mmmmmmm...Mati's Deli

My newest favorite coworker had the brilliant idea to take this sandwich eater to Mati’s Deli

He supplied me with a menu and I began studying… like two weeks ago
Pavlov’s dog over here, I saw photos of sandwiches to come at www.matisdeli.com and instantly started drooling

Here’s what I was debating:
The Reuben (A classic. Maybe I could do some kind of Reuben eat-off someday?)
Carol’s Temptation (If it tempts Carol, it’ll tempt me.)
Brian’s Wish (I would wish for that too, Brian)
Brittany’s Ticket (to heaven, I’m sure)

When the time came to go to lunch, I still had no idea what to do. I seriously considered ordering all four and pulling something similar to the party sub escapade…

A time comes in everyone’s life when they must order, and the best thing to decide among choices is to close your eyes and point your finger, or, do like I did, and ask what’s the most popular sandwich.
It’s popular for a reason; plus, I like to be part of the “in” crowd.

And the winner is……..
Carol’s Temptation

The service at Mati’s Deli is great, but it still felt like forever as I sat at my retro dinette table and tried to hide my anxious foot taping and slight mouth drooling

The interior of Mati’s Deli is pretty cool with its black and white tiled floor and teal chair coverings at the tables and the lunch counter. I had plenty to look at out the big front window and I wished every order that was called was mine.

When my number came up, I was more than ready. Carol’s Temptation is mounds turkey breast piled high with crisp cole slaw and Russian dressing.
Next up after the slaw is the Swiss cheese that was melted beautifully and safely tucked into the sandwich.

What really brought the bite together were the gloriously grilled slices of rye bread. There’s something so delicious about the crispy crunch of lightly buttered bread that makes for one of those closed eyes “mmmmmmmmm” moments.



As you can imagine, this was one messy meal and with each big bite, I had juice from the cole slaw running down my fingers, making its way to my elbows.

I love magnificently messy sandwiches.

Bite after bite, I was in sandwich heaven. Had I not been in the company of my coworker (as not to be rude), I absolutely would have scooped up every last bit of fallen slaw with bread crust spoons.

Carol’s Temptation was the perfect sized sandwich for lunch as I left with a sort of Three Bears “just right” kind of feeling.

With my trusty GPS in hand, I will definitely find my way back to Mati’s Deli again. I mean, I owe it to myself to eat all four of my choices.

The Great Debate

Many have asked if a hamburger/cheeseburger qualifies as a sandwich.
While I enjoy grabbing a bun just like the next guy, my first and only instinct is to say “No”.

Let’s start with the obvious, shall we?
A hamburger is called a hamburger and a sandwich a sandwich.
Really, that should suffice as my argument, but to be nitpicky, a Reuben isn’t called a sandwich and that’s one of the best sandwiches there are.

Both foods may be described in the same fashion, so I think that’s where the confusion comes from.
Both are usually comprised of bread, meat, a vegetable of some sort, cheese, and toppings.
This simplified ingredient list could easily be for a sandwich or a hamburger/cheeseburger but the main difference is the choice of meat.

When you order a hamburger, you are expecting to receive some kind of ground beef like ground chuck, sirloin, or if you’re really lucky, you’ll get Piedmontese beef. You’re expecting your burger to be slightly greasy, piping hot, and topped with tomato, lettuce, ketchup, and maybe a special sauce. Maybe even accompanied by a side of fries.

If you order a sandwich, you’re only expecting a few of the same things.

Right off the gate you are not expecting grilled hamburger meat of any kind. You might be expecting shaved turkey, ham, corned beef, hard salami, and the list goes on and on, but you are not expecting hamburger meat.

A hamburger comes on some sort of hamburger bun, be it sesame seed, wheat, or whatever, the type of bread is us usually followed by “bun”. How many sandwiches do you order on a “bun”? Sandwiches are more versatile here (and other places which make sandwiches superior; one woman’s opinion) as they may be ordered on a variety of bread options ranging from regular bread slices to fancy rolls.

You may or may not expect your sandwich to be greasy, but I’d like to know what kind of sandwich you’re ordering.

