You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

This blog has been neglected. I'm sorry, but not sorry, as life took me in a different direction for the last several years, and compounded with the global pandemic, I did not travel for about three years. Homemade sandwiches were made and enjoyed. Many a thick cut bacon and equally thick cut seasonal tomato sandwich on artisanal whole wheat was savoured with a cut of mayonnaise. I became my own favorite lunchtime deli counter, out of necessity. But of course, one tires of familiarity, and eventually, new flavours and textures are desired. In my first 24 hours in Chicago, a night was spent at the redesigned Chicago Athletic Association, formerly a private gentlmen's club. A decadent steak dinner was enjoyed off premise, but breakfast was sampled in its distinctive  Cherry Circle Room . As the original name for the private club's longstanding lounge, the redesign of room and menu plays off the old boys' vibe of exclusivity and Chicago's love for wood paneling, and to...

  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 (...

Before catching a late AM train, I popped into one of the massive underground and overground foodcourts beneath the financial district for a bite to eat. Pumpernickel's may have been located on one of the second-floor food courts, if I am recalling correctly, as the place I initially tried going to wasn't ready for lunch orders. All in all, this was not a bad spinach omelette bagel. The bagel was just good enough to be edible, but nothing amazing, but the omelette was really hot and not too greasy and I felt quite full afterwards, which is harder to do than you'd think. Nothing like a bit of a cheese string to tug at the heart strings. Nothing fancy here, but consistent and tastes of care, I grabbed this hot egg and bacon sandwich from Sidebar on Spadina, just south of Camden, or Richmond, a real hole in the wall that most people never notice as it's also a few steps down from pedestrian level. Everything is always prepared fresh, but it's never overly seaso...

I love an all-day breakfast option, but a "healthy" breakfast option? Eating at Nuburger was more by default than by choice, as all the other restaurants I wanted to try in Osborne Village were closed that day. I like trying new places, but a place that prides itself on making healthy burgers sounds like a place that skimps on fatty flavour. Ordering their "It's Always Sunny" breakfast sandwich, as I must have felt extra healthy in not wanting their nitrate-free bacon, I was surprised by how long it took for the food to come out, and by how expensive this was. As you can see, the hard cheese and salad sits on top of an overcooked egg. The pesto aioli was pretty bland, and overly generous, but the crisp focaccia toasts weren't bad, but a strange highlight in this medley. Perhaps what really bummed me out was the decor, which was bright white lights and a lot of brushed steel and white plastic. It made me feel dead inside, and this sandwich did not re...

An email from Carla to JD, with love.

  Probably one of the cutest vacays I have had in a while, a stop into Sugar Moon Farm lured me to stay in Pictou County, and I am sure am glad we did! Known for using regional ingredients farmed and raised and milled nearby to shape its seasonal menu, we caught the tail end of summer, sharing plates of sausages, pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches, all slathered in their famous sugar moon maple syrup. Using heirloom grains for their bread, presumably from their supplier at Speervile , the fluffy solid top and bottom of this breakfast sandwich was more griddle cake than crumpet, and yet, hearty like a biscuit. We didn't have time to walk the grounds as a ferry needed to be caught, but I will have to make my way back someday. Someday.

Trying to remember where this was eaten, and I can only make a guess that this was a quick stopover breakfast at Bread Alone in Woodstock, NY. On our way out of town, but not before we hit the Woodstock farmer's market for crystals and old timey things, I am pretty sure I ordered this egg and cheese breakfast sandwich alongside a bowl of oatmeal, because I am healthy now. The bakery was raved about by our hosts, and it was hopping when we got there, witnessing strangers interact with each other over the height of Pokemon craze, but I don't recall this sandwich being awesome. Maybe because it lacked bacon, which one of my travel companions had with her gluten-free meal. I recall the bacon being pretty delicious. Everything in Woodstock was raved about though, but it was all a bit too precious for me. But would I visit again? Probably.

