mmm-yoso!!!

Sunday Sandwiches - Bay Hill Tavern and Sandwich Emporium

Man, was it warm enough for you today? I was going to do another noodle soup post, but decided to spare you the torture. So, I'll just do one of these sandwiches posts, of places close to home...consider it a H(anging) i(n) t(he) 'H(ood) version if you will.

Bay Hill Tavern:

In my last post on BHT, I mentioned how friendly the bar staff is, and how gladly they'll share their favorite versions of items on the menu. Recently, BHT put a version of a Philly Cheesesteak, called the BHT Philly on the menu.

Now granted, I have a whole category for cheesesteaks, and as expected this really isn't what I would describe as one.

 

 The roll is too bready, but I do enjoy the caramelized onions, mushrooms, and peppers. The beef, which they told me is shaved rib eye is a bit on the chewy side, but nice and beefy. For me, this sandwich was much too dry, and the provolone-mozzarella mix lacked a nice cheesy punch and there was not enough of it. It's a bit on the bland side overall.

Now, the folks that I know at BHT like that I'm honest about the food when I try it. So, when I was asked about this, I told them what I wrote above.

Cue in Janeli, who bartends and also manages the place on occasion. She told me to try the cheesesteak with a side of the beer cheese, which is what they put on the Dirty Fries. I was a bit skeptical, but I guess I take direction well. On my next visit, I got the Philly, no fries (the sandwich is enough for me, plus not a fan of the quick to be soggy fries, or paying an upcharge for garlic fries. Guess I only like the dirty fries?), with a side of Beer Cheese.

   Knowing what kind of mess I'd be making, they kindly provided a knife to slice the sandwich and a ton of napkins. I truly had my doubts, thinking the flavor of the fonduey cheese mixed with beer and other seasonings might interfere with the sandwich. But, it actually made it better, adding more savory tones, and a pleasant creaminess to things.

No, it's not what I call a proper cheesesteak, but pretty good overall. Thanks to the folks like Adam and Janeli at BHT!

Bay Hill Tavern
3010 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117

Sandwich Emporium:

I took my car to Victor's for a good car wash. When I do this, I'd usually head on across the street and get a haircut, but on this day, since it was later in the morning and I was feeling a bit peckish, I decided to get a sandwich at Sandwich Emporium. I didn't realize that it had been a year and a half since my last visit!

I walked on in; the owners, the twins weren't in on this day....in fact, I haven't seen them in a couple of years.

I ordered my usual, the Spicy Julio. I took a seat outside and when my sandwich was ready, just ate it on the spot.

This sandwich has changed over the last two times I've had it. It much more mayo heavy, there less roast beef in it....food costs I guess, the avocado is a really mashed, and the sandwich is a bit of a mess. It's also not as spicy as before.

I really enjoyed it as used to be. Kind of sad actually.

Perhaps I need to change my habits and try something else next time.

Sandwich Emporium
3054 1/2 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Revisits - Philadelphia Sandwich Company and Tadian Cafe

Just another "Sunday Sandwiches" post.

Philadelphia Sandwich Company:

In my last cheesesteak post on the Wise Ox and Evan's Deli & Brew FOY "ST" mentioned that the Philadelphia Sandwich Company had changed ownership. So, a couple of weeks back, I decided to head on over.

The place looked a bit more "spiffed up" then I recalled. The women working here have always been nice and friendly to me. So, I did pose a question regarding ownership. Apparently, Joe Creszenzo the long time owner of PSC sold the place early last year to the folks that run Abbey's BBQ next door. Wow, so I guess I hadn't been back here in nearly 4 years!

Anyway, I went with the usual, the Joe's Special with Provolone (regular size, now $12.50). Back at the office I opened it up and my goodness, it looked totally different from what I'd had here before. There was a lot more meat in this.

First off, there wasn't enough cheese on this, thus it was lacking that nice milkiness I enjoy. The meat was a lot darker and carmelized but really chewy and salty. The roll was really bready and soaked, falling apart, I think they've changed bread and no longer use Amoroso rolls. Not enough onions in relationship to the meat. As with a good banh mi, proportion of ingredients do matter.

Now granted PSC has never been a favorite of mine, but I don't think this is an improvement at all.

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company
6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 207
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm
Closed on Sundays

Tadian Cafe:

I was wondering how Tadian Cafe was doing. It had been about 10 months since my last visit. Being that Tadian does not do an upcharge for online ordering, I took a look at the menu and was pleasantly surprised to see that a favorite of mine was back on the menu. So, I went right ahead and placed an order. Another good thing about Tadian is that they open at 9am, so it's a good option for picking up an early lunch.