You may order your sandwich hot, but you may also order it cold. Your hamburger can’t (and shouldn’t) do that.

You may top your sandwich with lettuce, cheese, tomato, and a special sauce, but unless you know something I don’t, you probably won’t be topping it with ketchup. Mustard, however, is acceptable.

Both sandwiches and hamburgers are delicious hand foods, and I agree they are rather similar. I say we settle the great debate by claiming them cousins; from the same family, but definitely different.

After Thanksgiving Special

Just because I didn’t write about it immediately does not mean I didn’t eat a sandwich after thanksgiving

Oh goodness, heavens no!
I had myself an amazing after thanksgiving day sandwich!

While the world was going crazy and fighting over DVDs and TVs, I was fighting my own little battle at home
Was it wrong of me to hide my intended sandwich ingredients in the back of the fridge?
Perhaps, but it made my sandwich oh-so-much better!

This year’s after Thanksgiving spread was much more sparse than previous years, so I’m left wondering if we ate more on T-day or if we made less food
If the fit of my jeans are any sort of indication, we ate more

Regardless of the shortage, I still had my favorite ingredients for my sandwich
I like to start with toasted, buttered homemade white bread

This year, my dad tried to pull a fast one and used frozen loaves of breads
While looks may be deceiving, upon first bite I knew I was chewing an imposter
We baked fresh, homemade bread later that evening, and what a difference that made in my late night sandwich snack

After you’ve got your slices slathered, I lay the slices side by side and build each side of the sandwich separately
It doesn’t make a difference in the sandwich flavor, but it does set you up for open-faced sandwiches should you build too high

In one corner we’ve got garlic mashed redskin potatoes and in the other we’ve got sausage stuffing

The stuffing is absolutely key to the sandwich
Not only does the mushy goodness provide a food glue to bind everything together, but the stuffing itself is full of flavors like celery, onions, sausage, and a hint of pumpernickel bread. I believe the sausage and pumpernickel are imperative to a good stuffing, but I’m certainly not knockin’ yo’ momma’s

Load your turkey on top and if you’re lucky, which I was not, drizzle gravy over the mess



Pop it in the stove for some warming, or the microwave if you’re impatient like me, slice, and devour



I wish I had enough leftovers for more than one sandwich, but alas, that was not meant to be
“Leftover” sandwiches are great, but nothing compares to the after Thanksgiving special

What are you thankful for?

In my world of budget meals with the occasional sandwich splurge, “real” food is something to look forward to, and if you’re really lucky, someone will send you home packing with leftovers

I enjoy Thanksgiving dinner just as much as the next overeater, but what I’m truly thankful for is the leftovers. All through my Thanksgiving meal, as I’m stuffing my face and expanding my waistband, I’m also surveying the land looking for possible Thanksgiving feast survivors

Although my family always makes at least three times as much food than is really necessary, I was left with only a few survivors this year.

So, while all of you crazies are out for the best after Thanksgiving Day sales, I’ll be constructing an after Thanksgiving Day sandwich to envy

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

For the last year and a half, I've been passing this beacon of delicious hope, yet never ventured in

Now, half a town away, I decided to try the Onion Roll Deli
How sad I am that I never sampled the sandwiches before, especially when it was a mere block away from my old abode.

My dinner date and tonight’s sandwich financier and I walked in to the snug shop with visions of deli meats in our heads, not knowing what to expect

There were at least five sandwiches on the menu I wanted to try, but the superbly quick service prompted me to choose the SUPER SANDWICH with turkey, melted Swiss, Russian dressing and coleslaw, accompanied by a half order of fries.

My company chose the deli sub containing ham, turkey, Swiss, and tomato.

