Tag Archives: San Jose

Turkey & Avocado – Zino’s Deli, Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA

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Last week, when discussing the California Fresh from Le Boulanger, I called the paltry amount of avocado a “serious flaw.” If that was a serious flaw, I don’t know what to call what I got from Zino’s. Judging by the sign in the parking lot, this was previously a Quizno’s. When I saw this, I thought to myself, “Well that’s interesting. An establishment that’s broken away from the larger chain.” After eating there, I have come to realize it is less likely that they broke away and more that they were jettisoned. I ordered my sandwich, and as is customary at this type of eatery, moved down the counter to the toppings. It was there that I stood and watched something unfold that was nothing less than horrifying. The man standing in front of me picked up a plastic bag filled with some manner of green substance, halfway between a cream and a paste, and he squeezed the bag so as to collect this substance near the corner of the bag that had been snipped off. Surely this was not the avocado? The menu board had pictures of avocados on it! My attention shifted as I saw my sandwich come out of the conveyor toaster. There was a layer of cheese on it, with that sheen that sandwich shop toasted cheese always has. I can’t say the cheese was a surprise, the sandwich industry as a whole is very fond of cheese, but on top of the cheese were black olives. Olives, like a great many food items, have their place on a sandwich. But no one had asked me if I wanted olives. Further, I was standing in front of the toppings. Where had the olives come from? Why would they be stored separate from the other items? Things were going bad with some speed, and soon enough my greatest fears were confirmed. The man at the topping station took my sandwich, squeezed his bag, and laid a zig-zag stripe of green mystery down. He looked up at me and asked me what else I wanted. Shell-shocked, I believe I muttered something along the lines of “red onions, I guess…bell peppers…lettuce and tomato, sure.”

As my sandwich was being wrapped up, I considered walking out. Everything I know about sandwiches was telling me that I was in for it. I am a sandwich enthusiast, I am not a professional and I do not share the obligations of a professional. Still, the sandwich was now prepared and ready to be eaten, and how could I come before you and condemn it if I was unwilling to eat it?

This was a lousy sandwich. There was entirely much mayonnaise on both sides of the bread, and again, I was not consulted on that. If I were I might have suggested a substitution of mustard, but apparently Zino’s knows better. The so-called avocado was dreadfully bland, the cheese was unnecessary, the bread hardly even worth considering. I can usually find at least some element of any sandwich that I enjoy, but there was nothing here. This was just a lousy sandwich.

California Fresh – Le Boulanger, Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA

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The "California Fresh" Sandwich at Le Boulanger Bakery, San Jose, CA

The California Fresh fro Le Boulanger is another fairly straightforward sandwich. Turkey breast, lettuce & tomato, red onion, avocado, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard come together on a dutch crunch roll. Sadly, the sandwich came up short on that last mark, containing what I would estimate to be not even half of an avocado. The avocado is a standard part of nearly every sandwich named for the Golden State, to skimp on it seems to me to misunderstand the basic premise of the sandwich. There was an abundance of mayonnaise, however, perhaps making the absurd suggestion that all forms of ‘creaminess’ are equal. A sandwich this generic couldn’t overcome this flaw, I thought, and as I ate I began mentally writing a negative review. As I continued, though, I was forced to reconsider my first impression. The dutch crunch roll, baked locally but not in-store, was outstanding. It had a hearty crust, the customary slightly sweet flavor, and had enough body to declare itself but not so much that it becomes a bread sandwich. The lack of avocado is a serious issue, and the rest of the sandwich is nothing special, but carried solely on the strength of a fine, fine roll, I would have to say this was a very good sandwich.

Mozzarella & Roasted Tomato – Twist Cafe, E Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA

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Though I have previously railed against an overabundance of cheese in a sandwich that criticism hardly seems apt when the cheese is the point. Further, mozzarella is a mild cheese and is rather suitable to being presented as the big idea in a sandwich. This wasn’t a spectacular sandwich but it was a fine midweek lunch, the sort of pleasing but ultimately forgettable sandwich which we all come upon rather frequently. The bread had a nice crust to it and the crunch presented a fine contrast to the gooey cheese. The roasted tomatoes had a subtle sweetness which was a bit overshadowed by the balsamic reduction glaze. Altogether a fine sandwich about which there is no need to wax poetic.

