'wich-hunt

Key West Edition: Sloppy Joe, Cracked Conch, Lobster Roll

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:17:00 -0600

Key West wasn’t the first spot we thought of for a ‘wich-hunt, but when the opportunity to go in...

Blue Pig N' Fig - Pastoral

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:24:00 -0600

Blue Pig N’ FigPastoralChicago French Market131 N. Clinton StChicago, IL 60661Other...

Super Bowl, Banh Mi Battle

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:29:00 -0600

“#1 Special” Ba Le5014 N. Broadway St.Chicago, IL 60640 (Uptown)(773)...

Goat Barbacoa Torta (Saturday Special) - XOCO

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:20:00 -0600

Goat Barbacoa XOCO 449 North Clark StreetChicago, IL 60654 (River North) You can pretty much bet on...

Steak Sandwich - El Cubanito

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:40:00 -0600

Steak SandwichEl Cubanito 2555 N Pulaski RdChicago, IL 60639 (Logan Square) Alberto and...

Oaxacan Pork Panes Bread Cafe 3002 N Sheffield Ave....

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:01:00 -0500

Oaxacan Pork
Panes Bread Cafe
3002 N Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657 (Lakeview)

Panes is a Mexican sandwich café that kinda flies under the radar. I say that because I lived within a mile of the place and learned about it years after the fact (big up to Hector for the introduction). They’ve got “regular” type sandwiches that I’ve never tried (BLTs, Clubs, etc.) and other sandwiches with names and flavors that are more inline with Mexican street food. The Pollo Diablo is pretty good, but the Oaxacan Pork is where it’s at. Properly proportioned in a way that you get all the sweet and savory flavors from the caramelized onions, roasted red pepper, spicy mayo and tender pork loin all in one spectacular bite. Panes (pronounced pa-ness with a short a), also makes their own bread daily, which adds to the freshness and quality of the sandwich. The bread used in the Oaxacan is like a French type grain bread. Nice, crunchy exterior and chewy soft interior. Sandwich also comes with chips. It can take a long time to get your food; although, I do get impatient because I know the feeling of eating it will be like cracking open a piñata and finding dozens of Oaxacan Pork sandwiches. If you’re confused, that feeling is joy.

Details

•    grain French bread
•    pork loin
•    caramelized onions
•    roasted red peppers
•    spicy mayo

Note: Names have been changed to help preserve anonymity.

Egg, Bacon and Harissa Sandwich 112 Eatery 112 N 3rd St....

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:43:00 -0500

Egg, Bacon and Harissa Sandwich
112 Eatery
112 N 3rd St.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401

Fresh off the plane and straight to 112. Now, we’re certainly not here to talk about mixed greens, but we have to give it up for the foie gras and lardon salad real quick. Not only is it seared foie gras and chopped bacon on the same plate, but it also comes with a pouched egg. One thing to compare to is the crispy, decadent, silky-rich, buttery fat on a really good steak. Yup.

On paper, the egg, bacon and harissa sandwich seemed like a leap in the opposite direction of the salad, but as an authority on egg sandwiches, I had to try it. Glad I did. The heat from the harissa is in the same vein as the Sriracha I douse on all my egg sandwiches, but the garlic, coriander and cumin stepped it up. Nicely spread on both pieces of toast topped with a perfectly fried egg—that oozed liquid gold all over the plate—two thick and crispy pieces of bacon, and leaf parsley. It was comfortingly familiar, yet markedly different. We’ll be alternating harissa and Sriracha from now on.

Details:

•    white toast
•    harissa spread
•    fried egg
•    2 pieces of bacon
•    whole leaf parsley

Pulled Pork Bat 17 1709 Benson Ave. Evanston, IL If you’re an...