Huge sandwiches on fresh onion rolls arrived shortly after our fry appetizer (you really should save room for the main event)

One bite of my stacked turkey with cheese and coleslaw had sauce running down my hands; it was magical.
I love when sandwiches are so full of meat and cheese you have to bite so big you wonder if your jaw can handle it, and I love it even more when the bites are messy
I tried my best to savor every second of my toasty warm sandwich, but I still feel like I was wolfing
Half was all I could handle in one sitting, but I think I’m going to midnight snack the other half


As for the other sandwich, well, it too was delicious, but I’m unable to tell much about it because I was only allowed one bite!
The ham and turkey nearly melted together with the cheese, and the sauce was almost reminiscent of pastrami, although I’m fairly certain that was missing from the mix
Equally messy, the Deli Sub was a thing of wonder that I’ll definitely have to get the next time I go back to the Onion Roll Deli


Although next time, I think I'm going to have to order one of each sandwich so I can bask in Onion Roll Deli glory

Grilled Cheese is the Bee's Knees!

Today I felt like an ooey-gooey grilled cheese for breakfast, but instead threw together the ingredients for a fabulous, age 2 and up *, sandwich

My lunch bag consisted of a loaf of freshly sliced pumpernickel bread, butter, and deli delicious Monterey jack and pepper jack cheese

I set this sandwich up like I always set up grilled cheeses:
Slathered the butter on each slice of bread with probably too much butter
Stacked one buttered slice on top of the other buttered slice
Stacked two pieces of Monterey jack and two pieces of pepper jack on the unbuttered top of the pile
Threw on another piece of Monterey jack for good measure

Now, the difference between a homemade grilled cheese and an office grilled cheese is the grilling
As it turn out, our office only has a toaster oven, so I guess what I really made was toasted cheese

I learned a few things about office grilled cheeses… here are my sandwich tips from today’s lunch:

1. If you’re using a toaster oven, do NOT butter the outside of the sandwich. While the flavor is still mighty fine, the bread will remain soggy and you’ll end up with probably too much butter on your fingers. Butter the inside of the slices to ensure the buttery flavor without the buttery mess.

2. Don’t overwhelm your sandwich with pepper jack cheese. While I did enjoy the sinus relieving effects of the pepper, I probably would have been good with only one slice to my overload of Monterey.

3. Don’t be afraid to mix cheeses. I’m wondering how the sandwich would have turned out had I also brought my mozzarella and asiago shredded cheese. Just think: Monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, AND asiago on one sandwich! I believe I just decided what’s for dinner…

4. Unless you’re a better person than me and plan on sharing, do not bring a full loaf or full bags of cheeses to the office. They will not be there at the end of the day.

5. If using a toaster oven to make your sandwich, maybe still butter the outside of the slices because that sandwich was a lot of fun to eat.

Sadly, I ate my sandwich surrounded by a pile of papers and a busy email inbox at my desk, but I highly recommend you take some time out to really appreciate your grilled cheese sandwich.


*Correct me if children younger than 2 can handle grilled cheese

I call it the “Road kill Dog”

To celebrate Halloween I finally decided to test an idea I’ve had for a while

If bologna tastes like hot dogs as it is (I think it’s the paprika) then what would happen if I grilled a piece of bologna like I might grill a hot dog? On my Panini press, of course.

If you grill a piece of bologna, you get a road kill dog
The grill marks look like tire treads if you have an imagination
Load your dead dog with blood and guts, or ketchup, mustard and relish, and you’ve got one tasty open-faced hot-dog

I laid my corpse on a piece of white bread because that’s all my roommate had, but I think it’d be much tastier on a dry, crusty, onion roll

Unless you have the same childish eating habits I do, you may want to keep this culinary disaster tucked away until you’re either in the company of children or celebrating Halloween




*Photos not available... it wasn't pretty*

What have YOU been eating?

Sandwiches
Just not a lot of them this month

I have a great idea (which could totally suck in reality) for a Halloween sandwich
...you know, for the kids...

The Grocery List:
The Bologna with a name
Ketchup
Mustard?
Relish?
Dill Pickles
Sandwich bread (I'll know it when I see it)

The tools:
Grill or panini press, in my case


Think you know what I'm up to?

