I made cubanos last night for dinner-- I brined some chicken breast, made a rub from brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. When the breasts were brined, I put the rub on the breasts (woo) and grilled 'em. When they were done, I divded and split a sourdough roll and filled it with the chicken, ham, swiss cheese, dill pickle, and then baked 'em (weighted down with a cast-iron skillet). Exceedingly tasty.

I think it's my favorite sammich of all time. Anyone else make cubanos? What's the favorite sammich in the SOMB?

My dad grew up in FL & for the rest of his life he lamented never being able to find a cubano as good as those made in little stands everywhere in FL. He did make them for us, but they were cold! And, I never considered brining just a part of a chicken. How wise you are.

My favorite sammich: baked turkey breast on sliced sourdough w/ ranch dressing and mustard, sliced avocado, dill pickle, jack or havarti cheese, and lots of pepper & salt.

Versailles in Culver City (South West of LA, just inland of the Beaches of the South Bay) does a good Cubano. I remember being told by a Cubano friend "In a Cuban restaurant you want to order the sandwich, 'cause if they don't do it right you don't want to try anything else and if they do do it right you don't need to try anything else!"

Cold cubanos? That's not right.

Brining is a great discovery. If I'm grilling or roasting turkey or chicken, brining is a must. Takes a little longer, but it's worth it. Interesting to combine different spices or sauces with the brine-- just don't upset the salt/sugar balance, and you can infuse all kinds of flavor (apple cider vinegar, or lemons, oranges, limes, etc). It's good for pork I'm told, too, but I haven't tried that.

I love a good Cuban and Reuben sandwich.

I really love a great Meatball sandwich with mozzeralla, toasted.

I love me a good cubano. San Francisco's Mission and North Beach have some decent ones, but NY and FLA is where it's at for these delights.

I also love:

An original Muffaletta from the Central Grocery in New Orleans.
Cochon au lait from the Jazz Fest fairgrounds.
Flank steak, pickle and horseradish aioli on grilled ciabatta.
A rueben or a pastrami or corned beef piled high from a real deli (like, say, Nate and Al's or Canters in Los Angeles)
Croque monsieur
A monte cristo
Quizno's Prime Rib and Mesquite Chicken with Bacon
A Killer BLT
Grilled sharp NY cheddar, gruyere and fontina on whole grain from Delmonico's baking

Or The Carnegie Deli.

Montreal smoked meat, all the way.


Philly cheesesteak too. Rachael Ray has a recipe that involves expensive beef tenderloin and provolone that is absolutely unreal, the best one I've ever had (granted, I've never been to Philly ).

Meatball marinara is a close third. Cubanos are yummy. Simple Italian ones are great too, mortadella, capocollo, prosciutto with olive oil, that red pepper spread, and hot peppers on Italian bread.

I'm getting hungry now.

Favorite? Gotta be an eye-talian beef.

That turkey sandwich mentioned above sounds pretty tasty, though.

My favorite in Chicago are:

The bahn mi sandwich from Ba Le on Argyle & Broadway (5018 N Broadway)

Any of the Italian subs from Bari on Grand & May (1120 W. Grand)

The pastrami, roast beef, or corned beef fro Manny's (1141 S. Jefferson)

The jibarito at Papa's Cache Sabros (2517 W. Division)

The Italian beef at Chickie's (2839 S. Pulaski) or Johnny's (7500 W. North, Elmwood Park)





Wow. Tenderloin seems like such a waste for Philly cheesesteak, but I bet it's great. Traditionally top round or rib eye are used for the steak, the cheese is Cheez Whiz or provolone, and the sandwich can be ordered with or without sauteed onions.

I've heard good things about them, but I never seem to be able to get there for a sandwich.

No love for Dukes?

Order "Wiz wit" and have your money ready.

Yes. Bari is the shit.

all this talk of sandwiches. Im dying.

I love rubens and cheese steaks with pepperjack, onions, lettuce, tomoatoe, a little djaun (sp) mustard and mayonaise on the bun. try it out.

also anything with prochuto, and agian I spell bad

Philly Cheese Steak - Pat's is my fave, but there are so many to have.
Chicago Style Hot Dog

but the king....

The Blockbuster (Original Italian Sub) from Fontano's Subs on Polk. Add hot giardinera....omg...sooooooooooooooooo good.

Yeah, it's strange at first using tenderloin, but the end result is so spectacular, it's worth it. I've used top round for the same recipe, and while it was very, very good, it couldn't compare to the tenderloin, which practically melts in your mouth.

I've never had Cheez Whiz on a cheesesteak. It seems so tacky compared to provolone. Though I'd like to try it once.

