Steeltown Sandwiching

My a product of the post-graduate school selection process, I am a Steelers fan. My parents got married and then tried to get accepted at the same places for grad school. My parents elected for UPitt over Berkley, giving me the name Jesse instead of Moon Apple and making me a 2nd generation Steelers Fan.

As such, Rubin and I took a little Football Aliyah, to Heinz field for a Steelers vs. Jets game in Week 16. What better time to write about it, the day that the Steelers take on the Packers in the Superbowl!



Stop # 1: Steel City Sandwiches
We stopped midway to Pittsburgh and a Steelers themed joint called Steel City Sandwiches in Erie, Pennsylvania deep inside Browns territory.

The place is famous for having Primanti Bros style Sandwiches (more on that below).

With my Williamsport Cheesesteak fresh in my mind, I ordered another.

The Bun was very good. Nice and squishy. Unfortunately the meat felt more like steakums then diced ribeye. Decent provolone, but nothing to write home about.

Rubin ordered a mixed Hoagie that looked a lot better.

Overall Judgement:
6.75/10 Opas

(but extra points for all the Steelers tchotchkes' )

Stop #2 (Essie's) The Original Hot Dog Shop

While falling clearly into the Quasi-Sandwich category, this was way to good not to write about.

The Hot Dog Shop is a neighbourhood stable that dated back to my Dad's years in Pittsburgh. Located in the heart of the neighbourhood of Oakland, this place has been a pillar of the community.

With amazing hot dogs like these its no surprise how they could become such a permanent fixture. You get your choice of an Original (Pork and Beef mix) or Kosher Style Pure Beef. Ever the indulgent treyfe Jew, I opted for the Original, with Chili and Onions:

The Dog itself is fantastic with a great 'snap' from its natural casing, and great taste of meat throughout. The chili was a nice, almost Cincinnati style Chili with some smokiness and a bit of bite to it.  Could have used a better quality bun though.

The dogs are griddled until they get delicious grill marks as seen here:

They are also known for their Mountains of fries. This is a small: (it goes up to XL which looks like a Pattater-horn)

Overall Judgment: One of  THE best Hot Dog I have ever eaten.
9/10 Quasi-Sandwich Opas

Stop #3: Primanti Bros

I have aspired to eat at this place, since my 2nd entry in this blog.

Primanti Brothers is a local legend for their Sandwiches. As the Sign notes:

No matter the Sandwich, it comes stuffed with freshly-made French Fries, a heap of coleslaw and think tomatoes, served on their fresh Italian Bread.

I opted for the Pastrami, instead of their famous "2nd best seller Pitts-burger Cheesesteak".

When doing my pre-trip Sandwich research, I worried that it would be too bread-y. It seemed just to thick for proper balance. Luckily the French bread was nice and squishy, allowing you to choke up on your mega-Sandwich

The fries added a nice salty crispness. The coleslaw was nice an vinegary-y and the tomato was particularly fraiche.

My only major 'beef' with the Sandwich was that the Pastrami did not seem properly proportioned with the rest of the Sandwich.

I wanted at least a 40:60 type ration and got more like 25:75.

That being said, the Fries and Slaw added a great element to an otherwise excellent Sandwich.

Overall Judgement: 8.25/10 Opas.

Just Sandwich Reviews - straight, no chaser

Entry #1 - Pancer's 


The Pancer family recently sold the their eponymous shop after more than 53 years in the deli game.

Although I've already blogged about it, out of respect, I thought I'd lead this entry off with two classic Sandwiches I had at my most recent visit.

Combo 1: Corned Beef & Tongue!

Combo #2 -The Triple Decker - Chopped Liver, Onion, Coleslaw and Pastrami on Challah bread. 

Comments: After being a loyal patron for 15 + years I can't believe I never tried either of these before. 

The tongue + corned beef combo was awesome,  but I was truly blown away by the triple decker. It's like the long lost Jewish club Sandwich of my dreams. 

Chopped Liver and Challah work perfectly together (see: most of Friday night dinners with my parents). The Onion added a nice crunch and the sour tang of the coleslaw played well against the dense salty perfection of Pancer's Pastrami. 

Attention new owners: Keep this Sandwich on the Menu or be prepared to face the wrath of one angry Sandwich blogger. 

Entry #2: Schnitzel Queen

I've heartily supported Schnitzel since my parents used to take me to a long-deceased Hungarian joint at Bathurst and Bloor. 