Check yourself before you Wreck yourself

Usually (read: always) I’m all about free food, especially when the free food is sandwiches
Today, however, I discovered I must say “NO” to a particular free food sammie: The Wreck from Potbelly’s

As previously discussed, I prefer the sandwiches from local, mom and pop type establishments, but not really a food snob, I’ll dabble in the chain gang of mass produced munchables

I’ve never had an issue with Potbelly’s before, but then again, I usually (twice to be exact) order the chicken salad salad so I guess I never knew much about their sandwiches

My workplace had me order a variety of sandwiches for training that’s taking place today, and as a perk, I get first dibs at the sandwich tray.
*Note: I think dibs is less perk and more due to my love of sandwiches
I chose THE WRECK

It sounded very unhealthy and very delicious with its promise of salami, roast beef, turkey, ham, and Swiss tucked into warm wheat bread

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?
Tell your mouth to knock it off

My sandwich came as a few layers of meat slapped on a piece of bread with entirely too much mayo. I couldn’t even taste the rainbow of meats; the mayo, lettuce, and tomato were surprisingly overwhelming.

The only bite I vaguely remember tasting was that of the Swiss.
That was nice.

I’m not going to let one bad tomato kill the vine, but I probably won’t be going to Potbelly’s for a long time… unless there’s another free food day, because even if it sucks, it’s still free food.

Submarines belong in my stomach

I ordered a three foot party sub from Vg’s this past Friday for Sunday pick up

Yes, I may have been at the bar when said sub was ordered

Yes, I may have called the deli worker “Deli Dan” when I placed my order

Yes, I may have been drinking

But who cares? I ordered the most delicious Italian sub from VG’s in a monstrous quantity. Truthfully, these subs must be at least 2 feet or longer because otherwise you miss out on the awesome French bread.

When I picked up my yard of sandwich, my mother told me I was crazy (as did everyone else I told of my sandwich) and also said there’s no way I could eat it all.

That sounded like a challenge.

Layers of provolone cheese, salami, and ham are stacked on a loaf (yardstick) of French bread freshly baked by the VG’s bakery. Add to that the lettuce that’s somehow more delicious in shredded form, tomatoes, and red onions. It has to be red onions- I think that’s the secret to the sub’s deliciousness. Well, that or the oregano mix that works so well with the vinegar.

It’s 8:12 am and I’ve already eaten my breakfast sub, yet I’m drooling all over again at the thought of lunch’s sub!

Another key to this sub, in my opinion, is how you cut the sub. Maybe it’s because every open house or picnic I’ve ever been to has cut in one-inch sections, but I really believe the sandwich tastes better that way. Besides, doesn’t everyone always feel better eating smaller portions? Never mind that I go up for seconds, thirds, fourths, and even fifths of the one-inch wonder!

As of today, Tuesday morning, I’ve got 1.5 feet of sub to go.

I won’t lie; I did share at least 6 inches of sub with my friend.

I won’t lie again; I totally ate at least 6 inches of sub before my friend came over so I wouldn’t look like a pig, which is kind of ridiculous because COME ON! I ordered a 3 foot party sub for myself!

Culinary Vacation

It's only Wednesday, but already I'm thinking about Friday's sandwich

I plan on doing enjoying some French cuisine at
The French Laundry

I don't know if what they serve is actually French, but I do know that they pile their sandwiches high and I can only eat half in one sitting
Also, the building they're in used to be a printing store

I think I get the same thing every time
Not because I'm boring
but because it always sounds so good

I couldn't even tell you what my "usual" is, but when I'm sitting on one the the metal outside chairs, pouring over the menu, I have a feeling I'm going to choose the same ridiculously named sandwich I always do

And I'm going to love it

$1 Customer Appreciation Day at Jimmy Johns

Thank GOD someone I know knew it was $1 sandwich day at Jimmy John's

While sandwich lovers may pass on the JJ for one reason or another ("I don't like the bread", "What's the deal with the sprouts?", "I prefer such-and-such-local-sandwichery"), I really don't feel anyone should pass up on a legitimate, freshly made sandwich. Besides, can you get any more economical than a $1 lunch?

Didn't think so.

