Pear & Brie, Fresh Attracks, YYZ Airport

After a conference of sandwiches, how could I eat yet another sandwich?

I certainly wasn't craving any more road-weary sandwiches, but I knew for the 5 hour plane ride ahead, I would need something substantial, something that wouldn't take up a lot of precious space, and something that didn't need to be reheated. Plus, the options were really limited in the nether region of the Toronto airport where I had to change planes between Ottawa and Vancouver. There was an Irish pub and a Tim Horton's and there a few cafes way off in the distance. That's where I found this, and upon lifting it, I knew it would carry me over. All the way over. I don't think I even had dinner that night.

The bread itself was the main ingredient, a loaded raisin walnut affair that would be fine with a dab of butter unto itself. The slices of brie and pear were not holding up that well out of the cooler, but I ate this over two sittings on the plane and it satiated all hunger pangs that those dry bags of crackers and cookies only procure with their handful of salt or sugar. I did have to ask for water though, and WestJet is either being skimpy with water (they refused to refill my water bottle, instead handing me another plastic cup of water) or the crew member hates the world.

Comments

Marché Hung Phat, Montréal,

I was suspicious when a vegetarian friend told me that Montréal did Vietnamese food better, and not just because she was vegetarian. I had tried first hand for myself years ago, and what I remember tasting was bland, watery, and a cruel joke. However, time moves on, and I am willing to try again, and I am glad I did. Taken a stroll up to Saint Denis, there was no shortage of banh mi options, but Carla B led me directly to Hung Phat, and being ravenous and greedy, we each ordered a tofu banh mi AND an order of salad rolls. Normally that combination should be no problem, but I was unfamiliar with the heft of Hung Phat's servings, which had a weight and density that did not compromise its deliciousness. A substantial sandwich if I ever saw one, I could barely finish the salad rolls, but of course I did. Carla B saved the rest of her sandwich for later and passed on the rolls, and I hope she does not mind me saying this publicly. Our early friendship may have been fo...

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.

Hen's Deli, Milwaukee

My mini midwest tour continued to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a place known more for breweries and deep fried cheese curds, but my timing was fortuitously aligned with the recent opening of Hen's Deli . Located in the neigbhorhood of Walker's Point, in a former hole in the wall soup shop, Hen's began at the local farmer's market under the name Clark Street Sausage Co. Establishing a fan base with unusual items (for Milwaukee) such as ramen and a pork pastrami sandwich, their brick and mortar location offered a small, but mighty menu of established favorites along with some new offerings on rotation. I was on my way out of town as I learned about Hen's, which is unfortunate timing for me. Stopping in with some locals in the morning, we got several breakfast bagel sandwiches to go on the everything bagel with sausage. Without a doubt, their house made sausage patties served as the foundation that held it all together. Tucked on top was a slippery little muffin tin egg (...

You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

Search This Blog