Sandwiches – Page 13

Sunday Sandwiches – Tadian Cafe

September 20, 2020 mmm-yoso Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Sandwiches

I noticed this little shop on my way to Hawaiian Fresh Seafood a couple of weeks back. There used to be a little sandwich shop named Café Seven; that I visited last year, but never returned.

It was now named Tadian Café….interesting name. I wondered if the owners were Filipino….you see; back in Hawaii, I used to work with a fellow whose family was from the Province in the Phillipines bearing that name……we used to joke about a specific mountain in that province that had quite an "interesting" name.

After looking thru the online menu; I noticed things like smoothies, Teriyaki Plates, Broken Rice, among the sandwiches….there was a distinct fusion aspect to the menu……which, while particularly not enticing to me, made me a bit curious about the place.

So, I placed an online order and headed over to the Tadian Café. My order was ready and on the counter when I arrived….I was in and out in less than 2 minutes. The young lady prepping food was very pleasant and quite sweet.

And I headed back with my Chinese Sausage Sandwich ($7.99), which nicely priced. There are options for sandwiches online….I basically just wanted my bread toasted.

I quickly read the label on my bag which said "Tadian – Vietnamese Cuisine and Sandwiches"….which cleared up some of what I had in mi Cabeza….

This was a decent sandwich for the price and my favorite of the three that I've had from Tadian. The standard issue "French Roll" was somewhat airy; if a bit too dense to consider a banh mi. The lup cheong had been toasted and had what a pleasant chew to it….it might be a bit too tough for some; but I especially enjoyed this with the creamy avocado……lup cheong and avocado, who knew? The pickled jalapenos, you know, the type you buy at the Mexican market in a can, added acidity, a mild spice, and helped bring things together. Lettuce, tomato, onion, rounded out the sandwich, with the mayo adding richness, but being otherise unobtrusive.

Not a bad sandwich at all.

While taking a quick peek at the photo menu behind the counter, I noticed an interesting sandwich; which I don't recall seeing anywhere before – a Thai Roast Beef ($8.50). So, the next time I had a chance, I ordered one, adding sprouts (50 cents) and thinking it might need some heat, jalapenos.

This time my sandwich was waiting for me on the shelf right inside the shop.

I'm glad I got the jalapenos as even though this was a fairly hefty sandwich; this really didn't impress me in terms of "Thai" flavors….yes, there was some sweet and savory-salty flavors; but it would have been pretty run-of-the-mill and in need of some "zip" and more assertive flavors.

The roll was nicely toasted and somewhat crusty as well; which certainly helped things.

I also noticed a pack of LKK Sweet Chili Sauce and crushed red peppers in my bag. Perhaps I was supposed to add my own flavors?

This past week; I decided to grab a sandwich on the way home to check on Frankie. On my last visit, the young lady recommended the "Pastrami Bomb" ($8.99); so I decided to order it – on toasted sourdough.

When I got home I opened things up – it was a decent sized sandwich.

You can tell what my problem was with this, right? The bread hadn't been toasted enough and it had way too much honey-mustard……..the bread was saturated as was the pastrami. I'm game to try this again; but will definitely ask for them to go easy on the honey-mustard mayo, since the pastrami tasted fine outside the sandwich and I think it would have been quite good evenly dressed.

I did however, get a tidbit of information on this visit. I asked the young lady about the meaning of the name and was told that in Vietnamese it means something like "let's go and eat"…..I'm sure one of my "FOYs" will let me know if that is true or not.

So basically, there's an interesting range of sandwiches at Tadian; from Grill Cheeses and interesting variations on standards and a bunch of stuff on the menu with an Asian/Vietnamese flair. As most of my regular readers know; I have an affection for these independent, family-owned sandwich shops. The young lady working is so sweet and my sandwiches have always been ready for pick-up when I arrive, I'll definitely return.