Schnitzel Queen is a Schnitzel only cafe operated by two loving Germans  Theresa and Bernard (yes I put those two words next to each other INTENTIONALLY).  

Source eyeweekly.com

They offer many variations on the same theme - BAVARIAN STYLE SCHNITZEL.  Arguably my favourite of the pounded-meats, they offer up one hell of a product, in one helluva sketchy neighborhood (Moss Park)

I ordered mine with Cheese, Mayo and Carmelized options.  A popular variation of this is the Cordon Bleu which adds sliced Ham into the mix. 

The Schnitzel itself is excellent. Good crispness with an earthy pork essence to it. The batter is thin and not too oily. Bernard is constantly frying up fresh schnitzels, while Theresa entertains the customers with her banter. The last time I was there we discussed the 2012 phenomenon, the reversing of the Earth's polarity and why my friend Brian sucks for being 30 minutes late. 

This is one of the cases where a low-brow ingredient won the day. They only use processed cheese and I think it works great! It adds a kind of familiar, grilled cheesiness to it that pairs well with the fried Schnitzel and the gobs of Mayo. 

Overall Judgment: 8.5/10 Opas 

I'm rooting for these guys and their fantastic product, so do yourself a favour and brave the sketchiness to sample one helluva Schnitzel!

Next up, a very special Canwiches Superbowl Special Edition!! 

Keep it mayo'd

The Rally to Restore Sandwiches

In October of this year, Jon Stewart, for whatever reason (satire, politics, his profound sense of Enochlophilia?) decided to hold a Rally to Restore Sanity. 

This guy clearly supports my Sandwich/Quasi-Sandwich division 

Eventually after a few discussion amongst friends, the idea of driving to Washington to attend the rally starting picking up steam. The drive through  three states would no doubt give me an opportunity to examine a small piece of Sandwich Americana. 

Stop #1:  Williamsport Pennsylvania, Joey's Place

Williamsport is the home of Little League Baseball and a town with a profound love of the Hoagie Sandwich. The Hoagie Sandwich is but one of many names for that loveable submarine Sandwich concept (others include:  grinder (New England), hero (NY), filled roll (NZ),  a Wedge (Yonkers). 


I ordered a Cheesesteak and an Italian Hoagie to split with my enthusiastic Sandwich pal Steve: 

The Cheesesteak was pretty good. I got it with provolone (once again trying to save my first Whiz-Wit until I make cheesesteak Alliyah to Philly) 

The steak was finely chopped and had the commensurate levels of beefiness that one should expect from Ribeye. The bun was nice and fluffy, almost to a wonder-bread level, and was served warm but not toasted. 

The meat was not overstuffed, and each bite had a nice inter-mixture of Steak, Provolone and onions. 

The real start of the day though was the Hoagie. When Steve ordered his Assorted Hoagie (salami and ham)  he was asked if he "wanted it in the garden?"   (Pennsylvania Sandwich talk for tomatoes, onions and lettuce)... naturally Steve went for it. 

The bread had  a good exterior crunch while maintaining form. The onions and fresh peppery tomatoes gave a very nice offset to the meats. While the meats felt like they were of the processed kind, I certainly still enjoyed them. I feel like there is a time for artesian gooseberry-fed hams and salamis and there is a time for Boar's Head meats.. this was the latter. 

My half of this Hoagie was scarfed down at a alarmingly quick rate. 

Another Sandwich Biographical ("ASB") note is that in this part of Pennsylvania, Ranch Dressing is seemingly king and is an accompaniment for most everything. 

Another satisfied customer

Overall Judgment: 8/10 Pennsylvania Ranch Opas. 

Stop #2: Chat-A-Whyle, Bath NY 

After spending roughly 20 hours in the car over 72 hours, we are ill in need of a freshening up, so we decided to stop in Bath NY (I can hear your groans over the internet)

This place felt like the quintessential American diner. The restaurant features home-style foods like Country Fried Steak, Pot Roast meatloaf and a generous dollop of good old-fashioned hospitality. 

Since we were in upstate NY, I figured I'd order another Beef on Weck (for more info on the Beef on Weck click here).

Unfortunately the Kummelweck bun was far inferior to the ones at Schwabl's. At Schwabl's I got hit with by a fantastic kind of saltiness.  This just seemed like a Kaiser with a few caraway seeds. 

The roast beef felt tepid and uninspired. I had to pour almost the entire container of Au Jus to get something sufficiently moist.  

