The Best Lamb Burger in My World.

I love visiting my brother, Shorts, in NYC.  A couple of years ago, I discovered an amazing sandwich at the Breslin, a cool bar/restaurant connected to the Ace Hotel.  Soon after, I found out that the Food Network thought it was a good sandwich, too, since they featured it on their show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."  No big deal!

Anyway, you really need to go to the Breslin and get the lamb burger, which is one of my favorite sandwiches EVER.  This perfectly juicy burger is complemented by feta cheese, red onions, and cumin mayo, and this flavor/texture combination will absolutely melt in your mouth.  The bun is strong enough to hold it all together- slightly crunchy on the outside, and softer in the middle, and you get REALLY yummy fries on the side. While you're waiting for your sandwich and sipping on the Breslin's delicious draft beers, I suggest you munch on scrumpets and/or oysters with dill pickle juice.

A Tale of Two Sandwiches: Buffalo, NY

During my recent weekend in Buffalo visiting my very dear friends, the DrsO, I was ecstatic about eating wings.  I have never experienced "Buffalo style" wings anywhere outside of Buffalo that even come close in comparison to the ones I eat in the wings' namesake city.  Although Buffalo is clearly known for its wings and lake effect snow, I was happy to discover some delicious and distinctive sandwiches while I was there, too.

On Saturday night, we went to a bar called the Allen St. Hardware Cafe.  This place was actually a hardware store from the late 19th century until 2004, when they turned it into a very cool and comfortable bar/restaurant. When we sat down, my friend asked for the beer list and I asked for the sandwich list.  The bartender laughed while my friend said "I think that's generally called a menu." What's the difference? Anyway, after reviewing the sandwiches on the specials list, I debated between a lamb burger and a pork loin panini, asking the bartender what I should order if, "hypothetically, I were a sandwich blogger." He thought that was funny too.  Anyway, he said definitely the pork loin sandwich, and I was a little relieved that he picked that one, because there's a lamb burger in NYC that I am so excited to share with you soon.  ANYWAY, I digress.  Back to Allen St. and THIS:

This sandwich was amazing.  The French-like bread was buttery, toasted and thick sliced, which it needed to be, to stand up to what was inside: pork tenderloin, Brie cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms.Seriously amazing.  And, it was served with a rosemary gravy for dipping.  I love the concept of dipping your sandwich into a sauce!

 

As if that weren't enough, I fulfilled my weekend goal of devouring a Beef on Weck, a sandwich Buffalo is known for, at the very end of my trip.  Charlie the Butcher's is a little counter service restaurant with the feel of a throwback diner.  When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the man carving meat behind the counter; he continued to carve during our entire time there.  If you haven't heard of a Beef on Weck before, now is probably a good time for me to enlighten you.  

The juicy, sliced roast beef (seasoned and roasted for hours) is piled high on a Kimmelweck roll, which is basically a kaiser-esque roll with caraway seeds and plenty of sea salt on top. The standard way to eat this sandwich is dressed with horseradish and dipped in au jus.  At Charlie the Butcher's, they add the au jus to the sandwich for you, shortly before they serve you this deliciousness.  I ordered mine with a side of sweet potato fries and a loganberry soda (another Buffalo specialty).

I feel nostalgic for my time in Buffalo already.  If anyone knows of a place to get authentic Buffalo wings or Beef on Weck in the DC area (i.e. sans the lake effect snow), please let me know!

BBQ Sandwich, outside, in January?

One of my favorite places in DC is a restaurant/bar/coffee shop called Open City.  Famous for their delicious all day breakfast menu (which features items such as a chorizo scramble and multigrain pancakes), this is a go-to spot for me when I need to relax- alone, with my laptop, or with a close friend.

A major draw of this place is the outdoor seating, a patio overlooking Rock Creek Park and tucked away from the bustle of Connecticut Avenue.  When it's really nice out, there's this indoor-outdoor living feeling, as they open the huge windows to provide fresh air for even the patrons seated inside.

During my recent visit there, on an uncharacteristically warm January afternoon, HG and I sat in the bright sunshine for some sandwiches, beer, and a catchup session.

In my 5+ years living here, I have eaten a lot of the sandwiches on their menu, but I decided to try something new.  I narrowed down my selection to either the tuna melt or the BBQ Pork, but the waiter made my selection easy when he said "BBQ, all day long."

This was a deliciously messy sandwich.  I needed extra napkins, but it was SO worth it.  The meat was so tender and juicy, and I loved the contrast between the subtle housemade barbeque sauce and the vinegar-y cabbage-apple slaw served on the sandwich, which added flavor without overwhelming the meat.  I appreciated that the sesame potato bun was strong enough to stand up to the meat, sauce, and slaw without falling apart.  The sandwiches at Open City now come a la carte, and I ordered brussels sprouts on the side. They were perfect.

Okay, I'm ready for summer.

When life gives you lemons, make a salmonwich!

I went home to Florida recently for the holidays and I picked some bright, beautiful lemons growing on a tree in my parents' yard.  I decided that WB and I needed to make something with these lemons that we could write about.  And since we love sandwiches, somehow we needed to incorporate these homegrown citrus delights into something that could go between two pieces of bread.  I brought them back to DC, and, per WB's suggestion, we used them to make salmon patty sandwiches!