So, I drove on over and as always, my sandwich was waiting on the counter when I arrived.

So, what did I get?

   Well, my favorite sandwich here is the Chinese Sausage Sandwich ($9.99), I get it with a fried egg ($1.50), easy on the mayo, extra toasted. While it's on the "bready" side, getting the roll extra toasted enhances the crustiness and diminishes the potential for sogginess as Tadian, even when I ask for easy on the mayo will have too much of it. I enjoy the meaty lup cheong, which has a nice salty-porky-sweetness. The egg adds more savory tones and the avocado tempers things down. To me, the onions add a good pungency and is necessary, as is the mild sweet acidity of the tomato. Everything has a part to play here.

I do wish they had an option for cucumber, but I did enjoy this sandwich. I need to drop by more often.

Tadian Cafe
5955 Mira Mesa Blvd. Suite K
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon - Fri 9am - 3pm

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Sunday Sandwiches - The Wise Ox (North Park) and Evan's Deli & Brew

Every so often I crave a cheesesteak. Actually, it's more like "cheesesteaks" as I'll usually have a couple from different places to quell the craving. It had been a while, a couple of years actually, since I've had a decent cheesesteak and opportunity knocked twice in the last couple of weeks. So, of course I answered.....

Evan's Deli & Brew:

The Missus was wanting some cookies from the Cravory, so I headed on over to Point Loma. I had heard that the shop that replaced Gaglione Bros in the strip mall also made cheesesteaks. So, after getting some cookies for the Missus I walked on over.

And as in the sign on the shop; cheesesteaks are front and center on the menu.

And they even have Tastykakes.

The couple running the place were very friendly and it as a short wait for my Mushroom Steak; I got an 8" for $10.49 which is a bargain for a sandwich these days.

   The yeasty, standard Amoroso roll stood up well. The meat was decently shaved, fairly tender, moist, and beefy, the mushrooms earthy, and the white American cheese added a complimentary, not overwhelming milky gooeyness to the sandwich.

This was a nice, standard cheesesteak. Something that's not easy to find in San Diego.

Nice owners, decently priced, I'm sure to visit again.

Evan’s Deli & Brew
3944 W Point Loma Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
Hours:
Sunday 10am - 7pm
Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm

The Wise Ox:

I'd heard that the Wise Ox, a butcher shop owned by the Trust Restaurant Group made a good cheesesteak. I had thoughts of checking out the place earlier, but the parking situation in the strip mall is terrible. But, since we were staying at the Lafayette, I was in walking distance to the North Park location.

I walked over and arrived just as the place was opening. I was greeted before I entered the shop by the nice gentleman getting the smoker going. The shop offers a nice variety of soy sauces and such, along with sausages and other meat products.

I went and ordered the Cheesesteak ($12.99). The friendly guy behind the counter took my number and told me he'd text me when my sandwich was ready. I started going for a stroll; but my sandwich was ready in like 5 minutes!

The meat, I was told it was New York Strip, was thinly shaved and very beefy-tender. It wasn't as moist as the stuff from Evan's, but I could tell based on the texture and beefiness that it was of higher quality.

The Amoroso roll really stood up well in this sandwich; though as you can see, there was less beef than other versions of cheesesteak I've had before. Thus making it more "bready".

I enjoyed the onions in the sandwich.

I didn't care for the pickled peppers which, in my mind detracted from the overall flavor of the sandwich, especially, at least to me, muted the cheese and beefiness. I'd probably ask not to have that next time. Still, if you go for the quality of beef, this might be the cheesesteak for you.

The Wise Ox Butcher & Deli
2855 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Sun - Mon 10am - 5pm
Tues - Sat 10am - 6pm

It was nice to get some decent cheesesteaks since so many places where I'd enjoyed the sandwich before like Monkey Paw, Pop's, and others have closed.

Sunday Sandwiches - Sandwich Island

Sometimes little "happy accidents" occur. For instance, I had some meetings over the normal lunch time and decided to head to Creative Deli. Thinking about all my meetings I kind of spaced out and before I knew it, I had passed Carroll Road. Sheesh..... I decided to turn around on Trade Street. I took a right turn and headed down Trade Street for a bit. For some reason, I decide to turn around in a parking lot where I saw this signage.

