Smoked Salmon, Apent Bakeri, Oslo

I popped my Scandinavian sandwich cherry in Oslo with a fantastic smoked salmon on seeded bread. I bit into the dense, chewy bread heavily crusted with sesame, flax, and sunflower seeds, as my sandwich companion noted that whole flax acts as an exfoliator for the lower intestine. This is a definite bonus, as folks in these parts seem to like flax seeds on practically everything. Under the lid, there are many regular ingredients in the classic Norwegian sandwich combo, including thick slices of salmon, a spreadable cream cheese flecked with herbs and pepper (possibly even carrot), plus only slightly wilted greens, and thinly sliced cucumber.

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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...

Pretzel Bagel Sandwich, Tim Horton's

It was not quite 5am on a Saturday morning when I ordered my breakfast bagel sandwich from Tim Horton's and noticed a pretzel bagel option. So be it, I thought. I don't ever go near a Tim Horton's unless I'm on the road, but you know what? This was pretty good. I love me a pretzel, and most street vendor pretzels are as dry as hell. This was at least moist and chewy, and came in a sandwich form!

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.

You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

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