You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

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 ...

Formerly known as Fitzroy, or just in its same location, I had very fond memories of the Sherbrook Street Deli's smoked meat sandwich, which in all the years since I last had it, I thought was tongue. So upon returning to this deli, I ordered the tongue. In fact, I double downed on it. Getting twice as much meat as I remember how succulent and moist it was. The sandwich that came was not the sandwich I once had. This meat either needed another round in the pressure cooker, as it was still quite full of sinew. My dining companion had hers (regular portion) with a schmear of liver pate, and that was a good call. The slaw was decent, but forgettable, as were their kettle chips, but they do a good pickle. I ate this hulking pile of tongue meat, and wondered if I had simply ordered the wrong sandwich, or if that wonderful flaky salty meat memory will just have to remain a memory.

This photo makes me blush. As stop #1 on a mini sandwich tour with Millie Burger,  Lester's is for sure a contender in the Mtl smoked meat sandwich race and the crowd is nowhere near as annoying as other places. The rye bread was notable for holding together under such duress. Salty and soft, we should have ordered pickles. Next time, I'm trying your club sandwich and hot dog Sulfites be damned.

Irresistible to a smoked meat sandwich, I got one to go from Avenue Diner on Camden Street. Generous in proportion, and kept in a hot steamer for extra moisture, the flavours were not as deep as I would have hoped, but the double mustard gets it an extra point. Coming in at around seven dollars, it's one of the most expensive items at the diner, and one of the cheapest smoked meat sandwiches I have ever had.

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.

I have to begin by saying that The Early Bird serves a sandwich called "The Fat Elvis" which struck fear in my heart, so I did not order it. I chickened out, and  J.D. Salami may never let me live this down. I generally tend to be the 'safe' veggie-sandwich-ordering pussy here at You Say Sandwich , and sometimes I do have a little shame about that as J.D. waxes eternal on the deliciousness of meat fillings. Note the smoked bacon on this plate. Carrying on. The Toad in a Hole was more like a Toad in a walkup apartment. Huge. Served with a knife stabbed in to help tackle the thing, a very convincing psycho-billy touch for this punk styled diner. Now that I am compiling my impressions on this towering toad palace, I wonder if the avocado tempura is supposed to be the toad, peeking out from under the bread. It sure looks like one! Regardless, there are a lot of mixed metaphors happening on my plate, but the unfortunate thing about the deep-fried avocado conce...

I have no address for this Euro deli; it's the one on Davie Street in Vancouver between Hornby and Howe next to Zaatar hummus bar. They offer a lot of smoked meats and cheese, but sometimes when they have fresh bread, they will also offer a sandwich. The owner asked me what type of meats and cheese I wanted, and when I picked, he suggested otherwise. I went with his suggestions, which he said were popular and went well together in a sandwich. I can't recall what they were, some type of fatty salami and I think he suggested the smoked gouda. He should just set the standard sandwich. The sandwich was huge, this picture doesn't do it justice, unless you realize that plate is at least 9" in diameter. Really thick slices of everything, and smoky as hell. The bread was just the right crispness for everything, but I could have really used an orangina or something to rinse down the sodium nitrates. If they premade a few sandwiches before lunch hour, I bet they would sel...

Frenchie's was the first time I had a smoked meat sandwich. About a decade ago when they had a location on Helmcken St, I got hooked on their savoury brisket seasoning. Then one day, they vanished, closing all three of their locations around town. Later, I remember when I first tried a Montreal smoked meat sandwich in Montreal, I had a flashback to being at Frenchie's, and wondering, was it better? Well, I'm gonna have to say after all these years and many briskets later, that Frenchie's really is better. The best! The seasoning and the steaming of Frenchie's really makes their sandwiches dreamy. It boils down their seasoning. If I had to guess, I would wager that Frenchie's uses a dry curing, as I tasted no hint of brine whatsoever. I had the small (pictured above), which is just reasonable for an planned midday snack.  Super soft and tender brisket slices literally melt in your mouth. I am already hooked, once again. Welcome back, Frenchies ! I never kn...

I found myself at Costco, and in the back of my mind, I remember an old acquaintance going on about how great their smoked meat sandwich really was. He was in the restaurant business, and has braised enough pork belly to have serious health concerns, so when he talked meat, I have tended to listen. Only, I generally find Costco to be overwhelming and gross. The excess of everything is less than appetizing. But there I was assisting someone at Costco and she wanted to have a snack. I should have known. This was a terrible smoked meat sandwich. Over-steamed (if such a thing was possible) on a wedge of focaccia-like bread. The portion was over generous horizontally, but the best smoked meat sandwiches show their strut in verticality. The pickle was also rank. If I ever see that acquaintance again, I am probably going to shove him into a meat freezer.

Having poked my head into see their assortment of organic and gluten free fare, as well as a fair stock of Scottish treats like wild nettle cordial and real Scottish oats, I tried out their deli section with fresh ready when ordered sandwiches. Accompanying a mighty good parsnip soup, I went for the smoked ham, which I had plain with the grainy mustard as when prompted if I wanted "salad", I declined, thinking it was a side order. What they meant was all the fillings of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese that goes inside the sandwich. I don't regret my choice. It was a mighty tasty smoked ham, and while I have no sweet tooth, I was intrigued by Dovers Farm Organic ginger and brazil nut cookies made with stem ginger, and made without gluten, wheat, milk, salt, buckwheat, soya, eggs or hydrongenated fat. But like most gluten free products, they crumble in your mouth like dust, but albiet, a gingery tasting dust.

I've been consistent. Every single time I venture to la belle ville, within an hour of arrival, I find myself sitting at the Schwartz's counter on St. Laurent, taking in the aromatic brisket piled high before me and salivating at the thought of that brisket between perfect slices of rye bread with a pickle, and maybe a bit of slaw, fries. Having your choice of lean, medium, and fat, I went down the middle road as usual and it's always the most satisfying bite of a sandwich. The mounds of meat just melt away between a bread that does not go soft, having the picture perfect balance of moisture. The trick to eating this is to keep it all together, so minimal handling is required and I recommend not even putting the thing down as it's all downhill from there. Sidenote: Now a man who loves meat so much that he bares visibly on his forearm a tattoo of a hamburger, told me that it's actually the steaks that are the real deal at Schwartz's. Unfortunately, I can never re...