Tadian Cafe
5955 Mira Mesa Blvd. Suite K
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 9am – 2pm

Takeout from Gourmet Artisan

August 30, 2020 mmm-yoso Burgers, Sandwiches

**** Gourmet Artisan has closed

Back in June, after I called and got a strange message from A Sandwich A’Fare and before I ended up going to the Philadelphia Sandwich Company, I called Gourmet Artisan and got an “voicemail full” message….which seemed kind of ominous. Were they closed temporarily, or permanently, or what? On a recent takeout revisit to SuperNatural Sandwiches, I noticed that Gourmet Artisan was open. So, a few days later, I decided to call….and I got a real person answering and placed an order for takeout.

I went with the Prosciutto Sandwich ($12). Upon opening the box at my desk I was rewarded with the distinct fragrance of parmesan and garlic from the fries; which made me quite happy as on my last visit it seemed that they had stopped with the parmesan, garlic, and truffle oil on the fries.

On the not-so-good side; the fries hadn’t been fried enough and were really pale and of course, quite soggy.

The ciabatta could have been more toasted and was too chewy and doughy and over-powered the unevenly made sandwich. Enjoyed the peppery arugula; but everything else just fell flat.

There was one interesting thing that I noticed during my visit. There were three orders before me….each of them ordered burgers. Hmmm…..

So, a few weeks later; I decided to order a burger…..man, when was the last time I had a burger? What the heck is wrong with me?

I ordered the Tex-Mex Burger ($12). And, I was really happy to note that this time around, the fries were crisp and had a good amount of Parmesan and garlic.

The burger was not bad; I enjoyed the brioche style bun; which was not quite up to the task, but really just displayed how moist the burger was. The patty was fairly lean, but had a pleasant beefiness, was decently seasoned, and was not bad at all. It was perhaps a tad on the mealy side in terms of texture, but was perfectly serviceable.

The fries, while not quite to level of what it used to be….lacking in truffle flavor, was nicely fried, and far from bland with a good amount of Parmesan.

I actually enjoyed the milky, melted Swiss cheese and a the sneaky jalapenos on this….heck, I may have another burger next time.

Gourmet Artisan Fine Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Road
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 860-5814
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 1030am – 215pm

Banh Mi To Go from Mignon Pho + Seafood (+ Grill)

August 24, 2020 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Hoooo boy; was it humid this past weekend! The Missus was working as was I this past Saturday, but I got off at a reasonable time and had to head to Nijiya to do some shopping. It was already 11am; kinda late for a typical weekend visit to Nijiya during these times and man, the line into the place was no joke……with temps hitting the 90's and humidity around the same.

I decided that a Banh Mi might be just the thing on a day like this. I'd already tried Cali Banh Mi's Convoy location on a trip home form Nijiya back in June….so, I thought why not give Mignon Pho + Grill another try…make that Mignon Pho + Seafood….and I hadn't tried the Banh Mi there yet.

As always, the folks working here are very nice. I mentioned that I'd be running to Nijiya, so I probably wouldn't pick up my order for another hour, and she told me "no problem, I'll wait and we'll time it for you!" And you know what; I got thru the line and out of Nijiya in around 45 minutes…..as I walked into Mignon to pick up my order; it was just at the window, and ready for me in the blink of an eye. By this time, two of the outdoor tables were filled with folks ready to eat.

I've pretty much considered Mignon to be Vietnamese Fusion, so heck, why not order the "California Banh Mi" ($8). I'd totally missed the part where it says these come with fries…..if I thought the fries would hold up; I would have ordered the Lemongrass Fries, which were the best thing I've had at Mignon to date. I'm glad I didn't because the fries were shot when I opened things up after the 15 minute drive home.

As I figured; this was a pretty "stuffed" banh mi. The bread was dry and crumbly; the egg was nicely fried….large slices of cucumber, and even more scary, look at those thick slices of jalapeno! Spicy too. The pickled carrot and radish were nicely pickled. The marinated beef….being rather bland seemed like it needed more marinating and too thickly cut and chewy. The menu said there was ponzu on his; but I really couldn't taste it…..I would have settled for a nice pate.