WB did the research on salmon patties and discovered this recipe.  We were not disappointed with the results!  We doubled the below recipe, which was a great idea, because these salmon patties make delicious leftovers. 

Ingredients

• 2 strips bacon
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• the zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 (14-ounce) can wild salmon (check for bones)
• 1 russet potato
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (we used Panko)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1.  First things first- zest the lemon and set it aside.

2.  Bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.  Reserve the fat for later.

3.  Meanwhile, bake a potato, peel it, and mash it with a fork into a bowl.

4.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat over low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

5.  Cool your onions!

6.  Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl.

7.  Add the salmon (flaked with a fork) and potato.

8.  Form the mixture into 12 (ish) small patties.

9.  In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and a few dashes of freshly ground pepper.

10. Coat the patties in the bread crumb topping.

11.  Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and cook the salmon cakes in batches until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add more oil, as necessary.

12.  Place the patties on paper towels.  Squeeze some of the fresh lemon over them.

13.  We sliced a baguette and toasted the bread slightly, and then we drizzled it with olive oil.  

14.  Pile the bread high with tomatoes and fresh avocados. In the future, we recommend using a soft roll for these sandwiches, because the patties are pretty fragile.  

This was an amazing way to start off the New (Sandwich) Year!!! 

Grilled Cheese to Write Home About

I have been super excited to try the grilled cheese bar at Ripple in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of DC.  This chic restaurant somehow feels both comfortable and a little fancy at the same time, and its fare emphasizes locally-sourced ingredients.  The hours of the badass grilled cheese bar at Ripple are, IMHO, a little strange- 5-6:30pm and 10:30pm-midnight, Sunday-Thursday.  However, I'm glad I finally made the effort to get there during the sandwich hours, because WHAT a great find this is!

You can choose from their list of unique- and decadent- grilled cheese options, with creatively descriptive names like Swiss Bank Account, Lotsa Mozza, and Krusty Krab, or you can design your own grilled cheese from the selections of breads (brioche, ciabatta, or multigrain), cheeses (including sheep, cow, blue, washed rind, and goat options), house-made spreads such as jam, hummus, and garlic aioli, and extra toppings like jumbo lump crab, sun-dried tomatoes, calabrese, radish, and organic greens.

WB and I decided to try two on the menu- the Stinky Pete and the 'Shroom 'Shroom.  The Stinky Pete, with fotene cheese (think: limburger), zucchini, and anchovy, was an Adventurous choice, and I thought it was really good (and memorable!), while WB found the stinky cheese a little too strong for her taste.  However, we both absolutely devoured the 'Shroom 'Shroom, with its wild mushroom duxelle and gooey tallegio cheese, and we totally could have eaten more of that sandwich.  Both were served on perfectly crispy multigrain bread, complete with grill marks.

I am really excited to go back to Ripple and create my own grilled cheese! Also, you should know that Ripple owns a small storefront called Sugar Magnolia where you can grab homemade treats including the most amazing ice cream sandwiches I have ever eaten.

Shorts at Christmas!

One of my favorite traditions is making breakfast for my brother, Shorts, when we are home for holidays.  We have been eating these open-faced breakfast sandwiches we call "eggs in a nest" since we were kids.  It's simple, delicious, and a much more exciting twist on your standard egg-and-toast breakfast.

The first step is to toast the bread slightly, to give it a head start before it hits the pan.  Then, cut circles out.  I always use the same glass that reminds me of my Granny.

Place the bread and circles in a well buttered and medium-heated pan.  I like to ensure there is a little melted butter on both sides of the bread.  Crack an egg into each opening, and cook the eggs to your preference.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I love my yolks a little runny; it makes a yummy sauce on your plate for the bread circles, which, in my opinion, are the BEST part about this breakfast.

A B-L-T, but not.

Today, the end of the world, WB and I were able to actually go out to eat, sit down and enjoy a relaxed lunch…on a workday! I was so excited when I got to the Wine Kitchen, a new-to-me restaurant in Frederick, MD.  The Wine Kitchen feels cozy yet classy, and the menu features sections entitled “From the Farm,” “Blue Waters,” and “Pastures and Sky.”  For my lunch, I selected the Spicy BLT Sandwich from the “Pastures and Sky” section of the menu.  I have eaten a lot of BLTs in my day, and they have generally been delicious in my experience (what’s not to like??), but this sandwich is EXTRAORDINARY.  I mean, this is not your typical bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich.  The slightly buttered, toasted sourdough bread surrounds super crispy, salty house-made bacon, fresh and spicy arugula, and subtly sweet, tangy, and just-sour-enough green tomatoes.  The Siracha aioli was creamy and zippy, allowing the Spicy BLT to live up to its name.  I really loved this unique twist on a classic sandwich, and I have been savoring the memory of this lunch all day.  The tater tots with caraway seeds were a nice touch on the side, with the crispy outside surrounding a soft, mashed potato-esque center. I will definitely be back to the Wine Kitchen- next time I want to go there for wine and a sandwich, two of my favorite things.