While I definitely enjoyed the experience at Chat A Wyle, on my next visit I am much more likely to check myself as opposed to wecking myself. 

Overall Judgment:

5.5/10 Opas

Investing in Pastrami Futures at the Deli Duel and the Stockyards

What's the capital of Jewish India?  New Deli


Even before Tom Davis opened his now famous "Stockyards" Restaurant on St Clair West, I began following his progress thanks to a Chowhound post and a link to his catering blog.


The Stockyards bills itself as a "modern day interpretation of the family diner/ BBQ joint". It features the city's BEST Fried Chicken, fantastic ribs available only on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays (and get there quick b/c these things sell like perfectly smoked hotcakes) and a couple of fantastic Sandwiches. 


The Deli Duel


While I had been there several times already, my first exposure to The Stockyards Pastrami (which was sold out during my first four visits), was at The Stop's Deli Duel, pitting three of Toronto's best Smoked Meat Sandwiches:

First up was likely favourite and Rye-Toast of the Deli-Town, Caplansky's

For my impression of Caplansky's, see volume 2 of my deli guide


Next up was Goldin's Smoked Meat.  I first heard of Goldin Smoked Meat from some wowed reviewers on chowhound. Originally, the Goldin brothers sold their meats only via a mail-order system where you could purchase the meat cryo-vacuumed, and you would be instructed to re-steam it yourself. 

(Source: user duckdown on  Redflagdeals.com)

More recently, Goldin's smoked meat has been available at the thematically-Jewish but far from Kosher Free Times Cafe. Free times is a bar and eatery mostly famous for their "Bella did ya Eat?" Klezmer Brunch, as well as a live music venue. 


I ordered the Goldin's Smoked Meat Sandwich at Free Times and was very disappointed. While the meat had great flavour and spice, it was very poorlycut and clearly hadn't been properly resteamed. While I wanted to love the Sandwich, I found myself very put-off my chunks of meat that were so dry they tasted like Smoked Meat Slim-Jim:

  


When I got to the Duel, I noticed that the Goldin Bros themselves were manning the stand and I found myself eating an entirely different product:  You can tell just how much jucier this Sandwich was then at free times: 

When properly cut (by hand, with good thickness and a nice balance of meat to fat) , Goldin's Meat was meltingly tender with the same great spicing and flavour profile that reminded me a lot of Snowdon Deli in Montreal.  Like most other Toronto Delis, it was served on Silverstein's Rye 


Overall Impressions: 


Free Times Version - 4/10 Opas 
Smoked Meat Duel Version - 8.5/10 Opas




The Final Stop at the Deli Duel was at The Stockyards

The Pastrami had a strong sense of smokiness and had some excellent spicing but unfortunately there was simply not enough of this delicious pastrami for me to really sink my teeth into it. 

So a couple of days later I rounded up my Sandwich-friends Jeremy and Natalie and headed out to the Stockyards with Pastrami on my mind. I should note that I called ahead to ensure that they had pastrami in stock as I have been disappointed in the past. 


Jeremy and myself ordered the Pastrami while Natalie skillfully went with porchetta and a sauteed rabe add-on (From the website - "Fennel and garlic scented pork loin, belly and cracklings served on a baguette with garlic aioli"...)

The Pastrami featured the same rich smokey taste and reminded me of the smokiness in some of Zane's earlier briskets. It had a great texture with sufficient amounts of both tender and chew in each bite. Occasionally some bites felt a bit overpowering in terms of spice but overall a very good Sandwich.

What really blew me away at The Stockyards was the Porchetta. The Porchetta sandwich, which is seemingly experience a renaissance (due to Porchetta-only Sandwich shops in NYC and Toronto). 

Every single aspect of this Sandwich worked elegantly together: 

- the Pork was extremely tender. Using different parts of the pig (loin, belly, cracklings) gave a fantastic layered taste. 

- the rabe was an amazing addition. The rabe added some much needed garlic (despite its presence in the aioli) and just a hint of bitterness that really paired well with the creamy aioli. Also the rabe gave a good snap/crunch to the Sandwich

- this was a rare case where I felt a Baugette served its roll (get it) prefectly as a Sandwich Conduit, it was soft on the inside with a nice crust too it. Very little Sandwich spill off was observed. 

While I was mowing down on the Sandwiches, a photographer from Toronto Life asked my group if we were willing to be in some picutres for the magazine's guide to St. Clair W. When she asked, I immeadietly was struck by the notion of Canwiches getting some shine in a traditional media source. 