Well, I've just one more place to do takeout from in this strip mall……

I really like the folks who work here and just wish the food was a bit better…..

Mignon Pho + Grill
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Sunday Sandwiches – Rose Canyon Deli Revisited

August 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

Right before the "Covid-19 Hammer" came down; I was discussing places in the Bay Park/Morena/Bay Ho area with an acquaintance. I mentioned Rose Canyon Deli and the fellow seemed shocked that I knew of the place. Apparently, he worked in that same business park as the sandwich shop and figured that based on the rather obscure location I wouldn't know about the place. He then mentioned that Rose Canyon Deli was under new ownership which had added better quality and a "freshness" to the place.

So, finally a few weeks back, on my way home to check on Frankie, needing to refuel at Costco, I decided to stop by.

The exterior of the place looks the same.

The interior, now with plastic sheeting as a barrier for Covid-19 had also been freshened up a bit. As had the menu; which has now added smoothies.

The young lady working was very cheerful and pleasant…..previously an older couple had run the sandwich shop.

I went with the "Rocky" ($7.69).

A no-frills, but satisfying Roast Beef – Avocado – mayo – mustard sandwich on a nicely toasted roll. The Swiss Cheese added a nice milkiness, the red onion, a pungent-but slightly sweet touch. Wish the tomatoes were a bit riper; but heck, at this price point, I thought I got my money's worth. Plus, the young lady was so pleasant and cheerful….we need more of that during these times, right?

When folks mention places to me; I'll often ask for a recommendation. This fellow told me to try their wraps; specifically the Chicken Caesar Wrap; with the Spinach Tortilla, which admittedly would not have been something I would have ordered. But, I decided to give it a go ($6.99). This time I called ahead to minimize my time indoors and contact.

And while I did enjoy the spinach wrap; it was nicely toasted, with a nice bit of crunch to go with the doughy stretch, along with a mild charred-smokiness to it; the reheated chicken breast was bland and dry. Too much Caesar Spread on this as well. Not enough veggies to add acidity-sweetness-texture. Oh well, can't win 'em all, right?

One out of two ain't bad….the location is close enough and the prices reasonable, plus I enjoy supporting these small, locally owned businesses so I'll definitely return, especially since the young lady working the counter is so very nice. And, heck, I might just get the veggie wrap next time!

Rose Canyon Deli
4901 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 270-7600
Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm

Munich – A Morning Walk, Weisswurst at the Viktualienmarkt, and “No Please Do Not Call it…..”

August 1, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Markets & Grocers, Munich, Sandwiches, Travel

Our Monday in Munich was going to be our "walking day", as the Missus had a broad outline worked out. We headed out from our apartment and a few blocks away got to the Missus's starting point, a large square officially known as Karlsplatz, but which most folks in Munich call "Stachus".

Right past the square as you head toward the city center, you pass through Karlstor. While the city walls of Munich were torn down near the end of the 18th Century; three of the gates remain.

This gate is one of the entrances to Munich's "Pedestrian Zone". It is obviously one of the main shopping streets as well.

We were surprised at all the "little surprises" we found on our way to our breakfast stop. It was fun and there was a lot to catch our attention and I'm sure we missed quite a bit as well.

I thought the fountain to the right was quite interesting. It's named Brunnenburbel – "Fountain Boy". It was quite interesting; apparently the fountain depicts a Satyr spitting water on a boy. The story goes that the boy was trying to stop the Styr from peeing, so the Satyr grabbed the boy and started spitting on him. I mentioned this to someone and was told; "it is very German….you see, in Belgium, they celebrate a boy peeing (Mannekin Pis)…here, even the little boys know it's wrong, and try to stop it, even at a cost". I dunno know about that, but it's very quaint, no?

During our walk down Neuhauser Strasse we saw a few things that reminded us of places we had been to before.

The first was at this place.

