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.

A stray photograph was found in my downloads folders as some necessary Fall clean up was underway, and lo and behold, a random shot of a half assorted deli from Spolumbo' s and a plate of pickles! This was sent in from my friend Sarah, who I shared this sandwich with, and who I gave all the extra pickles to, as I believe I ate my half in the car on the way to the airport. Another Spolumbo's sandwich was eaten, the hot veal parmigiana, on the same trip to Calgary, but that photo along with other delicious sandwich photos was lost when my phone got soaked in Barton Springs this summer. Thanks, Sarah!

I did not know Shopsy's was such a thing, but getting there around 11am before the financial district regulars came in for a hot lunch and protips, I sat down to the Bill Cosby sandwich (hot corned beef AND hot pastrami with swiss cheese) and hot damn if it wasn't one of the best damn (and hilarious) sandwiches I have ever eaten. Very moist, possibly improvised, and incredibly flavourful pastrami and corned beef, both of which are hard to find out West, the double decker treatment makes me wonder why it's not always this way. The usual smoked meat stack a la Montreal style is sometimes obscene, or simply not enough, but here, it's the right combination of meat slope to rye bread softness that made me wonder if I should work in the financial district, because if I did, I would certainly order this sandwich again with an extra pickle.

Recently I was the backseat passenger on a 4 hour road trip where my only duty was to pick up a few roadside snacks. While I brought a round of custard tarts for the ride along, I also picked up a few sandwiches from Brazil Bakery on Dundas Street, which had the best value for its buck of any sandwich joint I could find in Toronto. Selected from the daily bin was a tuna fish sandwich and a proscuitto and fresh mozzarella number. The tuna was on a more traditional torpedo bun while the meat and cheese on a crusty fatter baguette style bread. While I ate the tuna for breakfast, which was nondescript, but well seasoned and fresh, I saved the meat and cheese for two hours into the ride, which provided the perfect snack post-road trip nap. Next time perhaps I will dine in as the bakery was bustling, but for now, I will salute you, road sandwiches.

Since complaining about not having a decent sandwich deli around, I've been told to check out La Grotta Del Formaggio across town. As I have a rule about not visiting delis if I can help it on a weekend and as I work a day job, La Grotta has eluded me, until now. Breaking for the holidays a week early and going nowhere, I finally stopped into this deli on Commercial Drive between visits with a baby and out of town guests. A healthy sized line up for a late Friday afternoon only encouraged me to join, even if I wasn't hungry at all. I opted for the small crusty bun rather than the long bun or round focaccia, and went with a medley of dijon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, provolone, marinated eggplants, olives, purple onion, and salami. Non grilled. The bun was a classic pagnotta, hard crusty shell with soft fluffy insides. Absorbed the vinegar and oil extremely well and one of my favorite sandwich breads always. This one holds up and they did not shy on the fillings, whi...

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...

I noticed this joint almost immediately as I moved into the neighborhood. In the first few days of settling in, I had an empty fridge and an empty belly, and wandering by with an arm full of bags, I got the "Fat Tony" (two types of prosciutto, marinated peppers, and provolone) along with a cherry soda and some nice olive oil and other small things to go. The bread was just okay, but the fillings were ample, and while it's a place I should love at first sight, there was just something slightly missing for me to order this one again. Their sandwich menu runs a full sheet, offering both hot and cold options, and I do wonder about the muffuletta, so I will probably return.