Sandwiches – Page 18

Sunday Sandwiches – The Gourmet Bagger

September 23, 2018 mmm-yoso Cheesesteaks, Sandwiches

It's funny how things seem to come full circle. More than a few years ago; I attended a lunch meeting, lunch was provided. Sandwiches. Which were not bad. They were from a place called the Gourmet Bagger. As you know; I have a soft spot for all those little, mom and pop sandwich shops, many of which are hidden away sometimes in industrial parks or business buildings, some of which are pretty darn popular. I was told that the Gourmet Bagger was a shop on Miramar Road. So after we moved offices; I went looking for it….it's now LouZiana Food (which is in my backlog of posts). Forward the calendar a few months and after my last Cheesesteak Post (yes, I know I need to check out Calozzi's), I received an email telling me a shop in the Midway area made a decent cheesesteak. The name? The Gourmet Bagger.

I'm not sure why I never noticed the place. It's in the same parking lot as the new 85C, Guahan Grill, and basically across the street from Pho Point Loma.

The place was fairly empty when I visited; but it sure got packed fast. The folks running the front seem to be on the younger side and the older folks work the back of house.

The menu is quite varied, with at least 25 different "gourmet type" sandwiches along with the regular deli sandwiches, salads, and similar stuffs.

Because "ST" mentioned the cheesesteak here; I ordered the Bagger Cheesesteak ($7.49).

A standard issue, fairly yeast French Roll is used for this; which really wasn't up to the task. The rib eye steak was a bit more chewy than I prefer, and the jury is out on whether I like pickles or tomatoes on a cheesesteak. The cheese; white American cheese did fine. Though this isn't something I'd order again.

A few weeks later; I was in the area after doing some grocery shopping at TJ's. It was 1030 on a Saturday and I recalled the Gourmet Bagger opens at around 1030 on that day. So, I stopped by. This was when the temps were really high so nothing hot for me. I was pretty hungry so I ordered the "Killer Klub" ($7.99) with Swiss cheese (70-cent upcharge).

This is my favorite of the three sandwiches I had at the Gourmet Bagger. I have mentioned before; that I have a special place in my heart for Club Sandwiches….or as my late Mom (and most of my relatives); a "Clubhouse". The bacon was really nice and crisp, there wasn't too much mayo, which was evenly spread, the tomatoes were nice and sweet-tart, the turkey and ham were fine. I'm glad I got Swiss Cheese as it added a nice milky component and that whole grain bread was nicely toasted, rustic, and almost nutty. For me; a very nice example of a "Clubhouse"…..

A few weeks ago, I found myself on the way back from shopping and decided to stop by for a sandwich. This time, I got the Gourmet Grinder ($7.49); basically your typical Italian style sandwich.

It didn't look like much, but when split in half; you can see the decent proportion of ingredients. I liked the fact that it wasn't over-dressed; though having pickles, Italian Dressing and "sweet" peppers made this tend toward the sour end of the flavor spectrum. I enjoyed the salt that the capacolla and salami brought to the sandwich.

I like the folks working here. They are very pleasant, though you may have to wait a while for your sandwiches. I forgot to mention one last touch…..they always include a cookie and a piece of hard candy with your order.

So, I'll probably be back again. It's a nice, well priced, unpretentious sandwich spot.

The Gourmet Bagger
3357 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 1030am – 530pm
Fri – Sat 1030am – 4pm
Sunday 11am – 3pm

Banh Mi Hoi An

September 18, 2018 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

If you're headed down Rosecrans to Liberty Station, you can't miss the sign.

In fact, I first saw the "Grand Opening" sign on one of our trips to El Jardin, which I need to post on one of these days.

On one Saturday, I decided to drop by. I parked in the back and not paying attention almost walked into this guy……

Whom I also saw on my other visit as well. Very sad…..

On both visits; Hoi An was fairly empty. The guy at the counter was quite friendly, the menu had the usual suspects, Banh Mi (priced from around $4.50 – $5.50), Bun, Com (rice plates), Spring Rolls….you get the idea.

I decided to get the Hoi An Special….basically the Dac Biet ($5.50).

Now, I've heard some grumblings about folks complaining the banh mi here was on the small side……I beg to differ. I mean really, this decently sized.