This is the German Hunting and Fishing Museum. And no it wasn't the giant Wels catfish outside; but rather this fellow, do you recognize him from a previous post?

Yes, it's a copy of Il Porcellino…..you recall that in Florence, I managed to "feed Mr Piggy"…..so, according to legend, I'm supposed to return to Florence one day!

And just a bit further down we came across this fellow!

Shades of Salzburg. We had just come from Salzburg, where you couldn't help but run into Stephan Balkenhol's "Sphaera". And here, leading to a shopping lane named Kaufingertor Passage was this sculpture. I had a bit of a time trying to find out the name of this one. After a bit of work; I found that the name of this piece was simply “Man with outstretched arms and white shirt”. Go figure.

And of course all roads….or make that pedestrian streets leads to Marienplatz.

Even on a Monday at right before 9 am, the place was fairly busy.

On our way back, later in the day, we'd actually get a chance to see the Glockespiel on the New Town Hall go off. It's quite entertaining.

It might be obvious to you; but Marienplaz literally means "Mary's Square". The column that stands near the middle of the square is named Mariensäule "Mary's Column", a Marian column that dates back to 1638 and was created to celebrate Bavaria's victory over Swedish Troops during the Thirty Years War. At the top of the column a golden statue of the Virgin Mary stands on a gold crescent moon, befitting her title of "Queen of Heaven".

In case you were wondering what happened to the Old Town Hall; well, it's right there at the end of the square.

In retrospect, the Missus and I were quite surprised at all the church's in Munich, we ended up visiting quite a few. Our last stop before "breakfast" was St Peter's Church.

St Peter's Church is said to be the oldest Catholic Church in Munich. It is also noted that as far back as the 8th Century monks lived around a little church on this hill. This church dates back to the 12th Century.

I found of this interesting and I really enjoyed the ceiling Frescoes.

But there was one main reason I wanted to visit. In one of the side Altars of the church you'll find a coffin of glass. The skeleton in that coffin is covered with a bejeweled body stocking….gold and jewels abound. The skeleton's eyes are glass.

This is the skeleton of Saint Munditia who is the Patron Saint of….wait for it…..Spinsters! Her remains have been interred in the church since 1675.

Well, after that visit…..it was time to grab a rather late breakfast.

We had enjoyed our short visit to the Viktualienmarkt on the day we arrived in Munich, so I really wanted to check the place out again and I also wanted the Missus to try some Weisswurst and it had to be eaten at the right time…..according to tradition Weisswurst should never be eaten after the bell chimes for noon. Traditionally, Weisswurst were made without preservatives fresh each morning, so they needed to be consumed before midday.

The Viktualienmarkt Beer Garden doesn't open until 10am, which is why we spent the morning wandering around a bit. After arriving we went and checked out some shops and produce stands.

Thing were fairly laid back and quite relaxed when we arrived.

And after exploring for a bit; we headed off to the Beer Garden.

And ordered the Missus Her Weisswurst. No beer for us; 10am is too early for "beer o'clock"….at least for us….even in Munich.

I instructed the Missus to peel off the casing before eating. I'd read that Weisswurst is white because no nitrites. which preserve color are used in making this pork, veal, and fatback, sausage. The Missus loved it! This was fairly mild in flavor, not salty, you could make out a bit of porkiness, some almost citrus tones….it was quite good. The Missus is now sold on Weisswurst…….She even prefers it without mustard. She also enjoyed the Sauekraut as well. This as enough for both the Missus and I for a pseudo brunch.

As we were leaving the Viktualienmarkt area I passed the little shop above. I saw the sign…..displayed to the right and something caught my eye. Leberkässemmel….for 2 Euroes! Leberkäse is a Bavarian and Austrian specialty that folks compare to bologna. This was a nice slice of meat product tucked into a roll (semmel), with mustard to cut the porkiness and salt. I really enjoyed this.