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:52:00 -0500

Pulled Pork
Bat 17
1709 Benson Ave.
Evanston, IL

If you’re an early reader of ‘wich Hunt then you’re aware of my deep affection for Bennison’s Bakery, “an Evanston institution since 1938.” The Toulouse (straight from Bennison’s) is bomb and the Buffalo Joe’s Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is a staple in my diet—partly because the bun used comes from the aforementioned bakery. Turns out Buffalo Joe’s isn’t the only spot in Evanston that takes advantage of these hand-sliced breads. Unfortunately, their bread alone can’t save every sandwich that uses it.

Bat 17, in downtown Evanston, is a simple concept with a seemingly simple menu consisting of sandwiches, beer, soups, salads and a reasonably sized dessert menu (I should disclose that prices are not recession friendly. Expect over $10 for a Regular Size and $12+ for the Full Size). The sandwich menu is broken down by sandwich type—chicken, turkey, beef, vegetarian, etc.—, which I guess is the seemingly simple part. Problem is, there are too many derivatives. Maybe it’s my indecisiveness or my love for everything edible that’s to blame, but when I’m at lunch I don’t really feel like choosing one sandwich from a tall list of 39. It’s one of those ordering experiences where you change your mind 5 different times before convincing yourself you’re really craving Turkey and not Corned Beef. Thankfully, Pulled Pork was the special because I didn’t really feel like Turkey or Corned Beef or any of the other 37 varieties.

The packaging of the sandwich got me all hot and bothered—a significantly sized square, neatly wrapped in thick white butcher paper, sealed with masking tape and the word “pork” written in black sharpie. The thing weighed pretty heavy too, which added to my excitement; however, everything from that point was pretty uneventful. The sauce used was ok and had a nice sweetness to it, but every few bites I got a pork chunk surprise that was far from pulled. There were some jalapenos thrown in, which made things interesting, some cheese that I can’t recall (maybe Munstuer), some soggy fried onion strings, and possibly some cole slaw—not sure. Oh, and it was pretty messy too, which is not always bad if it’s coming from a sandwich I want to shove in my mouth and smear all over my face. Not one of those sandwiches. I won’t bother breaking down the list of ingredients, because it’s all pretty forgettable. Not so much a “fail,” but more of a “I wouldn’t order it again.”

Italian SubBari Foods 1120 W Grand Ave # 1 Chicago,...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:24:00 -0500

Italian Sub
Bari Foods
1120 W Grand Ave # 1
Chicago, Illinois 60642 (Noble Square/West Town)

Confession: I like the Spicy Italian with “everything on it” from Subway. I do. It’s not bad. Others can and should argue that it’s not an authentic Italian sandwich, but in a bind, I’ll eat it. That said, if I didn’t have time or travel constraints and I was craving an Italian Sub, believe you me I wouldn’t be running to no Subway. Chicago is supposedly biding for the title of culinary capital in North America and residents of Chicago should probably start eating like it—Italian Subs included. For those of you who think you’re doing yourself a favor by “eating fresh” well then I invite you to subscribe to my RSS feed: http://wichhunt.com/rss as well as the super amazing Chicago Dining Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/RSS-396-Chicago-Dining-Examiner . Now as I step away from my shameless plug and shout-out, let me share the tasty details for the BEST Italian Sub in Chicago, which can be found at Bari on Grand in the Noble Square/West Town neighborhood.

•    Italian bread
•    capocollo
•    genoa salami
•    mortadella
•    provolone
•    Bari hot or mild

Bari is an old-school deli and corner store supermarket that, from what I’m told, carries every old-world specialty you can think of. Although the place is a mere 3 aisles wide, I only go for the sandwiches, so I only know what’s in the aisle that you’re destined to wait in before placing your order at the deli counter in back. You can get the 9” or 12” for all sandwiches, either of which can easily be shared by two people. The meatball sub is pretty close to amazing, but I typically go for the Italian sub (featured below). The bread is fresh and crispy, but not tough, the flavorful deli-style meats are scrumptious and the hot peppers alone are worth the $6. One of the things that I appreciate most is the proportion of the sandwich. There’s a healthy serving of the various meats, but it’s not piled too high—a potential deal breaker in my opinion. It’s an authentic treasure and Chicago tradition well worth the extra mile and buck if you’re thinking about going down the block for a $5 footlong.