Sandwich Island? Sandwich Island! Wow....well this hit home....I'm from the Sandwich Islands. So, of course I had to stop here since the open sign was lit.

The shop is quite a bit larger than it appears from the outside. A dining area, then a rather long counter area with some additional seating.

The menu was pretty darn large, with everything from Reubens to Club Sandwiches, to Quesadillas and Wraps, to Breakfast options.

Looking at the names of various items on the menu cracked me up....anyone for a "Humuhumunukunukuapua'a" (breaded fish sandwich)......can you even say it? That's always been fun way to test if you're really "local" back home....along with "Kalanianaʻole" and if you can correctly pronounce "Likelike".

Anyway, as I placed my order, I asked the woman if they were from Hawaii and was told that the former owner was; bummas.....

I ordered the Island Club ($8.95) and it felt quite hefty....and when I opened it up.....

 Holy smokes....look at all that white bread. This was fine; wish the bread was toasted, but perhaps that was asking for a bit much. Also, wish it had more bacon, but again how could I complain since this was.....in these times, a good value. So, processed ham and turkey, just like "small kid" time.....when we always called this a "Clubhouse". And I couldn't finish this......and had leftovers with dinner.

During my visit, I noticed daily "specials".

Just eight bucks, so I decided to try some of these out.

First was the Haoli, which was spelled Hoali on the lunch special menu, versus Haoli on the menu....I'm assuming this means Hau'oli (happy) versus "Haole".....which means....well, you know. I got this with the Cabbage Almond Salad.

 So, the Italian Roll was actually slightly toasted and fairly crusty and even though it was a bit "too much bread" it wasn't bad. The "salad" was basic almond coleslaw, with very little "dressing on it. Basically coleslaw mix with a bit of dressing.

The sandwich had ham, cheese, and turkey, all standard issue; though the tomatoes were quite ripe and added a nice fruity-acidity to the sandwich.

A bit too much mayo for my taste, but again, you could do a lot worse for eight bucks....like perhaps some interesting "mystery meat"?

So, as things cooled off a bit, I visited on a recent Friday and decided to get the "Special A" for the day....the "Philly" Cheesesteak with fries ($8). And, in all honesty, you couldn't fault the potion size.

 These days, here in San Diego, what can you get for eight bucks? Really.... The roll was again decently toasted, the beef surprisingly tender......not enough mushrooms and peppers and the cheese used was really bland and while quite gooey didn't add anything else to the sandwich.

The generous portion of fries didn't hold up well on the 15 minute drive back to the office and was really salty....though some may like that.

 I don't want to give you the wrong impression; this is one of those places that is a good value and keeps folks fed. I will say that I prefer Sunrise Deli, Creative Deli, and Kim's Deli to Sandwich Island. Though it again is one of those Mom-and-Pop Delis that keep folks fed for a reasonable price. And I saw some rice bowls and bentos on the menu....so maybe I'll give those a try.

After all, I'm from the "Sandwich Islands".......

Sandwich Island
7350 Trade St.
San Diego, CA 92121

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

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 - A Revisit to the Philadelphia Sandwich Company and a Visit to Cali Banh Mi (Convoy)

Revisiting the Philadelphia Sandwich Company:

So, after getting that weird answering machine message from The Sandwich A'Fare and deciding to drive past and figure out what was going on....well, I still needed lunch. So, I just went ahead and called in a takeout order to the Philadelphia Sandwich Company. As before, I ordered the "Joe's Special".

It's kinda interesting as this time around they included a fork wrapped with my Cheesesteak?

Lots of mushrooms and peppers on this one this time around. The bread, which was an Amoroso, was on the soggy side, the meat a bit too chewy and bland.

Though I did learn something......the nice woman working recommended I get some hot sauce for my sandwich, which I took....tasted like Frank's Red Hot.....but strangely, it added acidity, heat, and most of all, more flavor to the rather bland sandwich.

Go figure......

I do like the folks working here....wish the Cheesesteaks were a bit better though......

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company
6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 207
San Diego, CA 92121

Cali Banh Mi (Convoy):

After doing a bit of shopping at Nijiya I headed home, but wanted a bite to eat. I decided to stop in at Cali Banh Mi. I hadn't been to the place since it changed from being a location of Cali Baguette Express.

There were benches set-up for distancing from the counter.

I got a simple Banh Mi with Egg......I tried to order an Op La; but the young man had no idea what I was saying.....I'll give him the benefit of the doubt....that my pronunciation just sucked.

