My companion had a more colourful salami and pesto sandwich, which was perhaps too early for me to enjoy (despite my namesake), but his sandwich was also missing something essential.

What I think these sandwiches are missing is a signature that separates this sandwich from something that can be made at home with the same basic three ingredients. I venture for sandwiches for combinations I wouldn't have in my fridge.

It's convenient sandwiching for now if I'm on the go, which a lot of their clientele seem to be doing, but why is this a sandwich I would venture out at 8 a.m. to devour?

I've returned to try their afternoon delights, and the same is true. They are satisfying, but they do not inspire cravings that lure me back for more, but the bread has gotten better. More updates to come, I'm sure.

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.

La Esquina Del Chilaquil, Mexico City

The original spot for torta de chilaquiles, the line-up to La Esquina Del Chilaquil was down the block by the time I arrived at 9:30AM. Workers ran back and forth from their corner pop up tent to an indoor kitchen out of sight to refill bins of red sauce, green sauce, fried meat, and chilaquiles. Only operating for about 5 hours a day from 8:30 to 1PM or whenever they sell out, the hype was strong, and the hype was real. While a torta is your run of the mill sandwich, chilaquiles is a popular breakfast dish of fried tortilla chips served with hot salsa. Some have called this dish a soggy nacho, but I don't think that this description does justice to the level of salsa involved. Yes, the chips are soaked in salsa, but if the salsa is fresh and deeply flavourful, then what's the problem? Apparently, this was the first place to load the torta with a heavy helping of chilaquiles. In my mind, this would be a mess, and in my hands, it was one of the messiest wettest sandwich expe...

Patanisca (Codfish Cake), Brazil Bakery, Toronto

Going from one meeting to a lecture between the 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. time frame, I stopped in at Brazil Bakery on Dundas for one of their ready-made sandwiches. Choosing the patanisca (codfish cake) over the fish filet, even though the filet had a heft to it, I thoroughly enjoyed the codfish, which was not overly salty, and kept its flaked integrity in the generous mixture that was as big as the bun it came on. I actually ate it over two sittings, one right before the talk, and eating the remainder later at home.

You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

Search This Blog