The proteins in the sandwich were on the dry side; though the pickled veggies were decent; sour-sweet enough. Those huge slices of cucumber ruined the ratio of vegetables-pickles-meat-bread. I tasted the meat separately and they just about status quo. Now I know this is pretty much a "Westernized" banh mi shop; but I sure would have enjoyed a bit more pate. The bread was dry and on the stale crumbly side. I actually thought they didn't put any jalapenos in my sandwich; but I found some……for some strange reason they weren't spicy at all.

Just a so-so banh mi.

I returned a few weeks later……and really wasn't sure what to order….so I had a brain fart and ordered the "braised pork", which turned out to be barbecue pork (char siu), duh!

The bread was better this time around, though standard issue, it had been toasted well and was nice and crusty/flakey. The first thing I looked for were….the jalapenos; which again were really mild. Not sure what's going on with that.

I enjoyed the amount of cilantro in the sandwich and the pork was so dry and bland, I could actually taste the pate.

The pickled radish and carrots were crisp, with a nice balance of sour-sweet. Remember those huge slices of cucumber in the previous sandwich? Well, this time there barely a sliver. Go figure.

The banh mi here isn't bad. It just isn't worth going out of your way for.

To me; the perfect banh mi is a symphony of crusty/flakey bread that isn't too chewy; cilantro without too many stems, nice thin slices of peppers for that "jalapeno roulette". The proteins; there needn't be a huge portion, it's all about proportion, should be moist and have flavor, the pate should be somewhat rich with that touch of earth-funkiness. It's something I keep searching for.

This guy working was again quite friendly and asked me to drop by for Happy Hour….hmmm…..chicken wings……..hmmm….

We'll see.

Banh Mi Hoi An
3145 Rosecrans St
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Mon – Sat 1030am – 9pm
Closed Sundays

Cali Banh Mi (Garnet Ave)

August 21, 2018 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches

I was heading to the I-5 North after filling my tank at Costco early one weekday morning. I decided to head to the I-5 North from Morena, over to Garnet….something I'd usually never do because of the amount of traffic on this street. And that intersection; Garnet and Mission Boulevard is always so crazy. But it was before six in the morning, so things weren't going to be too bad. As I drove towards Mission Boulevard I noticed that Cali Banh Mi, the same folks who took over the former Cali Baguette on Convoy, had just opened a new shop.

So, one evening when the Missus was busy at work I decided to drop on by.

The shop is bright and clean…..

And the menu was quite telling……

With "American Deli Style" Banh Mi……"Cali Bowls"……

And the three surfer dudes sitting and eating….I hadn't heard so many "Bro's" slung around in ages. "Like bro…this sauce…is bro'….so….saucy." "Bro….what is this…meat thing…bro…it tastes funky…."

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered the Dac Biet….which, by the way, was basically the only thing named in Vietnamese on the whole board as far as I remember…..and just four bucks.

This was a nice long baguette……a single thin slice of cha lua and thit nguoi. Now, I'm all about proportion in my banh mi; but man, that tiny smear of pate was very chintzy. Lot's of pickled daikon and carrots though…which were not pickled enough for my taste.

All of this would have been ok; except for that pale, doughy, and dry bread. It was slightly crusty, but only around the edges. What's going on these days, as it seems like these places that bake their own bread have been quite disappointing lately? Are they par-cooking the bread…..has the proofing process changed?

As I usually will do; I went back that weekend in the morning on the way to the office. Though once I walked in…..well….based on my previous banh mi, just didn't know what the heck to order. Since it was breakfast time; I went with the third most expensive banh mi on the menu……the Spam and Egg ($6). The slices of Spam were nicely browned and crisp.

The bread was better this time; but was still too chewy and not crisp/flakey enough for my liking. It was much better than my previous sandwich, though nothing really stood out.

The eggs were scrambled….I'm wondering if they'd even make it "op la" if I asked.

Well, even though this is the closest banh mi shop; I'm not sure I'll return anytime soon. It's fine if you want a sort of Americanized Banh Mi. The prices are reasonable; which I'm sure will draw in folks looking for cheap eats. Folks working here are nice and friendly. Personally, I'd rather go out of my way for a good banh mi…..though they seem to be getting harder to find these days.

Cali Banh Mi
2830 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Hours:
Open Daily 8am – 8pm

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery (revisits)

July 25, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Breakfast/Brunch, Salads, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are, looking at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is relaxing after a long day at work and Cathy is writing today's post.