Unfortunately we didn't make the final cut, but after some emails, to Jessica Darmin the extremely talented photographer, I managed to get some copies to share with you all. I think they truly give a sense of the full-body experience I give in reviewing all these deli-licious Sandwiches: 

Overall Impression of the Stockyards: 9.5/10 extremely smoky Opas!

Law-Wiches Volume 2: Amici Sandwichicius (friend of the Sandwich)

As I stated in volume 1 of this post, throughout my initial forays into the legal profession, I am CONSTANTLY asked about my favourite Sandwiches in Toronto's Financial District. As such, here are the rest of my Sandwich reviews in the general vicinity (e.g. walking distance from King & Bay where I worked this summer) of the Financial District. 

Entry #4: Petit Four Bakery 

Petit Four is the sister restaurant of Four Bistro and is located in Commerce Court. The main attraction of these Sandwiches are the freshly baked and occasionally-eccentric Foccacia breads that serve as a conduit for Sandwich deliciousness. 

The first Sandwich I sampled from them was the California Turkey Sandwich: 

The Sandwich featured tender roast turkey, avocado, tomato and lettuce. What really piqued my interest on this Sandwich was that it was served on Bacon Foccacia. I wondered what this meant: was bacon going to be ground in and baked in? Was the flour bacon flavored? or was the foccacia simply inspired by Bacon's salty deliciousness. Turns out it was NONE OF THE ABOVE. It had large strips of bacon laid on top of the loaf:

Keeping the Bacon separate and above the Sandwich fillings was actually a little bit of genius. It kept the bacon crisp and prevented mushiness from setting in (which definitely would have happened with the mayo and avocado in the sandwich)

This Sandwich came with a mixed salad and was around $10 bucks, a very reasonable price for Bay Street.

I also sampled a terrific Smoked Salmon and Egg sandwich with shoestring onions on a more conventional whole-wheat Foccacia. The boiled eggs were perfect degree of well-done (just a shade below hard boiled) for a Sandwich. The Smoked Salmon was fresh but lacked the wow factor of say Russ & Daughters Salmon

 

Overall  Judgment: 

8.5 Opas/10 

Definitely one my favourite Sandwiches in the district. 

Entry #5: Mustachio's

Mustachio's is the well-known Veal Sandwichery in the basement of the St Lawrence Market. 

Some of my older readers may recall I made a passing reference to it in the Great Back-Bacon Bonanza Post  , where I sacrificied my body in the name of ascertaining the best Peameal on a Kaiser @ SLM. 

Mustachio has its crew of fans who constantly harangue me about missing it my 2 volume Veal Sandwich treatise (volume 1  and volume 2). It also has its haters. 

In my opinions it has some notable advantages over other Veal shops and some areas where it is lacking: 

Pros: 

• They offer the option of the Veal/Eggplant Combo
• Free carmelized onions (... I think)
• Nice crispness

Cons:  

• Bland tomato sauce (can't compare with California Sandwiches, Vinny Panini and the rest of the top of the pack)
• My eggplant seemed a bit dried out

Overall Impressions: 

I think that it was a solid Sandwich, but clearly I am biased towards this type of Sandwich (as I've already reviewed like 6 other veal Sandwiches in the city). I think that it probably ranks closest to San Francesco in the Veal Sandwich pantheon. 

As such, it deserves 7 Opas/10

Entry #6: The Sandwich Box

As Canada's premier (and possibly only) Sandwich blogger, I would be remiss to avoid any place with the word Sandwich featured prominently in the title. However, when it comes to the Sandwich Box, I was a little bit shy about reviewing it.

 Why you ask? 

I have always found it hard to review D.I.Y Sandwiches. If you gets a bad Sandwich where you get to pick your choice of meat, bread, toppings, is it truly the restaurant's fault or does the blame lie on the Sandwich eater? 

As such, I resolved to review the Sandwich Box by trying their "Sandwich of the day". 

The Sandwich featured chopped Bacon, roast Chicken, Swiss Cheese and if I recall correctly some sort of flavoured Aioli. 

It was alright. The bread was fresh and the meats were perfectly serviceable but not otherwise noteworthy. 

While around the same amount of food/$ as Petit Four, I felt that I got a much better value at Petit Four. 

Overall Judgment: 6.5 Opas/10

To close, some Sandwich humor for you all: 

A Sandwich walks into a bar in a seedy neighborhood bar and tries to order a drink. 

The bartender replies "I'm sorry we don't serve food in this bar".