Catfish Po’ Boy – Poor House Bistro, South Autumn St, San Jose, CA

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poboyfinal

I mean this as a compliment: There was nothing special about this sandwich. It was a straightforward po’ boy. Fried catfish atop a bed of slaw, tartar sauce and pickles to finish. Everything was well executed, the slaw itself was light and fresh and the tartar sauce was vibrant and flavorful. The catfish in the sandwich was fried to order which is the biggest thing a restaurant can do to ensure a fine sandwich. Other po’ boys I’ve eaten, as well as a crab cake sandwich that was spectacular otherwise, fry their main ingredient ahead of time and wait for you to order it. The result is often a limp, soggy sandwich. Poor House Bistro understands this challenge and rises above it, taking the extra time to make your sandwich after you order it. I assure you that this fine sandwich is worth the wait.

The reason I would praise this sandwich for taking no chances and doing nothing out of the ordinary has to do with how I view the role of the outpost. Every cuisine, and specifically every type of sandwich, has a home. It has a place of creation, a place where it was first refined and loved. It branches out from there, carried to restaurants, take-out counters and lunch trucks by dedicated fanatics or crafty entrepreneurs. It is my opinion that these individuals who take their cherished cuisine out into the world should present it in its classical form. Were I in Louisiana I would happily seek out a reimagined or deconstructed po’ boy but when I sit down for one more than 2000 miles away I want the dictionary definition of the sandwich. That is what Poor House Bistro delivers and I couldn’t think to ask for more.

Tri-Tip Sandwich – Happy Hollow Market, Senter Rd, San Jose, CA

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tri-tip

When you see Happy Hollow Market from the road you are presented with some information and invited to make assumptions. A hand-painted sign on the slanted roof informs of the name of the establishment and some of the things they sell. There are things you expect from a market, such as beer, snacks and cigarettes at state minimum. The sign also informs you that they sell BBQ and Ribs. This is where you make your assumptions. The assumption I chose to make was that any BBQ sold from the inside of a mini mart was either very, very good, or very very bad. Figuring that most BBQ joints sell some manner of sandwich I decided to try my luck.

The market portion of Happy Hollow Market is exactly what you would expect. Tucked into the corner is a separate counter, behind which sit two men and a large oven. I ordered the tri-tip sandwich, one of the men took my money and the other took a large bun and piled on meat from a warming tray. It was wrapped in foil and I took it outside to one of the small tables.

Luck was not on my side. “Leathery” is not generally a quality I seek out in food and it was by far the dominant quality of this sandwich. Good BBQ has ‘bark,’ a flavorful crust that perfectly compliments the tender meat. The bark in this sandwich was comparable to beef jerky, though the comparison would be less than favorable. The meat itself was tough and dry. The best that could be said about the sauce was that it was not bland, but it was nearly all pepper and no smoke. I have a fondness for dives and holes-in-the-wall, but each one is a gamble. I am sad to say, dear reader, that this time I lost.

Chipotle Chicken Sandwich on Artisan French – Panera Bread, San Jose, CA

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It is one thing to sit down and eat 1000 calories in one sitting, without a side dish in sight. Any individual serious about food will do it at one point or another. It is another thing entirely to do it for this sandwich. I didn’t want this review to turn out like this. I wanted to be fair. I’m okay with being a snob, but I didn’t want to be a strict “This sandwich chain’s sandwich is HORRIBLE! This independent cafe’s sandwich is TREMENDOUS!” sort of snob. However the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich on Artisan French happens to be the first Franchise Sandwich I reviewed, and so here we are. This is not a good sandwich. The cheese dominates the entire thing, layered heavily and smothering all flavors. With the taste lost to the cheese the bacon adds nothing except additional cost. The best that can be said about the chicken is that it is inoffensive, in both portion size and flavor. The bread, and I was honestly surprised at this given the name of the establishment, the bread is barely there. It lacks body and flavor, more a container than an ingredient. You only get to eat so much in this life. There’s no reason to waste 1000 calories on this sandwich. I could go on, but in the end why dwell on a lousy sandwich? Here’s hoping for better things next time, friends.

