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.
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.” 