This wasn't terrible, but the banh mi was too chewy and doughy, lacking in the light, flakey-crustiness of a good banh mi. The fillings were fine, if a bit on the stingy side....even for a Banh Mi....where I usually argue that proportion is the most important thing. So, after this location, along with multiple visits to the Garnet Avenue locale, my opinion remains the same. Americanized Banh Mi not to offend......

Cali Banh Mi
4425 Convoy Street
San Diego, CA 92111

Steak n Fries

In my post on Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks I mentioned having "two" recommendations for Cheesesteaks in PB. I decided to wait until the weather got a bit warmer to try the second shop, by the name of Steak N Fries. What got my attention was the "Amoroso Bread" signed stenciled on the window.

Entering this tiny little shop, it's basically one tiny two top, a counter with five stools, and two small two tops outside, I was warmly greeted by a gentleman who I assume is the owner, "Angel". He came out from behind the counter, shook my hand, and went over the menu. In short, you got cheesesteaks, and what they call Steak N Fries.....fries topped with the beef used for the sandwiches and a rather lonely grilled cheese. On the good side; along with your choice of cheese, you can request peppers, onions, mushrooms, and the like at no extra charge.

I went with the Cheesesteak with provolone, onions, mushrooms, and peppers ($11)...for a dollar more you can even get fries....

The roll was definitely an Amoroso; it had that nice softness and yeastiness, but unfortunately was cold, which dampened the experience. Especially since the meat to bread ratio left a bit to be desired. I did really enjoy the flavor of the beef. Here's it's sliced in thin strips; reminds me of Geno's in Philly.....I gotta get back there one day, though like I've said several times in my Cheesesteak posts; I've had better at other locales in the city. The beef is tender, with a nice pepperiness, the onions and mushrooms were griddled nicely; though the peppers could have used a few more minutes on the flat top. I'd have liked a bit more milky provolone as well.

Still; if they'd heat that roll, I'd take this over the drier, unseasoned meat at Calozzi's.

As always, I returned for another visit. But with the limited menu, what to get? Well, I decided on the namesake "Steak n Fries" ($7) with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. And took a seat and looked out onto Garnet and "PB Oriental"?

The box with the fork in it looked fairly compact; but this ended up being a lot, at least for me.

The rib eye was tender, though there weren't too much onions, mushrooms, and peppers. I enjoyed the nicely fried, potato-ey fries, which were super hot. I'm thinking you gotta eat this hot. The top layer was nice, not too much "Whiz" and the fries still had some crispness to it. But "crunch time" diminished as you worked you way to the bottom....man they sure use a lot of "Whiz". I just couldn't finish this as it got too salty near the end and I was stuffed.

Still, had I been in my mid-twenties, after a night of imbibing some liquid refreshment or "ahem" other stuffs. This might have done it for me.

In fact, when Angel came over as I was finishing, I asked him how many of these he sells after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays (they are open until 2). He laughed and said, "oh, enough......enough".

Steak N Fries
1039 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Hours
Sun - Thurs 11am - Midnight
Fri - Sat   11am - 2am

Sunday Sandwiches - Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks

**** Calozzi's Cheesesteaks has closed

After my last couple of Cheesesteak posts; I got a couple of recommendations. Strangely, both of them are in PB. I thought I'd try out Calozzi's first.

Calozzi's is a tiny little shop squeezed in right next to Latin Chef. There's basically two sets of counters with chairs; inside you can watch your cheesesteaks being made.

Or you can dine outside and watch PB roll on by.....

The menu is simple and straightforward; a handful of cheesesteaks, in Philly style they come "wit" or "witout" (fried onions). The folks working here; especially the young lady are very friendly.

Of course I just went with "The Cheesesteak" ($10.75). Man, this was totally a meat-bomb.

When I broke apart the two pieces; "meat-shrapnel" flew in all directions. Of course, much of the meat was piled on the top. The White American Cheese provided just enough of the volcanic creamy-gooey texture to provide enough lip searing moisture and milkiness to the sandwich. There was a decent beefiness; with little seasoning, which was just fine in my book. Since I had this "wit"; I quickly noticed that the onions were really stringy, not a big deal, but still noticeable.

For me; it was that bread, there was just too much of it, that took away from this sandwich. I'm fond of the crusty, with gritty textured Italian Hoagy bread of places like Amaroso, which have a nice yeasty flavor, and stand up to all the meat juice and gooey cheese.