While I usually favor the #4 Turkey Tom (hold the mayo!), today I opted for the #5 Vito

As I'm a big fan of Italian subs, especially those of the 3 foot party variety, I especially enjoyed the Vito

My sandwich artist literally threw slices of genoa salami, provolone, capicola, ...PAUSED and placed the onions back in their bin, NOT on my sandwich..., lettuce, and tomato on the bread then doused the pile like a fire starting pro

As I've said before, sandwiches are great because they're messy
By the time my "artist" was done with his materpiece, the sub looked like it had been smushed to the bottom of a backpack in a crumpled brown paper bag
The only beauty to be found was that of the sandwich wrapping, which upon careful ripping held my sub in a choke hold while I devoured

Upon approaching my last bite, I found myself wishing I had more sub to love

Typically I'm a patron to the local sandwich shops, but I'm really glad I was an appreciated customer of Jimmy John's today

GO FISH!

You know how most sandwiches, or any food, for that matter, taste better when prepared by someone else?
That rule does not apply to tuna fish.

I grew up on tuna fish sandwiches that were drowning in mayonnaise and relish.
So boring, and not to mention so unhealthy.

Honestly, I don’t really care about healthy because I like to pair my tuna fish sandwiches with a bag of Doritos (sadly, no, I don’t mean a snack bag), but really, lighten up!

At Whole Foods, I tried the Parmesan and basil tuna fish salad, and this is what I came up with for myself.

Sorry Whole Foods; I can’t afford organic.


How Liz Does Tuna Fish

Ingredients, Part I: for sure amounts

3 cans tuna (I prefer my fish in water, not oil)
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced

Ingredients, Part II: test your taste buds
More or less that a cup of Parmesan cheese
About a ¼ cup of basil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

How to:
Drain the tuna so it’s mostly dry, but still has a bit of moisture
Add the diced peppers and mix
Fold in the Parmesan cheese and basil
* I alternate between parm and basil to balance the flavors*
Sprinkle in the salt and pepper
VOILA!
You just made it my way!

If you must, choose mayo last and add it little by little.

I spread a generous amount on a pita or on Flatout bread to up the health factor. Equally delicious, and South Beach diet friendly, is to spoon the tuna mix into a large lettuce leaf for lettuce wraps.


*I apologize for the large quantity, but fear not! Tuna keeps for about three days.

Write what you know: SANDWICHES

I wonder how many millions of sandwiches are consumed by school kids daily
I wonder how many kids out there forgot their delicious mom-made peanut butter and jelly and had to accept elementary issue peanut butter on white with a slice of cheese

I’ve always wondered if the slice of cheese was meant to go on the pathetic peanut butter, or if it was supposed to be a “side”

In any event, I believe the everyone grows up on sandwiches (and if you didn’t grow up eating staples like PB&J or grilled cheese, let me know what you DID eat growing up… I’m open to new things!)

Sandwiches are by far one of the greatest inventions

First off, they’re portable. They’re taken in lunch boxes to school, brown bags for work, and in baskets for picnics. I’ve known people to smuggle turkey sandwiches in their purse for a little late night bar snack (I may have been that girl a time or two).

Secondly, they’re amazing hot or cold. A delicious hot turkey will be just as, if not more, delicious having spent the night in the fridge and eaten cold the next day.

Sandwiches are versatile. Take a very basic grilled cheese: a slice of cheese, typically of the processed variety, placed between buttered pieces of white bread and grilled until toasty. This classic sandwich can easily be dressed up for the older, more sophisticated crowd by using rye, wheat, pumpernickel, or sough dough breads (in my opinion, no matter the type of bread, it’s always better if it’s homemade), and upping the gourmet factor with cheeses like gruyere, brie, camembert or gouda. A fan favorite no matter your age! (Truly, as this is a friend of the toothless, old or young)

Best of all, dear sandwich eaters, is that sandwiches are of few foods that are acceptable to eat with one’s hands. I don’t care how messy the stack-up is, you will never need to whip out a fork, and although not everyone appreciates this, you can often get away with licking your fingers when sandwich eating!

There are so many delicious combinations that I’m chomping at the bit to try.
So, I’m going to eat my way through this blog, and I’ll share my crumbs with you.

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