The Smokie — Just Burgers & Q, El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA

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(A quick note: My phone failed to store the picture I took of this sandwich. The photography on this blog will improve considerably in the coming weeks, I promise.)

I was accompanying an associate on an errand when I saw it. A professional light-up sign proclaimed “JUST BURGERS & Q”, while a smaller, computer-printed sign in the window specified that the Q in question was Bar-B-Q. I instantly made several assumptions about Just Burgers & Q and when I visited them that afternoon I found out that all of my assumptions were correct. This is the type of establishment that is offended even by the suggestion of a frill. It’s barely even a restaurant, pared down even for a take-out joint. 3 tables and less than a dozen chairs crowded the front, a high counter had a menu taped to it and beyond that a man who appeared to be the proprietor busied himself in the kitchen. He took my order from the back, rang my order up when he had a moment and when my sandwich was ready he brought it out to me.

As I sat and waited for the sandwich I found my anticipation building. When someone chooses to forgo the formalities of a restaurant it is usually because they know their food can stand without it. It is a bold move to deny your customers a pleasant atmosphere, daring them to admit that they only thing that matters is your food and that your food is very, very good. I thought it was all-or-nothing. I thought if the sandwich was good then the whole enterprise was a success, and if it wasn’t then I was just sitting in a dirty storefront drinking a watered down coke.

I was wrong. To cut to the chase the sandwich was no good but I am unwilling to write off the whole of Just Burgers & Q. The sandwich was a bed of shredded lettuce on a sesame seed bun, some shaved pork loin and a slice of tomato. That’s not much of a sandwich but what saved the whole thing from disaster was the sauce. The pork loin was soaked in a smokey bar-b-q sauce thick enough to hold the sandwich together but not so thick as to impede things. The sandwich was lousy but the sauce was amazing and as I ate it the disconnect between the two made me uncomfortable. The caramel notes in the sauce played against the spice and the whole thing just overshadowed the rest of the sandwich. The meat in the middle could have been roast turkey or tofu loaf, it was all lost. To have a sauce that is so obviously a product of so much work and love poured over a sandwich that no thought has gone into is an unacceptable dichotomy. The sauce at Just Burgers & Q is amazing, and for all I know the ribs are transcendent. The sandwich, however, is no good.

Bistro Club – Safeway Deli, Santa Clara, CA

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Bistro Club from Safeway

“Life,” I was once told, “Is simply a matter of basics and details. Rely heavily on one, hope the other comes together and you should be all right.” In sandwiches, as we have seen time and time again, as in life.

The Safeway Bistro Club is a sandwich that gets the basics right. The sandwich is an herbed focaccia bread bread with a hearty layer of chicken, a few slices of bacon, an avocado spread and a piece of lettuce. Chicken is the building block of a great many sandwiches, and far too often at fast food establishments it does not measure up. It is cold and tough, long ago chopped up and parceled out into the portion for one sandwich, regardless of the type. The Bistro Club, however, features large chunks of tender chicken, specifically selected for how well they would fit on my sandwich. It was put in the oven for a full minute, ensuring everything was heated through. I was so impressed with the quality of the chicken that I enquired as to whether it had been grilled on site, and I was surprised when I was told it wasn’t.

As well as the most important element of the sandwich is done, the details are not all there. The avocado, smooth and creamy, is a nice presence but has little in the sandwich to play off of. The avocado is a fine, fine ingredient for a sandwich and it saddens me when I see it merely included, instead of featured. The sandwich resists the urge to pile on extraneous ingredients, but I cannot help but wonder what the avocado might have been. In spite of this, well executed basics carry what is a surprisingly good sandwich.