You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

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 walked by this sign before being highly recommended to go, The Scone Witch somehow flew over my sandwich pun detector. Using fluffy handmade scones for all of their sconewitches, I settled into a breakfast sconewitch of ham, egg, and cheese. I was warned that they did not offer sweet scones for the sandwich option, only savoury, and for a coven of witches, you would think they would think outside the box. Nevertheless, A hot, fancy plate arrived in due time stacked higher than wide, hollowing out the centre of the scone to fill in the breakfast items. The purist in me really questions the validity of this so-called sandwich. While a toad in the hole style presentation is still a sandwich, the flakiness of the scone makes it impossible to eat without utensils, pushing it further into the realm of a quiche. I never got to go back, but I would try one of their lunch options to see how they handle the tuna option.

Oh, La Bottega , how I miss you even though I hardly knew ya! I miss fresh deli sandwiches like you wouldn't believe since relocating to Vancouver. There are delis and butchers all around, but few do a sandwich. I have heard about a place over on Commercial and 1st, but I rarely make it over there during the week, and I wouldn't be caught dead at a deli counter on a weekend. La Bottega is easy and simple. Pick a bread, pick a meat, pick a cheese, and then the fixings. The whole time the two ladies were preparing made to order sandwiches, the barista not 3 ft away stood in a transfixed concentration over his crema. This here below is a provolone and spicy salami sandwich with fresh onions and olives. You don't need spread when the bread is so soft that the toppings squish into the bread and every bite. From fresh focaccia to baguettes and buns, it's a lotta sandwich for five bucks. Like a good sandwich does, I carried it in my bag for a few hours while I downed a f...

It was in our country's clean capital where I first had a taste of a Croque Monsieur, the delightful little ham and cheese sandwich that has warmed the cockles of my sandwich loving heart ever since first bite. It was in fact at the Moulin de Provence in the market, now far more famous for its " Obama Cookies " than anything else, where I first had this treat. I've either imagined it or read up on it, both seem as likely, but I recall this sandwich to have originated as a cupboard leftover fed to the little ones after a day at school or play. I would certainly love it as an after school or work snack, that's for sure. Consisting largely of thinly shaved salty ham with swiss cheese and béchamel sauce, the flavour combination mixed with my memories of first tasting this combination make this still the best Croque Monsieur I've ever had. Sure, it's not much to look at, and they just reheated it up in a microwave, and you have to eat it with plastic cutl...