best sandwich you ever had

[WoodHokie4]

I have a bit of a sandwich fetish and am always on the lookout for new sandwiches to try.

What was the best sandwich you ever had and where did you get it?

Bonus: beer pairings? And recipe links?

 

[Cyclman]

Jim N Nick's BBQ, they have the "double decker" Pulled pork, brisket, sauce, pickles, on a home made bun. Awesome with a Dry dock Apricot Blonde.

 

[mojo_wire]

I don't know, but I just watched "My Drunk Kitchen: Tuna Melt!" and I'd like one of those. Preferably with a side order of Hannah Hart. Although it would help if she was straight.

I'm sorry, what was the question?

 

[woknblues]

I am sure nobody will remember it, but there was a place downtown LA that my grandparents would take us when we visited. It was called Chep's (Deli?). Anyways, you sit down and they bring out plates of pickles. Then, we would order 'The Ring Dinger". This was probably a $30 sandwich or so. They would bring this giant platter that had a huge rye and turkey/pastrami multi layered sandwich all cut up with toothpicks and olives, pickled onions and good mustard and whatnot. It fed 6 people more than comfortably.

That said, good LA pastrami sandwiches are almost a dime a dozen there, and I would put 'em up against anything on the East Coast or Montreal, etc. 'The Hat', a chain makes a very passable sandwich that you can find all over. I have found that for some reason, the prices of these types of sandwiches carry a premium that I personally feel are unfounded.

Beyond pastrami, (a pinch of salt thrown over my shoulder to ward off bad voodoo for even saying it) I am mostly excited about Vietnamese Bahn Mi.

Bahn Mi can generally be found in any Vietnamese restaurant, though the trend nowadays is that there are Vietnamese "Deli"s that pretty much do only Bahn Mi, or at least specialize in it. The approach is interesting. The toppings and varieties in these places that specialize are staggering. I would suggest you first go and have one with something you can wrap your mind around, then explore without hesitation the odd and wondrous varieties that they come up with. My favorite at my local place is a baguette, filled with cilantro and mint, pickled daikon and bean sprouts, carrot, hot peppers and then a meat loaf like liver pate, a headcheese type offering, and barbecued pork. I get a side of fish sauce for dipping it into.... Godly stuff. Another hallmark that I appreciate is that the sandwiches are usually $4-$5. I can also get a "double meat" for $2 and easily split one with my wife to share. $6 take out lunch for 2? Yes sir.

 

[woknblues]

By the way, you could probably pair this with just about any beer, as I personally feel that Asian food in general is so balanced and diverse (sweet, salty, spicy, pungent, etc) that it lends itself to just about anything. I would as soon drink a milk stout with one as I would a Berliner Weisse.

 

[thaworm69]

Seen these today! Tasty looking things! We have a place here in town that serves "Beezers" They are a burger with swiss/american cheese, topped with prime rib slice and served with a "beezer" sauce. Kind of a horseradish bbq sauce i guess?! They are on texas toast. But i suppose technically i'm speaking burgers.

 

[StrongBad42]

Kobe-Wagyu Burger* – 1/2 pound kobe burger topped with caramelized onion and gorgonzola cheese served on a grilled asiago bun with bistro sauce, lettuce and tomato. Its at a place called The Soup Spoon Cafe in Lansing, MI

 

[Vigo_Carpathian]

The Matt Cain from Ike's Lair in redwood city, California. Yahoo listed it as among the best in the country. Man vs Food went there as well. If you ever happen to be in the area, stop and try it. Every sandwich on their website is unique.

 

[julioardz]

Ever see the movie Spanglish? There's a scene where Adam Sandler makes a BLT with a fried egg in it. Every variation I have made of this has been great, but my favorite is on sourdough bread. I cook the bacon strips first. Then I butter the bread and toast it on the griddle. I make an over easy egg with salt and pepper and then layer my sandwich from bottom to top: slice of bread, lettuce, bacon strips, tomato slices, egg, a bit of fresh or dry basil for flavor, and the top slice of bread. No mayo or other dressings. I cut it in half with a bread knife and let the egg yolk drip out, giving me a nice sauce to dip the sandwich in. It tastes great with a dry stout late at night.

Google "Spanglish Sandwich" for pictures and other recipes.

 

[GoldMiner]

Hook & Ladder from Firehouse Subs.

It's the sandwich equivalent of crack.

 

[orion7144]

Nothing beats a well prepared Philly cheese steak in downtown Philly. Or does a calzone count as a sandwich? lol

 

[Fastmetal]

BBQ brisket on Wonder bread at Arthur Byrant's in KC.

 

[NivekD]

Love the Reuben at Jason's Deli.