You know, the flavor is very familiar. As we were walking up the street, I told the Missus, "you know this really tastes like…." when a tall gentleman turned around and in a very kindly voice said, "sir…please no not say Spam….please……" Okay, then……..let's just say it was delicious, how's that? (pssst, it does kinda taste like you know what…….)

We were having a lot of fun in Munich and our day wasn't even half done!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Turkey Day Any Day from Gourmet Bagger and Meet the “Bomb Squad”

July 26, 2020 mmm-yoso Sandwiches, yoso-silly

I recently had to expand my "Covid-19 range" again. Apparently, the Missus had a package to pick up at the post office on Midway….with postage due? Anyway, this one was just by a few blocks. I decided to grab something for lunch nearby and called the Gourmet Bagger since it was just blocks from the Post Office.

They were pretty busy when I arrived, but folks were waiting outside for their orders and there were good, well spaced markings for the line to order.

My order was ready when I reached the window. I paid and left for the post office.

Back in the comments of my original post in 2018, "Derek R" recommended something called the "thanksgiving sandwich"; and I do have soft spot for turkey sandwiches with stuffing and just a touch of cranberry sauce and even gravy. So, I got the Turkey Day Any Day ($8.39).

Which is served in a French Roll, just like the Cheesesteak and Grinder. It came with a pretty hefty cookie as well.

The bread was light and yeasty, which definitely added positively to the sandwich. I thought there was a decent amount of standard issue, though moist thinly sliced turkey which did well in this framework. Sadly, I really couldn't taste the stuffing (I do like the version of this that Sandwich Emporium does) and the cranberry sauce wasn't evenly spread making some bites way to sweet and others with no cranberry sauce in it. I'd have also loved some gravy substitute with this sandwich…..weird I know….but it always takes me back to the open faced turkey sandwiches of my youth.

Not a bad sandwich, good service, I'll be back to try something else from the menu the next time I have pick stuff up from the Post Office for the Missus again.

Thanks for the rec DerekR!

The Gourmet Bagger
3357 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
Covid-19 Hours:
Mon – Sat 1030am – 330pm
Sunday 11am – 3pm

So, I did make it to the Post Office, got to the counter (this is the location that used to have the "mystery doorway" where you had to ring a bell for pick-ups before Covid-19), and gave the nice woman my slip. She retrieved the package and told me that it had no postage and strangely no return address? I paid the postage and brought the parcel home. I turned it a bit and it sounded like there were some metallic rattling noises.

The Missus sent me a text and asked me to open the parcel. Hmmm…..this was kinda weird…perhaps our current pandemic has made me overly suspicious? I told the Missus that I'd take it to the back yard and open it. The Missus told me to wear gloves.

Just as I was ready to cut through the tape, the Missus told me to "hurry and wear some face protection just in case". Just in case! Just in case???? So, I quickly just grabbed stuff and threw this together. I'll admit, it ain't my best look.

The text conversation with the Missus was even more funny.

The Missus: "You look ready for a bomb"

Me: "Ummm, I don't think I'm bomb proof….more like fart proof"

My friends said that I reminded them of a character from Star Wars. Well, I'm thinking these times are making us all a bit nuts….so perhaps you'll get a chuckle out of this.

Oh, and what was in the parcel? Some snacks and candy the Missus ordered from a company…..shipping was supposed to be free! Well, I guess it was….for them! What kind of Mickey Mouse operation doesn't even have a return shipping label? So unprofessional…..

Oh well, another story for "the books".

Hope you had a great weekend!

Rubicon Deli (UTC)

July 21, 2020 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

I'm not sure who first mentioned Rubicon Deli on the blog; would it be you Lynnea? Regardless, the Missus will take full credit for getting me to try the Rubicon location in UTC. She's had Rubicon's sandwiches catered at work (albeit not from the UTC location). And sometimes, She'll make bets with folks at work (only when She's sure She'll win of course), with a sandwich from Rubicon at stake.