I've only written about La Mesa Bistro and Bakery two other times and it's been a while. I apologize. This restaurant, hidden in a far corner of a busy group of storefronts (including Chopsticks Inn) on La Mesa Boulevard (just behind Dieter Fischers, the Mercedes repair shop) has been here since at least 2009. Almost everything is made from scratch, is quality. The menu is amazingly similar to that of Swami's, which has one location just down the street.

Using the word 'menu' is incorrect. Sure, there's a large paper menu you can grab before ordering, but so many other choices are at the doorway, along the walls behind the cash register, on chalkboards around…nothing is repeated.
So, order, pay, find a seat and you can grab some water or some coffee (pick a country of origin; only two of those pump pots has flavored coffee). The paper menu touts "Old Fashioned Baking"- the breads, bagels and muffins here are fresh made and wonderfully perfect.
Reuben "The Chef" salad ($10.95). Reuben is the chef's name. This is a wonderful salad of mixed (organic) greens, cucumbers, sprouts, swiss and cheddar cheeses and the three meats…
ham, turkey and roast beef. Served with (house made) sourdough garlic cheese toast.
The Blue cheese dressing is made here. It's filled with chunks of blue cheese…almost too much (!)
The Lunch Sampler ($8.50) is 1/2 of any of the gourmet sandwiches served with a salad or cup of soup.
One of the daily soups is clam chowder. It is wonderful, filled with clams, clam juice, some potatoes and celery. Creamy (see that skin that formed on the top?) and just good.
I chose the 1/2 "Bistro Delight" sandwich. Turkey, Swiss, avocado, lettuce and tomato. A simple (turkey packed) and wonderful sandwich; the turkey is a great quality, the sourdough is just sour enough and the flavors are quite perfect. We returned because The Mister had a craving. Soup and salad. He got the Caesar salad (which was very nice)
and a bowl of the clam chowder…oh yes, he wanted this. It was, again, excellent.
I was wanting to order breakfast…and there was a chalkboard 'chicken omelette' listed ($8.95). Mild green chiles, tomato, eggs and plenty of meaty chicken pieces, avocado..house made salsa (not too hot; good) and rye toast (seedy and good) served with house made jam: cranberries, blackberries and apples. Oh, a side of fresh fruit (they make smoothies here you know; fresh fruit is always available).

A great local place.

La Mesa Bistro and Bakery 8697 La Mesa Boulevard La Mesa 91941 (619)589-0806 Open seven days 5:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Website

Sunday Sandwiches – Revisits to SuperNatural Sandwiches and Embargo Grill

July 15, 2018 mmm-yoso Cuban Restaurants, Sandwiches, Seafood

A couple of sandwiches for a humid Sunday.

Supernatural Sandwiches:

**** SuperNatural Sandwiches has closed

My buddy JasonV asked me if I'd ever been to this sandwich place…..he told me it was "awesome" and showed me a photo of Supernatural. I cracked up and said I'd been a customer since they had a stand at the now defunct San Diego Public Market. And I did tell him that they do make some good sandwiches. A few days later; Deanna told me she had gone to Supernatural Sandwiches after work and loved it. I'd taken her there a few years back. So I got the hint; it had been nearly six months since my last visit.

Needless to say; the place was doing some major business when I arrived. Love the folks who work here; they always have a smile for me.

I went with my usual; the Siren….I realize I need to start ordering other stuff on the menu. But the folks here have this totally down.

From the lightly garlicky-spicy mayo; to the moist and plump shrimp, to go with the buttery-slightly sweet brioche. I'm thinking that it could use a bit more acidity to cut the richness; but that would be splitting hairs.

It's one of my "guilty pleasure" sandwiches.

It's also nice to see a place that's doing so well expanding. With locations now in Santa Ana and Tijuana, and two other locations in PB (they are going to make a killing) and Little Italy opening soon, it's going to be a "SuperNatural Kingdom". Good for them!

SuperNatural Sandwiches
7094 Miramar Rd. #122
San Diego, CA 92121

Embargo Grill:

**** Embargo Grill has closed

Speaking of guilty pleasure sandwiches…..

I was over in Point Loma a few weekends ago and was a bit hungry. It was a bit too hot for other options so I decided to stop by Embargo Grill. It had been nearly two years since my last visit.

I went with basically the same thing as on previous visits.

The Yuca Frita; which was disappointing.