So I have to admit, I had never been to Le Pick Up before. I tried once, many years ago, but it was too busy. Waiting in line for a sandwich is outrageous. It turns out the owners feel the same, as since those heydays, Le Pick Up has also closed on Sundays because it was just too busy. They consciously decided to close shop on their busiest day, because sandwiches are not about rushing. So sauntering down one day with Mille Burger leading the way, we had the mission to try as many sandwiches as possible in one go. Standing in line with Jaime Lannister behind us, we ordered a breakfast sandwich, a grilled haloumi, and a faux pulled pork to share with a spruce pine soda as a chaser. First: the breakfast sandwich/dep dej. Hearty multigrain bread to start the day, a fresh fried egg sits on top of bacon and some ruffage. The kicker is the chipotle mayo, a move I have only ever seen out East, where of course a bit of spicy mayo is what every morning bite needs. While we were su...

Desperate for some morning grease after a late night of who knows what, a couple of us from the conference wandered the extra block to get the good coffee at Les Brulerie Saint Roch . This sausage sandwich matin was nothing to write home about, nor was the service despite ordering en francais, but it was piping hot and held me over for a few hours, which is all it's suppose to do. And I needed to be held over as the conference lunch bags were filled with these ultra skinny sandwiches literally smeared with a bit of (tuna/veg pate/chicken salad). After eating one, I kept wondering where the rest of my lunch would arrive. It never did. This sad BELT was ordered and consumed at Gare du Palais,  Quebec City's wee train station. Taking an early train out, I held the mayo.

Stopping through Ottawa for 12 hours en route to the Yukon, I was taken to the new Elgin location of Morning Owl , a coffee house that specializes in sandwiches. Behind a glass case of fresh sandwiches, I was torn between the breakfast sandwich and a sandwich for later. Unwilling to choose between the two, I chose both. First up was the breakfast sandwich, a standard layering of fresh egg, bacon and cheese on a toasted crumpet. Standing alone, it is fine and good, but what pushes it to form is the homemade tomato jam on the side, which arguably is more of a jelly. A perfect texture to complement the hot and crusty sandwich.  Next up was the oven roasted tofu* with marinated artichoke hearts (jalapeño cheddar). The scone-like bread also had jalapeno embedded, and each bite was hot, fluffy, and heat-inducing.  While I had meant to save this sandwich for later, it arrived warm, ready to go, and so, I went to town, and had the best plane nap afterwards. *My fellow d...

I work a lot. I know this about myself. I live to work. Things I do not know include why I only eat bagels on the road. The same bagel. The everything bagel BELT. I can't resist it. But if that was the option at the downstairs cafe, would I get it over this homestyle bacon and egger? They fry the egg up fresh so it's that it's the last thing to be slipped into the sandwich before they wrap it up for my trip upstairs. It would be nice to have options beyond eating at the office or eating on the road. Maybe one day.

Being on a mission, and hungry as hell for no other reason than being on holiday, I ventured out into the small capital town on Prince Edward Island for a decent espresso and breakfast that is not hotel related. Drinking at the hotel bar the night before, the bar keep who grew up on the island recommended I try Casa Mia Cafe , as she said they were doing the basics, but doing them really well, and with a twist. In fact, unprompted, she said that their breakfast bagel was her favorite thing on the menu, and that was reason enough for me to try it out. Above is my dear Americano with three creams, the breakfast bagel on bottom right, and being greedy, a benny on the run sandwich in the upper left. I should have just stuck with the bagel, as the twist was an aioli that had a kick to it, green if I am remembering correctly, perhaps pesto mix, or just a healthy dose of fresh herbs. Whatever it was, it was sorely missing in the benny on the run, which was just a poor man's McMuffin ...

A made to order bacon, tomato and egg sandwich, the breakfast sandwich at the Roastery in the bottom of the 401 Building may be the best thing I've had there so far. Very inconsistent soups, a lot of half heated food, and a decent spinach pie in a pinch, this brekkie option was a nice surprise as all fillings were customized. Going with just onions and butter with a pinch of pepper on the tomatoes on pumpernickle, this sandwich tied me over for a few hours, but it's nothing I can't make at home.