Note: Exterior photo courtsey of http://www.bretranprojects.com. Thank you. Photo below belongs to me, so step off.

Bennison’s Bakery Evanston, IllinoisToulouse I never eat...

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:15:00 -0500

Bennison’s Bakery
Evanston, Illinois
Toulouse

I never eat breakfast. Never been to Paris. After this morning, I suddenly want to do both. My hermano and co-worker Jesus, delivers once again. Not only did he not have to come to work on a Friday, but he also didn’t have to bring breakfast sandwiches from, what’s turning out to be, my new go-to work spot. Bennison’s mutha$&%^@*! Bakery. If you’ll recall in my previous post, Buffalo Joe’s makes an unbeatable Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, served on a heavenly bun courtsey of Bennison’s mutha$&%^@*! Bakery. Known for their wide assortment of sweets, freshly baked artisan breads, cakes, cookies and other bomb delights, the award-winning Bennison’s Bakery also serves a handful of Parisienne sandwiches.

The Toulouse (only available on Friday’s and Saturday’s) murders any McDonald’s breakfast sandwich—even the McGriddle. Yeah, I said it. The croissant is warm, buttery and flaky; the eggs fresh, fluffy and well seasoned; the bechamel outstandingly rich and creamy. The ham was good, not to salty, but the bacon is forgettable and initially undetectable. If they can fix the bacon part, I would drive to get 2 of these every morning/afternoon after a night of tossing a few back. Did I mention they put the bechamel inside AND out. Be advised that Bennison’s keeps to the bakery standard and does not have any seating. They do have a couple of table tops that you can stand at. My recommendation would be to take it to-go and enjoy it over at Fountain Square in beautiful Downtown Evanston. Be sure to say what’s up to “Easy Rider.” You’ll know him when you see him. Details:

croissant
scrambled eggs
bacon
ham
bechamel sauce

Note: Names have been changed to help preserve anonymity.

Buffalo Joe’s Evanston, Illinois Buffalo Chicken Sandwich...

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:17:00 -0500

Buffalo Joe’s
Evanston, Illinois
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (Spicy)

I’m stepping into the blogosphere with, what currently may very well be, my favorite sandwich. I know this because I’m craving it after eating one just 7 hours prior. I was fooling myself, earlier this afternoon, when having the internal discussion of where to go to lunch. It was my co-worker, Jesus (pronounced Hey-Zeus) who suggested, “[I] should go for the mother of all chicken sandwiches.” I’m pretty impressionable, so there really was no argument. In fact, I was immediately excited. Brilliant idea. Thanks Jesus.

Quality is the key with this delicacy. It qualifies as such because of the type of ingredients they use. The noteworthy sauce is definitely “the boss,” as they say, but the rich cheese spread and pillowy soft bun give the sauce a run for it’s money as the star ingredient(s). Before I get ahead of myself, the dissection is as follows:

breaded fried chicken breast tossed in
mild, spicy or suicide buffalo sauce
buttery soft bun from local award-winning Bennison’s Bakery
Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread
shredded lettuce (sucker for it)
2 slices of tomato

6 quality and simple ingredients make this sandwich outstanding. After you have it for the 1st time, it will constantly be on your mind—yes, exactly like that. The combination of all things great just melts in your mouth. Lately, I’ve been trying to limit my frequency of indulging in this guilty pleasure, because that’s exactly what it is. In many ways, you never want it to end. You feel absolutely horrible about yourself immediately after swallowing the last bite, but at the same time, you know that life would be better if you could keep on eating it forever—that, or you just wish they made crave cases for them. It’s a legit sandwich that has never ceased to fail me. Be aware that a food coma will ensue, but you’ll be content for at least 5-7 hours—until you’ll start craving it again.