This was too dense, dry, almost hard, and not crisp enough for me. It was also still barely lukewarm in the center. The mojo was very nice though. Garicky with nice citrus tones; not sour, but with a nice acidity.

The Medianoche the "midnight sandwich" was very good.

From the nicely pressed, crunchy, yet light bread, to the moist and tasty pulled pork, to the milky cheese, the ham, and yes, the all important pickle, which cuts through all that high-caloric goodness. This place also seems to have sandwich down.

I could only finish half the sandwich. I took half home and the Missus polished it off in no time flat. I guess She liked it……even cold…..midnight or not.

Embargo Grill
3960 W Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Circling Back to A Chau

July 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

Somehow; after completing all my grocery shopping on this still rather hot Saturday, I ended up in City Heights looking for something to eat at nine in the morning. I'm not sure why I drove up here……I mean it was over eighty degrees already, so the usual suspects were pretty much ruled out. So there I was sitting on the corner of ECB and Menlo, when a car pulled out of a true contender for the worst parking lot in San Diego. I decided to take that left turn and parked in front of A Chau. I figured it must be a "sign" of some kind….I mean; how often do you get a parking space right in front of A Chau? Plus; it had been decade since I last posted on the place, and at least seven or eight years since I last visited.

It was fairly busy and the service….well, what service…this is A Chau after all.

Prices for the Banh Mi are still good here; under four bucks, though the egg rolls, what A Chau is known for are now seventy cents a piece….I remember when they were four for a buck.

I ordered the Banh Mi Pate Cha ($3.95).

I've never been a big fan of the bread at A Chau; it's usually too chewy and doughy and lacking in that crusty-flakiness in a good banh mi. Speaking of flakey; I once went to dinner at a new place with some friends. Unfortunately one of the folks attending was from one of these "community associations", you know, "smooze", kind of aggressive, nosey, everything is good. The place tried to throw everything in a bread and call it a banh mi. When I mentioned the discord in flavor and proportion, she made some nasty comment to me…….after which I bet her that I knew exactly where this bread came from and the short comings…..which she confirmed with the owners…..I then named off several of the places, in her "area", that used the same bread. And just shut her down.

With regards to proportion; this was pretty hefty in terms of cha lua, but short on pate, which was totally wiped out by the unusually large amount of mayonnaise.

There was one slice of jalapeno in the sandwich which was positively thermal nuclear, but the other two were mild.

Can't complain about portion per price ratio; but this is still not my favorite banh mi.

I was quite excited to Cha Gio, which had always been good on previous visits….this is the type with rice paper.

I was disappointed this time around. Instead of the crisp wrapper, with a slight bit of chew; this had obviously been sitting for a while. It lacked the light crispness and was barely lukewarm; even after sitting under heating lamps. The filling was also cold and I think they've changed the recipe or where they source the pork for this as it was much more bland than I recall.

I know there are folks who just adore this place. And when those eggrolls are made fresh; for catering, it's pretty good. This time around; not so much.

And then of course, some guy decided to block me in…….

A Chau
4644 El Cajon Blvd Ste 111
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Open Daily 7am – 6pm

Since summer has arrived; I guess I need to make banh mi rounds again.

Banh Mi Baguette Cafe

June 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches

**** Banh Mi Baguette Café has closed

Last fall, "MichealW" sent me an email telling me that Bale Sandwich & Deli had closed after a very short run and was now "Baguette Café". Then of course came the crazy fall and winter….and spring……so I wasn't able to visit until recently.

I'm not sure if the name is Baguette Café or Banh Mi Baguette Café…..and then there's the sign that says "by Cali Express". Hmmmm……

And the menu looks strikingly familiar.

I'm not sure if Cali Baguette Express runs this shop, or is it a "franchise" kind of thing….. But the young man working here was really nice and friendly.

I just went with the Dac Biet….good 'ol number 1. Still a bargain at $3.75.

As I walked out of the place, I gave the banh mi a little squeeze……and nothing…..it just kinda gave way. Not a good sign. I had visions of my last to the Mira Mesa Cali Baguette Express. And upon setting the banh mi free….well, I had verification. A pale, cold, doughy banh mi.

The sandwich was the signature 10" and there were thin slices of pork and cha lua.

What was just as annoying as the bread was how it was sliced. Just the top piece….so you either had to find a knife or take you chances tearing it apart. And when the cilantro and veggies aren't sliced, you get this.