3rd-ed (ed)

mmmmmmm......Bari subs....

Quality ingredients, fresh, quite large....love the whole grocery store.

Strolling over at lunch hour amd carrying one of these giants out in my hands (arms?) is one of my better lunchtime moments....

To anyone going to either show at Union Park, I'd recommend stopping by here on the way...

This is so freaking weird. On the way home from work I was thinking of making a chicken eriely similar to this for the next sox game I go to. I never knew it had a name.

It's no Carnegie, Katz's, or 2nd Avenue, but it's the best Jewish-style deli Chicago has to offer.
As for Los Angeles (Canter's was mentioned), don't forget the pastrami from Langer's.



Dukes is very good, but not in my Top 3. Number 3 for me would be either Mr. Beef, Al's (somewhat grudgingly as their prices are extortionate and the size of their beef seems to have shrunk over time), or perhaps even Pops in Homewood.

This little sandwich shop in DeKalb had a veggie sandwich. It was grilled Pita with 3 kinds of cheese, green peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, a great cream/sour cream sauce and giardiniera that would blow yer head off.

It may be tacky, but it's authentic. Personally, I kinda like the Cheez Whiz cheesesteak. It's the only time I use Cheez Whiz (just like Buffalo Wings are the only time I will use margarine instead of butter.)

Give rib eye a shot in your cheesesteak--that's what Pat's (the original cheesesteak) uses. Jim's (another popular Philly place) uses top round. Of the big three (Pat's, Geno's, and Jim's) I liked Pat's the best. Just ask your butcher to slice the beef as thinly as possible (I buy it as lomo de res at the local Pete's Fresh Market grocery.) Cook it over high heat in a cast-iron pan, and break it up with a metal spatula as you go along. Don't overcook it! It shouldn't be tough at all.

Getting the beef and the cheese right isn't hard at all. It's the Amoroso roll (a local Italian bread) that makes the Philly what it is. I haven't found anything quite right here in Chicago, but a generic Italian loaf will do. It's not quite as flaky as a French roll, but the crust has just a little bit of substance. Think Kaiser roll in submarine shape and you're in the right ballpark.

Yeah, you learn quickly that the thinner the slices, the better (took all my strength to hack away at the top round with the spatula!). Think I'll try that next time, with the rib eye. Maybe with some Cheez Whiz.

The breaded steak from Tony's is tits.

I'll take mine dipped in red sauce with mozzarella and hot peppers. And fries well done with no salt.

Yum.

sandwiches happen to be my favourite food. it's hard to pick a favourite type. it's all based on mood and weather and other circumstance. philly chese steaks gross me out, that's for sure. i'm completely in love with costello's sandwich shop in lincoln square. right now, i can't go wrong with a delicius spicy roscoe: hot capicola, pepper crusted turkey and pepper jack cheese on an Italian sub with yellow peppers, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo and classic vinaigrette. yessss.

Baked chicken marinated in Italian dressing, prosciutto, fantina (sp?) cheese, warmed until the cheese melts, on foccacia bread. Olive oil on bread. Slice of tomato optional.

how quickly you jump off the Soup Train.

Muffaletta from Central Grocery...mmmm

Is that 'little sammich shop' by Mickey D's on Annie Glidden?
Me, a soft shelled crab or fried oyster po'boy from Mother's in NOLA
or a cheesesteak sammie from Pat's in Philly.

The Fuego Steak Melt from The Liars' Club in Mission Beach, San Diego, is the greatest fucking creation known to surfers and beer lovahs worldwide. It's sort of a cheesesteak sandwich, only with roasted Anaheim, Poblano and Cerrano chiles and pepperjack cheese on sliced toasted jalapeno-cheddar bread. A couple of tomato slices on board play games with your mind when you eat it-- the textures of crisp toasted bread, juicy tomatoes, and soft, warm cheese enshroud the medley of peppers so you can never really tell how each bite is delivering all that fucking heat! The thing is the hottest, bestest shit I've ever dared to enjoy.

And they have some awesome beers and a great juke box too. One of my favorite bars.

Ooo!!! Good choice. I just had a po'boy from Mother's for the first time three weeks ago (I had the Debris). Holy crap was it good. That place is awesome. Unfortunately, Central Grocery was closed on Sunday, so I didn't get a chance to have the original mufaletta (though I did have it elsewhere in NO, and it was great).

You just can't find a bad meal in New Orleans.

Last time there, I had the Debris too. Super yummy.

Note: Roast beef is served warm with gravy (often called a "debris po' boy", because it is made with the pieces of meat that fall in as the roast cooks).