You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

The last time I visited Vancouver, I made sure to include a stop into La Grotta del Formaggio , an Italian grocery store on Commercial drive that does this monster sandwiches. It's hard to find a good sandwich in that town, but this place kept me satiated, which is no easy task. Pictured above is a mountain of capicola with roasted red peppers, eggplant, red onion, and provolone on whole wheat. Expect long line-ups, but that time is best used to think about which meat and cheese and toppings you want. Do you really want a whole focaccia, or just half? (I got a whole loaf). I was happy to see they even offer whole wheat focaccia bread that is as tasty and fluffy as white bread, as it's a slightly healthier option, because it's still Vancouver.

Man I love Reuben's in Montreal. From top to bottom we have the beef melt, the classic reubens, and the beef dip.  Surprisingly, I love the beef dip the most, as that jus is killer! Real classic steakhouse mood with all your favorite heart attack dishes, their sandwiches are hardly an afterthought to the bevy of entrees. In fact, I would say their sandwiches are the real stars. What I love most about the beef dip is how juicy the baguette already feels even before you dip it. This is a fine dip sandwich, which is hard to do. So many disappointments have been experienced before this one, which is perhaps why it's so elevated here. The reuben is A+, but in a town that does smoked meat every which way, I don't remember it as distinctly better or worse. The melt I will probably not get again, as I was just curious, but I'd rather take the dip any day. Mmm Mmm Reuben's! 

Hangry and wandering the streets of Peterborough, my travel companion and I spotted a crowd outside of Sam's Deli . They looked sporty and satisfied, so that was a good a bet as any. With quite an extensive menu list, including gluten-free bread for my t.c., I settled on a Peterborough smoked meat while she had a turkey club on g.f. bread. I don't say this lightly, but this was one of the best dan sandwiches around! Even on g.f. bread it received two thumbs up! Fresh quality bread on the soft side makes such a luxurious sandwich, with all the remnants of a homemade sandwich, but superb quality cuts of meat folded inside. All meats were cured and smoked in house from locally sourced farms, and the difference is exceptional. I kind of wanted a second sandwich, but I did not want to ruin the experience by taking it on the road. Sam's alone is reason enough to go back to Peterborough, which didn't give me the best vibes, but great sandwiches. While the side potato ...