Enjoyed the sneaky jalapeno and everything else was status quo…… But what happened to the crusty, light, and yeasty banh mi?

As I've been doing recently, here's what it used to be……back in 2015 at the Convoy location.

I've got to head back to the City Heights location of Cali Baguette Express to find out if the bread I've gotten on my last two visits are now the status quo. It's what used to make them stand above the rest. Hopefully it won't be "strike three".

Banh Mi Baguette Cafe
9005 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Thanks for the heads up Micheal!

Paris – Montmartre and Gontran Cherrier

June 3, 2018 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, France, Paris, France, Sandwiches, Travel

On our second full day back in Paris; the Missus decided on getting a few things done. First, She wanted to see the view from Montmartre, the highest hill in the city, and then get some shopping done. So we headed off.

The morning was grey and drizzly, which didn't make viewing potential from Montmartre very high, but if there is one thing we've learned from travelling, it is you can't control the weather.

Even on a gloomy day like this one; Pont Alexandre III is quite picturesque.

It is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and there are quite a few stories about it as well.

We headed past those familiar places.

Up to Rue Lazare and past Église de la Sainte-Trinité.

Up past place Pigalle. We somehow came upon a brick church.

This is Eglise Saint Jean de Montmartre. It looked a bit different than other churches we've come across in Paris and it started to drizzle. We took that as sign to stop and visit the church.

Created in the Art Nouveau style, there's a lot packed into this little church.

I really enjoyed the vivid stained glass…..

When we turned the corner we could see Sacre Coeur in the background along with the funicular tracks and stairs. This being the Missus….well, we took the stairs….all 300 of them.

I'm not sure why the Missus loves climbing those stairs so much.

Perhaps She is concerned about my cardiovascular well being?

Anyway, we did make it to the top…..

The view is still worth the climb even on a gloomy day as this.

And looking back at Sacre Coeur, it looked like there was the possibility of sun…..

The Missus decided not to go into the church, so instead we headed down the winding streets…passing tons of tourists and shop that seem to cater to them.

We did pass through a couple of squares that had little fairs going on.

And the Missus enjoyed doing some window shopping while we strolled down the hill.

And while we did enter a couple shops, the Missus refrained from buying anything….I believe She as saving Herself and my credit card for later on in the day.

One thing that did catch my eye was this windmill.

Apparently there were once a dozen or so of these windmills in Montmartre. Today there are two left. They are known as Le Moulin de la Galette and were built in the early 17th century. This one is viewable from Rue Lepic and stands above a restaurant that also bears the name Le Moulin de la Galette.

In the mid to late 1800's the area where the restaurant resides was turned into a Guinguette, basically a type of bar. The windmill and guinguette became the muse of many of the artists who spent their time here. Some familiar names like Renoir, Van Gogh (who had an apartment nearby), Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso among them. And, did you know that it was used on the cover of one of my favorite Rod Stewart albums?

I love stories like this.

We headed a bit further down the street and the Missus decided that we should get something light to eat. There was a Boulangerie on my list named Gontran Cherrier. There are multiple locations of this shop in Paris (including Japan, Singapore, and South Korea). This however, is Gontran Cherrier's original shop.

It was easy to pick out what we wanted….the Missus had decided to try at least half a dozen croissants in Paris, so this would be the first. We also got a sandwich; a veggie version. The miso bread would have to wait for another day.

The line moved fast; the service was efficient, and the folks quite nice.

The croissant could have used a bit more salt, but it was decently buttery, flakey, with a nice, very mild chew. This would end up being one of our favorites in Paris.

The sandwich was just what we needed….the baguette crusty, the cucumbers and tomatoes full of the flavor….the slight bitterness of the arugula helping to balance out the sweetness and mild briny flavor of the cucumber.

Gontran Cherrier
22 Rue Caulaincourt
Paris, France
(There are several other locations in Paris)

The Missus was now energized and ready to do Her "serious" shopping. We headed down the hill…….passing the (in)famous Moulin Rouge (lots on the windmills and the one on Moulin Rouge here)

We headed down Rue Blanche, taking note of the businesses along the way.

Of course the Missus wanted to stop by Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas Displays yet again.

A short while later we were back at Chanel Cambon. You pretty much get your own personal shopper here….while the Missus and the very nice young lady did their thing, I had a chance to watch the "interesting" customers.