With all the craziness at work that started with the pandemic, I started ordering online from Rubicon back at the end of March. And I've got to say, at times Rubicon has been a Godsend, like when there have been meetings that run through lunch hour (they open at 10am). Also, since the parking lot isn't currently charging and you don't need a validation, getting in is a breeze. The usual estimated turnaround time for a sandwich is 12-15 minutes and it's always been ready when I arrive to pick it up.

The drill is; I jump in my car and drive the 8-10 minutes to the parking lot on the corner of Regents Road and Regents Park Row.

Walk on over to Rubicon. My sandwich has always been ready on the shelf for me to grab and head back to the car.

I've always seen the staff with masks on and wearing gloves as they make the sandwiches.

And then; it's a quick hop back to the office.

All sandwiches come with a standard issue cookie; which I usually give away.

You get a choice of 6 different breads to choose from; though once in a while they'll be out of something.

The sandwiches aren't cheap; a half runs you $8-9, a whole $13-14. Though I did learn early on that there's no way I can finish a whole.

And there are times I can't even finish a half…..

And yes, there have been times when I've not enjoyed the sandwich I tried and I'm not a big fan when they give me the "end cut" of the bread.

So, enough of the prelim stuff, let's see some sandwiches….

My favorite is the "Super Mario" on Garlic Cheese Bread.

When the bread is right…..crunchy crust, garlicky, cheesy…this sandwich is by far my favorite. The combination of Prosciutto and Asiago adds a nice savory-salty-milky component, as does the bread. The red pepper tapenade and balsamic glaze does the sweet-acidity, the pesto mayo has the savory-nutty flavor, and the arugula adds the bitter-slightly peppery flavor. And yes…the turkey….well, I consider that to add some heft to the sandwich.

The Missus's favorite is the "Hog's Breath" on Bleu Cheese Bread – She loves the bacon and avocado, slightly sweet and spicy mustard and the chipotle mayo. The bleu cheese bread is all important….though you might think it would make things too salty, it's a nice complement to the ham and bacon. This is the one She'll get when She wins a bet.

So why the verbiage before the photo? Well, I'm hoping you don't mind a little Covid-19 story. The Missus is on a hiking thing, it keeps Her sane on days off and She has some goals; like hiking the Kumano Kodo….not sure how I'm going to do; so we'll see. Anyway, like many folks the pandemic has been kinda driving Her crazy….and She has some interesting moments. One day, I was at the office when She calls me and says, "let's have lunch, meet me at Rubicon." The problem being, all dining in was already "no Bueno", so I'm kinda confused. What She meant was that She was going to WALK to Rubicon from Bay Park and I'd order a Hog's Breath for us and then drop Her off back home…..yes, for real…I timed everything perfectly and was walking out of Rubicon as She turned the corner. We got in the car and I got ready to drop Her at home when She told me to drop Her at Sprouts on Genesee???? And She walked home from there….crazy! So now you know why we always go on those "Death Marches" when we travel? Oh, and She took the entire sandwich with Her. I had to go find something to eat for lunch……

I'm hitting over 700 words now, so let's go through the other sandwiches I've had.

The "Giddy Up" is a nice choice for me when I want variety. Basically Roast Beef and Horseradish with some of that Red Pepper Tapenade.

I also enjoy the sweetness from the Carmelized Onion, the Arugula does well; but all those strong flavors kinda cancels out the Swiss Cheese on this.

The "Stallion" is Rubicon's version of an Italian style sandwich featuring salami, ham, provolone.

It's fine with the Spicy "Chop-Chop", basically a mayo based spread with jalapenos giving this a bit of a kick.

Of the two Veggie type sandwiches I've had at Rubicon, I prefer the "Hot Mess", especially when combined with Jalapeno Jack Bread, which along with the Chipotle Mayo gives the sandwich a bit of a kick. Unfortunately, this kind of cancels out the earthy mushroom flavor. The tempura fried onions does add some crunch and the sun dried tomato spread helps things along.

It's the Gouda that stands out in the Rubicon Special as it goes well with the red pepper tapenade.