 

[BarefootFriar]

I've eaten some truly great sandwiches in my life. There was that Reuben I found in some hole-in-the-wall deli in Atlanta. There was that pastrami and swiss on rye I had at McAlister's Deli, a chain here in the southeastern US. I've eaten at Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney, and that was amzingly good. I've made a couple at home that were pretty awesome. But the very best sandwich I've ever eaten, hands down, was a muffaletta at the now-defunct International Deli in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was on the strip, just blocks from the university. I was a kid, maybe 10 years old. My dad took me. I have never had a muff that good ever since, despite looking in many places. It was unforgettable.

 

[JohnnyO]

At a deli on Long Island, ai used to get a Manhattan. It was hot roast beef with gravy and melted mozzarella on a garlic hero.

I miss that sangwich.

 

[Red_Scooter]

Bahn mi from the pickled carrot in Denton TX.

 

[brewingmeister]

 

[Airplanedoc]

Man, I have a few

Hot Dipped Italian Beef -- Sometimes I throw a slice of Smoked Provolone

Pastrami and Swiss on Rye

Really can't go wrong with a good Pulled Pork either.

 

[WoodHokie4]

Wow...this has been generating a lot of good conversation!

In reply to several posts:
I have had a bahn mi before at a local bahn mi restaurant. I have actually seen a couple shows on food network talking about them specifically and have gotten a little obsessed...

I live in Delaware, which is a stone's throw away from philly, and those are some fantastic eats! Although, i can get some as good or better here in DE, so i done need to go all the way there.

Hot pastrami sandwiches are awesome, especially from a goood kosher deli. I've never been to the west coast to tell, but id pit a good east coast kosher pastrami against west coast any day.

That muffaletta......drool......thats next on my list of sandwiches to make after the bahn mi.

And about the mydrunkenkitchen video...im thinkin that was a mydrunkenhomebrewtalk post ... but stiill funny.

Roast beef with gravy....that just sounds...wow, yes please!

Rubens are about the ultimate concoction of delicious...sauerkraut, corned beef, dressing, swiss on rye....nothing about that is even "just OK".

Pulled pork is a very touchy subject with southerners. Having grown up in rural VA, i know that pulled pork varies from region to region and people get adamant that theirs is the best. Personally, i think they're all good

Thanks for all tye feedback! Keep it coming!

 

[nasty_rabbit]

If you have ever been to Pittsburgh there is a restaurant in the " strip district" called Primanti Brothers. The strip is where all of the produce for the area arrived by boats on the river and then distributed by truck to the grocery stores. The drivers wanted a meal that they could take on the road so the restaurant developed a sandwich that fit the bill. It starts with a thick hand cut slice of Italian bread then your choice of meat (my preference is the hot sausage patty) then thick cut fries then cole slaw and finally another slice of bread. All of this wrapped in butcher paper. Once you start to eat it, you cannot put it down. It pairs great with an Iron City beer.

If you ask for anything to be left off or on the side they would politely (in a Pittsburgh kind of way) tell you to get the hell out of their restaurant. Think soup nazi from Seinfeld.

 

[woknblues]

Wow...this has been generating a lot of good conversation!

In reply to several posts:
I have had a bahn mi before at a local bahn mi restaurant. I have actually seen a couple shows on food network talking about them specifically and have gotten a little obsessed...


Hot pastrami sandwiches are awesome, especially from a goood kosher deli. I've never been to the west coast to tell, but id pit a good east coast kosher pastrami against west coast any day.

That muffaletta......drool......thats next on my list of sandwiches to make after the bahn mi.

Glad to hear you know about Bahn mi. It's a mind blowing experience, especially to the uninitiated.

I understand your gut instinct (pun intended) about east coast vs west coast pastrami. Here is my take on the situation having had plenty on both sides of the coast. Yeah, they invented it on the east coast. But the true masters left for the west coast and settled on Fairfax in West LA. Having said that, you wouldn't catch me dead there, as they feel it reasonable to charge $20 for a sandwich that I can consume in a sitting. They are killing the golden goose. Sure, the tourist will drop a $20 for the experience, but you wont catch a local there unless they are showing around out of town family, or celebrating a once a year type thing.

I was going to mention muffalettas in my first post, but felt I was getting wordy already. One type of sandwitch I actually feel is very overrated is a po' boy. I have only ever eaten them in NO (my favorite eating city by far), and I have always been underwhelmed by the dry, breadiness of them. A muffaletta on the other hand, almost always good.

I too, have a strong passion for a good 'witch, and hope to sit across from you at a table somewhere in this great country of ours and dig in. Thanks for the happy thread.

 

[WoodHokie4]

One type of sandwitch I actually feel is very overrated is a po' boy. I have only ever eaten them in NO (my favorite eating city by far), and I have always been underwhelmed by the dry, breadiness of them. A muffaletta on the other hand, almost always good.

I too, have a strong passion for a good 'witch, and hope to sit across from you at a table somewhere in this great country of ours and dig in. Thanks for the happy thread.

