Rubicon Deli (UTC)

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

 

Comments

[Soo]

Your wife is an awesome walker! That's good you found sandwiches you like nearby.

[barbara paddock]

Oh gosh, they all look delicious. Thank you for posting. I aspire to take long walks like your wife! Thank you for posting.

[Kirk]

She is indeed Soo....

I hope you're able to take leisurely and fun walks; for as long as and wherever your heart desires soon Barbara! Take care!

[Junichi]

Holy moly that's quite a walk for the missus. I hit the trails on the weekends. Most people don't wear masks though which concerns me. So many folks huffing and puffing up the mountain sending droplets into the air.

[Sandy]

The Missus' treks are something else; it's not the distance, but the up and down the canyons that would get me. Since the pandemic, I've been walking up and down the hills more in my neighborhood, and my endurance has improved. What shoes does the Missus wear for these hikes? Rubicon's sandwiches look so good; I haven't had dutch crunch bread in years.

[Hangzhou Hero]

With all those sandwiches, maybe walking off those Rubicon's is just the missus thinking ahead!

[kat]

glad she is keeping sane :) take care and stay safe everyone

[Kirk]

Yes, She likes to hike/walk Junichi! The Missus has also complained to me about groups of folks not wearing masks and such.

Hi Sandy - The Missus boguht a couple of different hiking shoes form REI. I can ask which one she currently uses if you like.

LOL HH! I guess I better start walking too, huh?

Thanks Kat!

[Sandy]

Yes, please ask the Missus about the shoes. I'm always on the lookout for a good pair of shoes for walking.

[Janfrederick]

I walk a lot. Bay Park to Regents, and then Sprouts on Genesee back to Bay Park? Impressive! And oh man what a great post. Starving now.

[Kirk]

Hi Sandy - The brand the Missus likes is Salomon; She has three different pairs and said they are all quite good. Hope this works out for you.

Yes, She does like to hike/walk Jan! Hope you got a fix for that hunger! ;o)

[Dereck]

Rubicon is great, and don't forget about their homemade potato chips. I usually kill that little bag before I even unwrap the sando!

[Kirk]

Hey Dereck - You know; I've never had the chips from Rubicon....mainly because I can barely; and most times can't even finish a half sandwich.....thanks for the recommendation though.

[Lynnea Fleming]

Oh those sandwiches look great! I think I did ask about Rubicon deli way back when I first saw their Mission Hills location open. I still haven't been there since I usually only stop in that area around 9:30AM to pick up supplies from Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe...but maybe I need to make a point of trying out those sandwiches! :)

[Kirk]

I did recall you mentioning Rubicon Lynnea. So, I guess I'm not quite going senile yet....I think! Do try them out when you get a chance.