Sandwich of the Week

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Katherine’s excellent Sandwich of the Week map has been, well, compromised. A well-meaning reader removed all the sandwiches he wasn’t planning on eating without realizing he was editing the public version of the map. I emailed Google to see if they have any sort of cache for these things, but they never responded.

I added a few of them back, but if you want to help out by finding an old sandwich review from this site’s archive and adding it to the map, well, that’d be very cool of you. Just follow Katherine’s color code and copy relevant info from the review into the description part. And I realize you don’t owe me anything, of course. But if every sandwich-eating TedQuarters reader helps out with just one map marker, it should be complete in no time. Then we all have a map with which to chart sandwiches I’ve eaten, and obviously that’s something you want.

The sandwich: The Original 1762 from Earl of Sandwich, 52nd street between 5th and 6th in Manhattan.

The construction: Roast beef, cheddar cheese and horseradish sauce — mayonnaise and horseradish — on house-made bread.

Important background information: The Earl of Sandwich, you may know, is a chain owned by the 11th Earl of Sandwich, a descendant of John Montagu, the actual Earl of Sandwich credited with inventing the meal. The store claims The Original 1762 is the sandwich for which all sandwiches are named, though I’m skeptical that the original had so much mayonnaise. It is possible, though, since the Wikipedia says mayonnaise first made its way around Europe after a French victory over the British in a Seven Years War battle at Minorca in 1756.

You hear that a lot, incidentally: The cross-cultural exchange of foodstuffs during wartime. And I wonder how that goes down. Did soldiers storm through villages raiding pantries for unfamiliar condiments? Like, “Hey, this might turn out to be useful on a dish someone will invent six years from now!”

But then I suppose if I were a soldier in 1756, that’s exactly how I’d play it. John Montagu was a military type, and since we know him to be a culinary pioneer it’s entirely possible he asked his underlings to bring him any new sauces they pillaged.

What it looks like:

How it tastes: Like horseradish sauce, mostly. Which is fine — the horseradish sauce is good, assuming you like the commingled flavors of horseradish and mayonnaise. But it’s by far the strongest taste on the sandwich.

The beef is there and adds bulk to the thing, but it could just as easily be sliced chicken or turkey or anything meaty and a little chewy that can be drenched in horseradish sauce. Earl of Sandwich toasts all of its sandwiches, so the cheese is warm and melty, adding a nice texture if not enough flavor to distinguish it from the sauce.

The bread is delicious. From the looks of it, they put it onto the toaster-belt thing slightly undercooked, so it comes out tasting fresh-baked and with a nice, toasty crust. Easily the highlight of this sandwich, and, for that matter, the two other sandwiches I’ve had from The Earl of Sandwich since it opened a couple weeks ago.

What it’s worth: It costs $5.99, which is a very good deal for lunch in this part of Midtown.

How it rates: 65 out of 100. This is better than everything I’ve had from the big-name chain sandwich stores, so relative to the competition it’s great. But it’s a bit too monotonous to hold up to any of this city’s finest offerings.

 

 

Why do rosters expand in September?

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During a brief conversation in the bowels of Citi Field last night, the topic of MLB’s September roster expansion came up.

It’s a weird wrinkle, unlike any other I know of in professional sports. Managers spend the first five months of a season with 25 players to work with, then the last month with up to 40. It can lead to seemingly interminable games like Tuesday’s 13-pitcher affair between the Mets and Nationals, but it provides some relief for tired players down the stretch and gives teams and fans an opportunity to preview of some of the prospects that might soon contribute to the big-league club more regularly.

I got to wondering when and why the tradition started, figuring it must have been a product of some collective-bargaining agreement of yesteryear.

It turns out late-season roster expansion dates back to the earliest days of baseball. By 1910, teams kept active rosters of 25 guys for most of the season and could expand to 40 starting Sept. 1.

But why?

I emailed official MLB historian John Thorn for help. He writes:

I can only speculate that as minor-league seasons tended to close earlier than major-league ones, September seemed to be a good time to reward high-performing aspirants perhaps less expensively than inviting them to spring camp. The extra-manpower feature surely was not as important in the early days, when staring pitchers tended to complete a high percentage of their games.