Po'boys can be a great sandwich if done properly. If you've been to NO, then you've been to their birth place. Legend has it, that the term was coined by restaurant owners giving out free sandwiches to the street car conductors who were on strike at the time, and were referred to as the "poor boys", and would typically consist of oysters or shrimp. I love cajun/creole food, but have not had many po'boys. To your point, though, the bread makes all the difference in a sandwich and can make or break it.

I look forward to enjoying a good sammich together sometime!

 

[doughaas]

As far as I'm concerned the chivito is the king of the sandwich world.

A nice Cuban or banh mi are close runners up.

 

[HopHoarder]

The Braeburn Lodge between Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon has THE BEST rueben sandwich. They use thick slabs of homemade sourdough bread and it's a meal for two. They even have an airstrip across the highway and it's an official stop for the Yukon Quest annual dogsledding race.

 

[rexbanner]

I am sure nobody will remember it, but there was a place downtown LA that my grandparents would take us when we visited. It was called Chep's (Deli?). Anyways, you sit down and they bring out plates of pickles. Then, we would order 'The Ring Dinger". This was probably a $30 sandwich or so. They would bring this giant platter that had a huge rye and turkey/pastrami multi layered sandwich all cut up with toothpicks and olives, pickled onions and good mustard and whatnot. It fed 6 people more than comfortably.

That said, good LA pastrami sandwiches are almost a dime a dozen there, and I would put 'em up against anything on the East Coast or Montreal, etc. 'The Hat', a chain makes a very passable sandwich that you can find all over. I have found that for some reason, the prices of these types of sandwiches carry a premium that I personally feel are unfounded.

Beyond pastrami, (a pinch of salt thrown over my shoulder to ward off bad voodoo for even saying it) I am mostly excited about Vietnamese Bahn Mi.

Bahn Mi can generally be found in any Vietnamese restaurant, though the trend nowadays is that there are Vietnamese "Deli"s that pretty much do only Bahn Mi, or at least specialize in it. The approach is interesting. The toppings and varieties in these places that specialize are staggering. I would suggest you first go and have one with something you can wrap your mind around, then explore without hesitation the odd and wondrous varieties that they come up with. My favorite at my local place is a baguette, filled with cilantro and mint, pickled daikon and bean sprouts, carrot, hot peppers and then a meat loaf like liver pate, a headcheese type offering, and barbecued pork. I get a side of fish sauce for dipping it into.... Godly stuff. Another hallmark that I appreciate is that the sandwiches are usually $4-$5. I can also get a "double meat" for $2 and easily split one with my wife to share. $6 take out lunch for 2? Yes sir.

Bahn Mi is great, and sooooo cheap! I used to live right near Eden Center, one of the largest Vietnamese enclaves in the country.

I clicked on this thread because I have been thinking about food all day. Today I made pork schnitzel sandwiches with my deep fryer for the first time, insanely good.

The best sandwich is a Jersey Reuben, in my opinion. Replace the sour kraut with coleslaw, and add Russian dressing and pastrami. So good.

 

[funkadelicturkey]

If you have ever been to Pittsburgh there is a restaurant in the " strip district" called Primanti Brothers....

+1 for Primanti Brothers!!! I enjoyed their Colossal Fish Sandwich, a couple of times, it is a thing of beauty.

 

[passedpawn]

The Monte Cristo is the best sandwich ever invented. Turkey, cheese, deep fried, with raspberry jam.

I like all the ones mentioned above, but they are pedestrian next to the Monte Cristo.

Bennigans (are they still around?) had a great one.

 

[StonesBally]

I'm a big sandwich guy myself. I really like muffaletta, a nice rare roast beef and butter on a homemade roll, or grilled cuban style sandwich, but my favorite of all has to be the pastrami reuben from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor. They have the best pastrami I have ever eaten, anywhere, but you have to get the full fat cut. It may even be better just to buy a loaf of their rye, a pound of their pastrami, and a pound o their swiss, and take it home and make 3 or 4 great hot sandwiches from it. If you like pastrami, corned beef, or a just a great deli sandwich, Zingerman's is great.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Bahn mi from the pickled carrot in Denton TX.

Ive never been to the Pickled Carrot (nor Denton, nor most of Texis for that matter) but I was going to mention a Bahn Mi. The worst Bahn Mi Ive ever had was still better than most other sandwiches :rockin:

 

[mikescooling]

Man, I have a few

Hot Dipped Italian Beef -- Sometimes I throw a slice of Smoked Provolone

Pastrami and Swiss on Rye

Really can't go wrong with a good Pulled Pork either.

We have Al's beef's, you order it "dipped wit hot peppers" And we have Hot dogs when your order them you say "drag em through the garden" And Maxwell street polish. Sooo good, tast like Mom used to buy.