Though I did find this to be rather unremarkable and on the bland side with regards to the sandwiches at Rubicon.

They really threw a lot of stuff at the "Whale's Veg".

Good textures with creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, and sprouts. The tomatoes weren't ripe enough and really lacked flavor and the goat cheese, tarragon Dijon mustard, and balsamic glaze just made this too darn sour for my taste.

My least favorite sandwich to date has been the "Rubi Club", maybe it's because the two times I tried it; I got the weird end slices of bread?

Also, both times I had the sandwich it was drenched in this weird jalapeno-ranch "dressing" that just tasted odd to me. The "buffalo" turkey was also messy and too acidic and I really couldn't taste the bacon at all. Along with the pickle, too much sour-acidic tones to this one. And since I had it twice, I'm thinking this is the way it's meant to be served. You know what they say; "fool me once shame on you; fool me twice….." Well, you get the picture.

Still, in my opinion, there's more to like than not at Rubicon. The place is really handy for me and the Missus loves Her, ahem, "Hog's Breath". And I've found my favorites here as well. Though I'm afraid the Missus is going to have me try to "walk off" my sandwich one of these days…..

Rubicon Deli (UTC Location)
4130 La Jolla Village Drive – Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92037
(858) 877-9911
Open Daily – 10am – 9pm

Sunday Sandwiches – Gaglione Bros (Mission Gorge) and Where I’ve Roamed in the Time of Covid-19

July 12, 2020 mmm-yoso Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches

I actually took a day off; like a real, what's supposed to be a working day off…….mainly because I needed to take my car in for service. It had just gone over the 10k mark (yes, I bought it last year…..that'll be part of an interesting post; in hopefully the near future).

In the past, I'd make an appointment to take my car in on Saturday and then take the trolley to the Gaslamp or another place where parking was somewhat of an issue to explore and pass the time. In the time of Covid-19 though; I really wasn't going to do that. So, I made an appointment during the week; when I thought things would go faster and things would be less busy. So, I found myself ensconced on a table a bit far from the rest of the folks waiting; there was some good spacing set-up by the dealer….and masks were required; though there was that part of the population wearing their mask below their nose……sheesh…..

Anyway, I was at a pretty safe distance from everyone.

And my car was done in under two hours.

As I drove the car off the lot; I wondered where I could pick up some lunch on the way home…..I hadn't been in the Mission Gorge area in a while…..in fact, other than trips to the dry cleaners in Tierrasanta, which allowed for a stop at Island Syle Cafe…..I hadn't been East of the I-15 since….well, maybe not at in 2020!

I had been craving a Cheesesteak, since the last rather mediocre one I'd had a month or so back. And I hadn't been back to the MG location of Gaglione Bros in over six years! So, I decided to had on over. Walknig in, things were fairly controlled, though not quite clear on a few things….like where to wait for your sandwich or even where to pick your sandwich up when it was ready.

At first I waited outside; but there were two guys eating at the table there. So, after a few minutes, I went inside where another customer was waiting for his sandwich. At least there was only the two of us; so spacing was not a problem. Eventually, my sandwich made it to the counter…..and sat there for a while; until someone decided to call out my name…….

Anyway, I ordered the Mushroom Cheesesteak……feeling a bit hungry; I made it a large ($11.99), with White American cheese. It was quite a handful…or mouthful….

It was still pretty darn hot when I got home; the meat was fairly tender; there was a good amount of not-overly-sharp, milky, gooey cheese, the mushrroms added a nice savory-earthiness to the mess. The Amoroso was starting to go on the beast, but this was much better than what I last had at the Point Loma location two years ago. My only complaint was how salty this was…… Still, quite a large lunch….great pre-siesta stuff for a day off.

Gaglione Brothers
10450 Friars Rd
San Diego, CA 92120

I mentioned a bit earlier that I hadn't been in the Mission Gorge area since last year……which kind of surprised me. Then I got to thinking about what my "footprint" was since mid-March. Especially since I had texted "CC" when she mentioned a couple of places in the South Bay; saying that I don't think I've been south of the 94 since this whole mess started.