A breakfast meeting at L'Espresso Bar Mercurio is a great way to start the day. Rarely if never finding any good espresso when I venture into the U of T zone, someone who knows recommended we meet at Mercurio, and thank god we did. Filled with faculty and students who were not cramming in their jammies, the place had a consistent line up to the door. A decent espresso and a delicious croque madame with the right amount of bechamel sauce to ham and swiss cheese, the bread was also freshly toasted and held it all together. Made fresh to order, I will be back to sample more of their sandwich offerings, which I saw were a many.

Another fine breakfast to start the work day, this pastry is the breakfast option at Jimmy's Coffee, an indie feeling chain I had never even heard of. With a mediocre Americano, the breakfast pastry was filled with bits of scrambled egg and sausage and I had it cold. Not quite as greasy as a UK train stop breakfast roll, it satisfied the moment, but thank good ness I also had a grape fruit on my desk. 

I was told to order the breakfast sandwich on a bagel, not the bun, but this bagel was dry as a cracker so I wonder how bad the bun must have been. But the cook and a civil servant (I can't remember if it was transit, postal, or maybe she just had a blue navy coat on) had a great conversation, and it made this greasy and expensive bacon and egger feel like I was paying for my role in the gentrification of South Brooklyn. En route one morning to a studio visit in Prospect Point, I stopped at this corner bodega for a sausage and egg on a bun. A row of cops was waiting for the same and I drank a shitty berry tea and waited with them. It was definitely not great, not even close to the eggy cheesy goodness from just a year ago, and it is with a heavy cholesterol laden heart that the era of the good and cheap bodega sandwich in Brooklyn is over.

How quickly the Winnipeg Airport has risen in its stature as having one of the crummiest food options to one of the best with a Stella's right before security. While locals in know have turned cold to Stella's franchise like empire, I still love visiting any one of their chains, including the one at the airport. I mean, this is an airport sandwich! Freshly made breakfast sandwich with a side of fruit and a cup of Earl Grey. Hate on, haters, but this is still one of the best airport options anywhere. [Since this original post, more information has been shared about Stella's owners and business practices. We have not supported their businesses since at least 2017. We leave this and other related posts up as a reminder that bad behaviour will not be forgotten and will not be supported, no matter how good your sandwiches tasted!

I can't remember which trip this was from, but it was in an airport, I even think the Vancouver airport. Probably this was eaten en route to Edmonton, unless this was the last sandwich I ate before I left the West coast, I can't remember anymore. I do know that this was better than I expected, with the bacon extra crispy and the egg very fluffy. Simply sliced brown bread. If they put it on a foccacia they could have doubled the price. I am glad they didn't.

The Camden Diner, or more generally known as Avenue Open Kitchen on Camden Street, is a classic greasy spoon near my new work place, and already I'm trying to limit my visits to once a week. This classic breakie sandwich of generous proportions of eggs and bacon on white toast came with a couple packets of ketchup, delivered fresh on morning before an early film screening during TIFF. With few and far between options around that festival, this sandwich was a treat and sustenance to carry me through another long day of sitting in dark, windowless rooms.

There’s a lot going on here. Eating this in a taxi on the way to the airport, I swore to myself to remember the details of what made this creamy Sammie explode but it’s hazy. The 5-inch thick sandwich included the typical three slices of plain brown bread, and played host to many layered ingredients expected in the Club Sandwich genre. A roasted veggie tomato spread of some sort, lettuce, cucumber, turkey, a rather tasteless cheese I didn’t realize was there at first, perhaps avocado or some other greenery before a fantastic fried egg and the customary bacon. Lots of mayonnaise with unidentified green herbs or onions perhaps and butter, providing a deliciously slippery mess of a Club. From the brightly inviting storefront, the nice service, and cute-named breakfast plates, the ladies who work here also seem quite fun.