Mission accomplished, the Missus could get back to the apartment fast enough……

She got what She wanted…….

And it was time for a nap.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Hat (Murietta location)

May 23, 2018 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Ontario/Riverside/San Bernadino, CA, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! never takes a vacation, but sometimes Kirk or Cathy leave the general San Diego area and food is involved. Today, Cathy is writing about a place just North of the San Diego County line.

In 2006, I wrote about The Hat, with another post written on the last day of 2009. This longtime (since 1951) casual, Los Angeles based diner, open for lunch and dinner, known for 'World Famous Pastrami', opened a location in Murietta in September of 2015.

The architecture mimics the original locations,
even the wallboard menu. Hot and cold sandwiches, chili and a few sides along with beverages are the offerings.
Order, pay and your number is called. The bag on the left is filled with a small french fry order ($3.19).
Three of us shared the fries (and we each ate a lot) and this is what we ended up taking home.

The roast beef dip ($9.99). The bottom piece of the bread is dipped in au jus before the meat is put onto the fresh French Roll (you can get au jus or gravy if you want to dip more of the sandwich…or your fries…) is my favorite item here. Thin sliced, tender, lightly seasoned beef is great in its simplicity. (Although I am spoiled by Philippe The Original, this location and the dip sandwich is close enough to satisfy.)
The World Famous Pastrami ($9.99) with mustard and pickle is what The Mister always chooses. The peppered smoked corned beef is deeply flavored, sliced thin and served on the same French Roll, unless you ask for it to be served on rye bread. Either choice is going to be great.
The side by side of the two sandwich halves shows the dipped beef sandwich was not filled with as much meat as the pastrami, but had only one sandwich been ordered and not knowing the possibility of more filling, the beef dip is satisfactory in size.
This side order of chili ($1.99) was quite large, meaty (no beans) and spicy (in a good way). It went well with the fries as well as on its own.

It's nice to have an outlet of a longstanding traditional restaurant so close. Mary has been to The Hat.

The Hat, 11 locations. Website open 10 a.m.-11 p.m. daily

Florence – Santa Maria Novella Church, Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, and Dinner at Il Tartufo and Il Lampredotto (In Mercato Centrale)

May 14, 2018 mmm-yoso Florence and Tuscany, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Sandwiches, Travel

After recovering from a busy morning, we decided to head on out to do some exploring and last minute shopping.

First stop, Santa Maria Novella Church.

This church stands just a short walk away from the busiest parts of the city; but it seemed quite relaxed, except for all the hawkers. Construction of the began in 1279 and was completed around 1357. The upper part of the façade was completed around 1470 by Alberti. We were actually going to another destination (more on that later), but decided to stop in here. After all, it was covered by the Firenze Card.

The interior, much like Basilica de Santa Croce is large and open. The Cruxifix here is by Giotto and dates back to the 13th Century.

Another rather famous work in the church is the Holy Trinity by Masaccio whose work was lauded, but died at the young age of 26. (Some say he was poisoned by a jealous rival)

During the 16th century, under orders from Cosimo de' Medici, Vasari painted over the frescoes in the church while creating his own work.

Brunelleschi, who designed the dome of the Duomo is also mentioned as designing the layout of the church as well as creating this wooden crucifix in the Gondi Chapel.

We also went to check out the Cloisters.

And then the Spanish Chapel, which had wonderful frescoes by Andrea di Bonaiuto depicting the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

After leaving the church, we went around the corner and down the street to a shop that was once run by the Domincan Monks of Santa Maria Novella, the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy (Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella). It is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world having been established sometime in the 13th century.

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but is quite huge….and busy. The Missus, who loves shopping was overwhelmed with what to get from the huge lists of products.

Walking around I noticed what looked like to be the old entrance from the Cloisters.

As much as the Missus likes to shop, She is easily overwhelmed. Indeed, when in places like cosmetic shops in Japan, the Missus will often send me photos of the make-up items She needs and I'll go find them by matching the photos and designs on the boxes and containers. After about twenty minutes in here, the Missus was fried.

I had noticed a little Tea Room off to the side of all the crowds.

I suggested getting a nice cup of tea before heading off. Which sounded like a good idea to the Missus.

I had a nice cup of Earl Grey. The Missus, fascinated by the offerings ordered a medicinal liquor, whoa, really sweet…..yikes!

But it was a nice break in the action.

