The Earl of Sandwich

Earlier, I stated that I like cheeseburgers. Well, I love sandwiches (I guess cheeseburgers would fit into this category). I don't know if there was a particular experience, but as I transformed into an amateur foodie while watching countless hours of the food network, I started really liking the simple complexity that a sandwich can afford.

Growing up, with five kids and a dad brown bagging it, we generally had the same type of menu everyday - a sandwich, a fruit, and 2 cookies (my dad got 3). As we grew up (moreso the younger kids) other items were added. The definition of a sandwich was a single slice of ham, bologna, turkey, etc. and sometimes a slice of cheese (usually cheddar cut from a 5 pound block - no american) with mayo or mustard (one or the other). Later on, sometimes there was provolone or swiss if we were lucky, but it only lasted a little while.

During the summer, we usually were in charge of planning the meals and grocery list for a week and then cooking the meals. We always helped for dinner every other day as well, making a salad, dessert, cooking noodles, etc. Anyway, sometimes, during lunch, we would create a menu for the kids to choose from and a big favorite was a "deluxe" sandwich. This usually included 2 (!) slices of meat (ham and bologna, for instance), a slice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo AND mustard on buttered toasted bread. This was my first experience of what a sandwich could be.

I worked for a pizzaria that also made subs. In Albuquerque, Dion's is the place to go for pizza, subs, and salads. I love their subs and would get them for my meal while I worked. Turkey and swiss, no mayo, no tomato, extra onions, lightly toasted (pushed halfway through the oven), with ranch instead of greek dressing. That's my order. During my freshman year of college, I almost always made turkey and swiss with lettuce and whatever else I had in the fridge. I felt rich by buying deli meat and cheese.

My love for sandwiches grew as I experienced new tastes and styles. We have a panini maker and it gets used at least once a week. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can be special. The normal cheddar grilled cheese can be spruced up with a slice of ham, apple slices, and honey mustard. The leftover pork loin? Slice it and add red onion, provolone, rasberry chipotle sauce, put that on the panini maker, and you have a "deluxe" sandwich. Meatball, french dip, italian (any sandwich changes dramatically with the addition of pepperoni) - I like to make and eat them all. The only limit is your imagination. Let's just say that I've made a list of meals that we could make (both Becca and I like to cook - she likes to bake more than me and I like making entrees), and one of the categories in addition to chicken, chinese, etc. is sandwiches. I guess it's a dream of many men to open up a sandwich shop, but I don't mind just making them for me, my family, and my friends.

With that, I like trying different delis (come on, Subway doesn't really count) and getting other ideas for sandwiches. On Friday, I tried a new italian deli near campus called Bambinos. My short review - good sandwich, especially the sammy sauce, the bread was a little airy and spongy for my tastes, but the owner/sandwich maker is friendly and even asks your name and wants you to have a good time (he's 25 and a first generation Italian-American). The mob theme was kind of fun and his New York (?) accent was pretty good. The sandwich was maybe a buck too expensive, but it was nice to support a local guy working hard and making a good sandwich.

Other suggestions if you are looking for a good sandwich in Austin:

• Jason's Deli - their mufaletta is great and the pastrami sandwich has so much meat, our friend used the extra meat the next night to feed a family of 4
• Jimmy Johns - the Gargantuan is so tasty and the best part is the dense, chewy bread - don't forget the hot peppers (on the side)
• Texadelphia - pretty good but I think it's overpriced (in other words, I haven't benn there in a while, but I haven't really missed it)
• Manny Hattan's - good pastrami sandwich and they have Carnegie Deli cheesecake. A little more than you would probably pay for a sandwich though
• Flip Happy - ok, this isn't really a sandwich place, but the crepes are stuffed with sandwich-like fillings. So good, great Austin atmosphere (served out of a silver Airstream), and they have dessert crepes.
• Schlotzsky's - ok, so some will say how can you include this and not include a subway/quiznos/blimpies chain? Because their Original sandwich is sooo good. The bread with olives and cheddar melted on it just is so good.

There are a couple of other places that I'd like to try. They are: Little Deli (7101 Woodrow), Foodheads (616 W. 34th St.), Hog Island Italian Deli (1612 Lavaca), and Frizano's Deli (just north of campus on Speedway where it turns and isn't Speedway for that block [104 E. 31st St.]). If you have tried one or have other suggestions, leave a comment and let me know what you thought.