In the end; just too much bread.

Still, not a bad sandwich. And you'll need to familiarize yourself with the "condiment" rack....not necessarily for the peppers and such; but that's where the napkins and forks (should you need them) are assembled.

After this meat-bomb; I needed a month to recover. So, I recently revisted and had myself the "Donnie"; Calozzi's version of a Mushroom Cheesesteak.

This version; with provolone was much drier; the meat much more caramelized. It was a bit too dry for my taste as there was so much bread. The mushrooms were chopped in large pieces; I'd have preferred a more finer chop and more integrated into the cheesesteak. It was again; a huge amount of beef, so I'm sure it'll impress those who love this portion size.

For me, Calozzi's, which also has a location in Seattle, is more about quantity....you will get your money's worth here. If you want that "meat-bomb" this might be the place.

It's not necessarily my favorite cheesesteak as proportion and the right "roll" matters; at least for me.

I will say; I don't think you'd go hungry here.

Recently; I went searching for photos form that long ago trip to Philly; waaay back in the nineties; when we still used a thing called "film" for photos. Hopefully, I'll find those one of these days. I'll surely scan them and perhaps do a post.

Al Calozzi's Cheesesteaks
1146 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
Open Daily:
11am - 9pm

 

Sunday Sandwiches - The Gourmet Bagger

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

Sunday Sandwiches - Revisits to The Sandwich A'Fare, Philadelphia Sandwich Company, and Gaglione Bros (Point Loma)

A trio of sandwich revisits for a warm, almost summery Sunday.

The Sandwich A'Fare:

**** The Sandwich A'Fare has closed

I had a meeting finish at 1230pm and needed something, anything, before my next battery of meetings. By this time, most places in the area are just too busy. Then I thought about The Sandwich A'Fare, which is kind of hidden away in the rear of the strip mall we call the "Kearny Mesa restaurant refugee mall" because it houses Abbey BBQ and the Philadelphia Sandwich Company. I got in, one person ahead of me, got out in ten minutes with my "Godfather".

This was actually better than what I had on my previous visits. The bread seemed fresher and more yeasty and it wasn't over-dressed with too much mayo. Perhaps it was because the owner, Bud actually made my sandwich this time.

No muss, no fuss, and out the door for $6.25. I have a special place in my heart for these Mom-and-Pop sandwich shops. You can see why.

The Sandwich A'Fare
6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 107
San Diego, CA 92121

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company:

Speaking of the "Kearny Mesa restaurant refugee mall" and specifically the Philadelphia Sandwich Company. The last time I visited, was nearly 8 years ago (time does fly, huh?), during one of my Cheesesteak round-up posts.

Another crazy day of meetings stretching thru noon. It was almost 10am and I recalled that the PSC opened at 10. So why not give them a try again after all these years?

Parking in the upper lot here during lunch can be a horror show, but I had no problem just a few minutes after 10.

The young lady working here was awesome and efficient. Really very nice.

I got the 6 inch "Joe's Special" ($7.75).

For scale purposes I placed my iPhone behind the sandwich.

There's something about how they griddle the meat here; it's a rather unappetizing grey, surprisingly dry, and very bland. The cheese wasn't spread out evenly. The roll was fine; an Amoroso. Not enough mushrooms, not enough flavor, not enough lovely gooeyness for my taste.

The Philadelphia Sandwich Company
6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 207
San Diego, CA 92121
Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 4pm

I grappled with what I had eaten and thought about with regards to the PSC. I hadn't had a Cheesesteak in quite a while. Gaglione Brothers, especially the Point Loma location, had been a nice guilty pleasure over the years. But it had been a while. So, just for perspective, I decided to drop by.

Gaglione Bros (Point Loma):

**** This location of Gaglione Bros has closed

Well, it looks like the sign has changed.

I ordered the Mushroom Cheesesteak with Onions.

I gotta say; I was kind of bummed. While the bread was nicely toasted, yeasty, with a nice texture, the cheese and meat weren't incorporated together well. This lacked the nice gooey and gloppy mixture of meat and cheese. No singed lips and tongues from the napalm juiciness as the meat was on the dry side. The light milky flavor of the cheese was lacking....I'm wondering if they've changed this over the years or is it just how it was griddled today?

While better than the PSC, this was no trophy cheesesteak.

Gaglione Brothers
3944 West Point Loma Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Which lead me to wonder.......I know that Monkey Paw has changed ownership. It has me wondering how their cheesesteak is?