That makes sense. I’d love to find a newspaper article or something from 1910 stating the exact reasons, but I have no idea what microfiche I’d have to pull up.

Some have complained that the rule creates an uneven playing field, in part because the league’s more cash-strapped teams might not have the resources to pay all the extra Major League salaries.

But as John Schuerholz points out in the linked article, it’s not as if teams are all working with the same payroll in the other five months of the season. And if a GM thinks September call-ups are enough to make a difference in a pennant chase, he could allot room for them in his budget before the season.

HT to @OldBiscuitPants, who points out that Lou Gehrig was a September call-up in 1923 and 1924.

Sandwiches of Citi Field: Pastrami on rye

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New to the Citi Field menu this year, the pastrami sandwich is available at a concession stand on the Field Level concourse behind left field. It’s also available elsewhere, but I’m pretty sure this is the one you want.

Every sandwich is made with meat hand-sliced fresh from the brisket, weighed out on a scale to six ounces — plenty of meat for a sandwich on regular-sized bread*. The guy making my sandwich then squirted mustard on one slice of rye and pressed it up against the other, ensuring even mustard distribution across both slices. That’s going the extra mile. Oh, and it comes with a pickle:

I don’t normally eat a lot of pastrami, but even as a novice I can tell this is a hell of a pastrami sandwich. The big challenge I’ve always found in cooking brisket is keeping it moist, but that’s not an issue here. This is meatjuice-dripping-down-your-arms moist. Tasty too, by no means overseasoned but with the flavor of coriander lingering after every bite.

The bread is soft — maybe too soft. I generally prefer rye that’s chewy around the crust, and this wasn’t exactly that. It didn’t take anything away from the sandwich, but I think good, strong, flavorful rye can often add something. The mustard tasted like mustard and the pickle was predictably amazing.

It’s $10.50, which is a lot. But then the touristy deli stops in Manhattan charge way more. They also give way more meat, but that seems like more of a gimmick than an effort at a well-proportioned sandwich.

*- Speaking of which: When I worked at the deli we were told to aim for about 1/3 pound of meat for sandwiches on bread or regular rolls and 1/2 pound for sandwiches on heroes. We never measured it out because with a couple weeks’ worth of meat-slicing experience it becomes pretty easy to eyeball amounts. I always tended to go a little bit over on my sandwiches, figuring people could always take meat off the sandwich.

But one time, in my first week, a guy asked for an “American.” That wasn’t on the menu, but he meant the standard ham-turkey-roast beef-cheese combo familiar from six-foot catering heroes. I kind of lost focus while slicing the guy’s ham and gave him about a full sandwich’s worth, and the roast beef we had was tough to slice thin, so he wound up with a lot of that. Then I wanted to make it look even so I gave him a lot of turkey too.

He wound up with a full pound of meat on his sandwich. I know because he took it back and showed it to my boss after he opened it, and I got my first (and only) stern talking-to about sandwich construction. Looking back on it now: Why’d you sell me out like that, guy? I gave you a pound of meat! You could take half of it off the sandwich and have enough to make another massive sandwich later in the day. C’mon, guy.

Mets as Taco Bell menu items

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For yesterday’s Baseball Show, Randy from The Apple asked me which Taco Bell menu item Jose Reyes would be if Jose Reyes were a Taco Bell menu item. This inspired Twitter discussion about which Mets best correlate with which products, and, ultimately, this post.

Jose Reyes: Volcano Taco. The Volcano Taco is fiery and awesome, one of the very best options on the Taco Bell menu. But like all hard tacos, its value is hampered by its brittleness.

David Wright: Crunchwrap Supreme. We got so excited when the Crunchwrap Supreme first joined and dominated the menu that it might now be the victim of its own hype. Nonetheless, the Crunchwrap Supreme is excellent. It can boast all the ingredients that make Taco Bell great, there’s just nothing about it that stands out as obviously spectacular.