Wondering what my Covid-19 "range" was and quickly did a Google Map. The area below is where I've been to.

It's very telling in some ways……I haven't been South of the 94…..and of course I'm missing all of our favorites down there, Aqui es Texcoco in their new location, Mi Pana, and all the other favorites. Other than my quick run to Kindred, I haven't been south of University ot North Park Way. Not being East of the 15 means I've been missing all the good stuff in City Heights. And other than quick stops at R&B and TP Banh Bao 3, I haven't strayed north of Mira Mesa Boulevard. I've only been West of the I-5 on trips to Trader Joe's in PB. The Missus's footprint is even smaller, no further south than Washington Street, no futher North than La Jolla Village Drive….and She actually walked there (that's also for another upcoming post). And of course I'm wondering how the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings at Royal Mandarin are doing; or really want to check out De Cabeza, which occupies the former location of Aqui es Texcoco. But I'm trying to keep my travels concise; trying to consolidate stops…trying to do what I consider to be the "right thing".

So, how far have you "roamed" since mid-March?

Sunday Sandwiches – The “O.G.” from the The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)

June 28, 2020 mmm-yoso Sandwiches

While driving home on Mount Acadia a few weeks back; the Tri Tiperia caught my eye. Man, it had been a while since I last visited, which had come right after I noticed the signage change from Sweet & Savory Gourmet. The shop has very limited hours; from noon to four pm Monday to Friday. On one of the days when I was headed home to check on Frankie; I called in and placed a phone order. The tri-tip sandwiches are now nine bucks. I drove on over…….folks still refer to this place as Sweet and Savory Gourmet….though the sign says Tri Tiperia.

Looks like they're doing heat and eat meals as well now. Anyway, the guy at the window finished getting his order as I walked up to the window. I paid…..I think the young lad is the owner's son, who took my money, then handed me my sandwich, and I jumped in the car and headed home.

It's a nice simple sandwich, in a lightly toasted, standard issue ciabatta.

Nice, light yeastiness from the bread, I enjoyed the nutty-buttery-slightly smoky Gouda. The tri-tip was moist, fairly tender, and I'd probably have enjoyed a bit more smoked flavor from it, but no real complaints. Nice acidity from the tomatoes, just enough lemon-garlic mayo for my taste.

All-in-all a decent sandwich.

I'm glad they seem to be doing fairly well in spite of how Covid-19 has affected businesses.

The Tri Tiperia (Sweet and Savory Gourmet)
3574 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Mon – Fri 12pm – 4pm

Sunday Sandwiches – The “El Cubano” from Havana Grill

June 21, 2020 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Latin American Cuisine, Sandwiches

I'd seen the "we're open" sign for Havana Grill while running some errands a couple of weeks back. Which reminded me that it had been a while since I'd visited. So, before heading home to check on Frankie; I called in an order for the "El Cubano" ($13), which was my second favorite when I did a "Cubano" comparison a couple of years back.

Upon arriving I noticed a curbside pick-up option, a couple of outdoor tables, a roped off area with limited dining and well marked spacing for ordering. My Cubano was ready to go when I arrived and it was a very fast and efficient process. And, as usual the young man working was very friendly.

The sandwich held up well after the drive home and the bread was still fairly crisp. And the plantain chips were still crisp when I got home. There seemed to be a bit less ham this time in comparison to previous visits, which kind of lessened the rather balanced salty-pungent(mustard)-sour (pickles)-milky (from the Swiss Cheese) flavors I previously enjoyed. Still, this was not bad at all.

I'll definitely be back….I need to retry items I had enjoyed before like the Ropa Vieja. Nice folks working here; I was happy to note that when I asked how business was doing, the immediate answer was "it's picking up, more sales every day". Good to hear.

Havana Grill
5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd,
San Diego, CA 92117
Open Daily 11am – 9pm