Walking back through the store, I found something that I thought the Missus should purchase. "Acqua di Santa Maria Novella" is said to be the remedy for hysteria and the accompanying indigestion. The Missus wasn't amused.

There was one more place I wanted to visit in Florence. So we decided to head off before dinner, to find a pig. A pig? I always have some oddball items I want to see when travelling and Atlas Obscura has only fed into that desire. Earlier in the day I got to check out Galileo's middle finger, now I was after a bronze pig named Il Porcellino. It took some effort to find Mr Piggy since it's in the area of a large outdoor market. Some nice folks in a nearby restaurant helped us out when I pointed to their little brass pig in the window and asked directions.

So, the drill goes that you place a coin in the mouth of the boar and let it drop. Should it go to though the grates you are destined to have good luck. You then rub the snout, which has been polished smooth from all the folks rubbing it. This ensures you'll return to Florence someday. The coin thing is not as easy as you think. The poor Japanese fellow in front of me tried three times and it never went in. I got it on the first try!

Take that, Mr Piggy!

We decided to do something fun for dinner on this evening and headed off in the direction of Basilica de San Lorenzo.

These duo, playing in front of Monumento a Giovanni delle Bande Nere were really good so we stopped and listened to a couple of songs.

I'd read that the second floor of the Mercato Centrale housed a food court food stands that were pretty good an a lot of fun. It was fairly busy when we arrived, but I had a plan in mind.

The first stand we headed to was……

In case you don't know; tartufo means "truffle".

We ordered the Tagliolino al Tartufo Nero. I was told that these Tartufo Nero were the last of the season (it was the end of March)……it sounded like fun, so why not.

So while the Missus waited for our pasta, I went to the wine shop in the corner of the food stands. Man, the folks here were so nice….I believe the name of the shop is Enoteca Chianti Classico and it was the best glass we had in Florence, the temp was perfect, nice acid….unfortunately it was from Alsace!

Man, that was a pile of truffle on the pasta. The fragrance of the truffle was amazing, though the flavor was quite mild. There was a bit too much sauce for our taste, but the pasta was cooked perfectly. Not bad for 20 Euros. Yes, fresh pasta with truffle in a food court from a food stand.

While we were eating, we saw this huge young man….swear to god he looked like a sumo wrestler. Turns out he was Korean. He cracked us up when he looked at what folks were eating a loudly exclaimed "Paaaa-AAAstaaAAA"! He said this with such sincere joy that you couldn't help but laugh. Oh, and he did get his two plates of pasta!

Next up? After returning our wine glasses we headed to this stand near the other end of the collection of food stands.

Where I saw this sign…….

Really. Florence's ultimate street food made from the abomasum, the "fourth stomach" of the cow with truffle?

Don't mind if I do.

The fragrance of the truffle cut through some of the funky smell of the lampredotto, but didn't interfere with the gamy-offal flavor. I thought the bread was pretty good; light and yeasty. The guy also put some of the mildly spicy salsa verde on this was well. The texture was a bit tougher than versions I had in other dishes during our visit, but this wasn't bad.

The Missus also wanted the Trippa alla Fiorentina as well.

Which arrived just as the Missus got back with our next glass of wine. A nice, light Chianti. She told me the guy working the wine counter was so nice as She asked about the various wine. When She picked one out he told Her, "good, very good, you on vacation, there's no time for bad wine!" You gotta love it.

This tripe was a bit tougher than other versions, but had no off flavors, and was quite tasty overall and for 5 Euros…..

While the Missus went for dessert, I dropped off our wine glass, something I guess others don't do? I got a very nice smile and a thank you from all three folks behind the counter of the wine bar.

I then headed straight for the central bar and got the Missus an espresso and me……well, I thought a Negroni would be a nice way to end the evening.

By now, the place was getting quite busy.

So it was time to stop taking up seats and head on back to the apartment. We really had a fun time at Mercato Centrale.

Mercato Centrale Firenze
Piazza del Mercato Centrale 4
Florence, Italy
Upstairs Hours Vary from 10am – Midnight

We got back to the apartment, had the last glass of wine and went off into dreamland.

Our wonderful host, Matteo was nice enough to arrange for a taxi to the rental car stand for us. He told us, it was the best way to get there. We had gotten up fairly early and packed, our cab wasn't due until 955. Since the Baptistrey opened at 830 and was essentially right down the street we decided to head on over.