Daniel Murphy: Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Sometimes the Cheesy Gordita Crunch is on the menu and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it seems soft, sometimes strong. Some people seem to overrate it, some underrate it. But it’s always pretty good, and due to its unique construction it’s pretty versatile.

Mike Pelfrey: Nachos BellGrande. Nachos BellGrande can be pretty frustrating. Sometimes you’ll get a bite that’s got the perfect distribution of toppings and be all, “holy crap, these nachos are amazing, they’re everything everyone told me they’d be and more.” But then other times you’ll wind up with a chip with nothing on it, and be like, “These nachos are mentally weak.” Too much of the Nachos BellGrande can be difficult to stomach. They require some patience, and they’re always much better at home than on the road.

Daniel Ray Herrera: Cinnamon Twists. Cinnamon Twists are unlike anything else on the Taco Bell menu. They’re small, but they’re a pretty good value. They can serve a useful but very specialized role when you need something sweet to counter all the salty stuff you’ve had. But you’re never going to want them as a full meal.

Nick Evans: Doritos Loco Taco. I’ll turn this one over to Twitterer @TeamHate: We’re not sure if it exists, but we’re all willing to give it a try.

Dillon Gee: Chicken Flatbread Sandwich. The Chicken Flatbread Sandwich is pretty new to the menu and some people probably went a little too crazy about it when it first showed up. But it’s OK. It’s inexpensive and a good, efficient way to fill out your order. Five Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches would make for a pretty boring and underwhelming meal, though.

Ryota Igarashi: Strawberry Fruitista Freeze. If Taco Bell decided to take the Strawberry Fruitista Freeze off the menu tomorrow, I’d be fine with that. And then years later I’d think back and chuckle, “Man, remember what a bad idea that turned out to be?”

Lucas Duda: XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito. The XXL Grilled Stuft Burrito is massive and pretty good.

Jason Isringhausen: MexiMelt. People sometimes snicker about the MexiMelt because it’s got a silly name and it’s been around forever. But truth is, the MexiMelt can still get the job done in a limited role.

Johan Santana: Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito. The Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito has been gone so long that it has receded in our minds, a hazy memory of something superbly awesome. But Taco Bell enthusiasts everywhere pine for its return.

Jason Bay: Taco Bell screwed up my order. Look: No one goes to Taco Bell expecting five-star haute cuisine. But you at least expect they’ll give you what you ask for with reasonable efficiency and at a fair price. Then every once in a while everything goes wrong, and you wind up paying too much and getting way less than you expected.

Who else?

Sandwiches of Citi Field: Pulled chicken sandwich

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You might not know about this one. I’ve only seen it available in the Caesar’s Club, conveniently located right behind the press box. It may also exist at some of the other clubs at Citi Field, but I haven’t spent much time in any of those.

Speaking of, though: If you’re a sandwich enthusiast and Citi Field regular and you know of some less-heralded sandwiches available in odd spots in the park, let me know. I’m going to eat every one eventually. I’ve got my eye on the pastrami and the Mex burger, and I know there’s a Reuben at the Caesar’s club too. I hope all will be better than this:

That’s pulled chicken, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce on French bread. I ate this one near the end of the Mets’ double-header with the Braves last week and it had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. But even knowing how it would have been better earlier in the game, this was still a pretty disappointing sandwich.

The bread was OK — toasty, bready — and the chicken was reasonably moist considering the circumstances. But I could hardly taste anything besides the cloyingly sweet barbecue sauce. I should have gussied this one up with some toppings, but by that point they were clearly trying to shut the toppings stations down for the night and I didn’t want to make anyone’s life more difficult.

Speaking of chicken sandwiches available at Citi Field and toppings, though: On Friday I tried the fried chicken sandwich from Blue Smoke again and topped it off with fresh jalapenos and pickles. It was unbelievable — better even than my wife’s pulled pork sandwich, which has never been as good as the first time I had it.

Who ya got?

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The Rays and Cardinals could still unseat the Red Sox and Braves for Wild Card spots and the division race in the AL West isn’t over. But assuming the current standings hold, who would you root for in the playoffs?

I know my picks, but I’ll hold back on noting them here lest they skew the results of these ever-so-scientific polls.

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