Sarks in the Park (Lincoln Park)

For as long as I've loved sandwiches, never have I witnessed one with such a storied history and loyal fan base.  The original home to the Bacon Loretta sandwich is Sarkis Cafe in Evanston, but the owners of this 55 year old establishment finally decided expand to Lincoln park in the summer of 2009.  It would be sacrilegious to write a sandwich blog and not pay homage to what is widely considered the most popular sandwich in the north shore burbs of Chicago.  On to the review!

Bacon Loretta
(Bacon, mozzarella cheese, mayo, diced tomatoes, green peppers, and onions on a french baguette)

Bacon?  Check.  Warm baguette?  Check.  Heart attack waiting to happen?  Check.  Most delicious breakfast sandwich ever created?  Absolutely.  Don't let the simplicity of the ingredients throw you off...it's a the-whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts type of sandwich.  Kind of like the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons.  The crisp and generous serving of bacon acts as the crux to the sandwich, while everything else just kind of gets lost in a sea of cheesy deliciousness.  To maximize your experience, order a side of cheesy hash and a Sunkist (the traditional north shore combo)...you won't regret it.  While the Loretta is intended to be a breakfast sandwich, it's just as good for brunch or late lunch.

A word of advice - don't plan on running or exercising the same day you consume a Bacon Loretta.  You're setting yourself up for misery (I know from experience).

The "fier-iest" Tuna Salad you've ever had!!!!

You think you've had tuna salad?

Well, you haven't.

Not until you come home from a Talib Kweli show at 3AM in the morning, toast yourself a plain bagel, throw some fresh sliced cheddar cheese on it, then a heaping pile of the "fierman" tuna saldad on top.

Not only is this sandwich sweet, salty, savory, hot, cold, and delicious all at once, but this sandwich will begin to take over your life...

Fresh toasted plain bagel, sharp cheddar cheese, and the famous "fierman" tuna salad: tuna (preferably starkist in water), mayo, almonds(chopped), celery (chopped), seasoning, and red grapes (quartered). It will absolutely BLOW your mind. Get ready to meet the scandalous side of tuna salad ;) The more you make of it, the more amazing your life becomes.

Enjoy :)

Del Seoul (Lincoln Park)

Happy (almost) thanksgiving everybody!  In preparation for the turkey feast that will ensue tomorrow evening, I felt the need to warm up my digestive system with a hearty sandwich from the newly opened Del Seoul around the corner from my apartment.    

As a resident of the area, I can confidently say that a change in restaurant scenery was very much needed (there are only so many Pad See Ew dinners from Oodles of Noodles one can take)!  Del Seoul is a Korean fusion restaurant that blends Korean flavors with traditional and non-traditional Asian and Mexican dishes.  Yes, Mexican.  As in Korean Mexican tacos.  I tried those as well.  They are delicious.  But what intrigued me even more than the tacos on the menu were the assortment of Banh Mi sandwiches, a popular, yet simple Vietnamese treat.  I had to have one...on to the sandwich review! 

Korean Rib-Eye Steak (Bulgogi) Banh Mi

(sweet soju-marinated steak, daikon, carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, red pepper aoli on a toasted baguette)

The first bite of this sandwich told the entire story.  Sweet and succulent, followed by a rush of jalapeno spiciness!  Definitely a fine choice for those of you who like a sweet and spicy combo on your sandwiches.  The freshly crisp daikon and carrots didn't do much for the sandwich's flavor, but provided an interesting consistency which I thoroughly enjoyed.  In regards to the baguette, let me say this...sandwich bread can sometimes make or break a sandwich.  Unfortunately, this is one of those cases when the bread did more harm than good.  The toasted baguette was nothing special...and was hardly warm by the time we bit into it.  Overall, I feel like I got a pretty good sandwich for a pretty good price.  Would I go back for seconds?  Eh, maybe if I wasn't in the mood for Pad See Ew...

Jerry's (Wicker Park)

Welcome to the first blog posting on Eat Yo Sandwich! This is a pretty exciting moment for me...it's like I'm taking my first baby steps into the blogosphere. Let's start with our most recent experience at Jerry's in Wicker Park.

As some of you may know, Jerry's is one of the more established sandwich spots in Chicago, which makes it a fairly appropriate destination for our first blog review. Jerry's is pretty unique in that it combines your run of the mill specialty sandwich shop with a lounge-y bar scene. They also feature hundreds of different bottled beers in addition to seasonals on tap to pair with your sandwich. Be prepared to spend at least 15 minutes browsing the sandwich choices...the options are overwhelming! Overall ambiance inside was great.  The low (but not obnoxiously low) lighting and solid blues background music helped set the mood. Let's be honest though, this isn't a restaurant review blog...on to the sandwiches!

The Mindy F
(Blackened chicken, avocado, aged cheddar, chipotle chutney on Tuscan white)

The Mindy F is one of "Jerry's Top 10" sandwiches, but does it live up to the hype? There was an interesting mix of flavors and textures in this sandwich. I loved the chipotle chutney and the aged cheddar...big, bold flavors with a hint of sweetness. The sliced blackened chicken was a bit dry and could've been a little more "blackened". While I liked the idea of avocado on this sandwich, it just didn't mesh for whatever reason. The Tuscan white bread (which we chose from a list of 9 options) also seemed dry and tasteless. Overall, not a bad choice, but didn't meet my expectations to say the least. 

The Herman M
(Ham, prosciutto, apple, brie, honey mustard on a pretzel bun)

I normally don't mix different pork products on the same sandwich (just seems wrong for some reason), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try another interesting combination of flavors. The Herman M, which is also included in "Jerry's Top 10," completely blew me away. I never imagined apple and ham would go so well together, but I may have to try this combo again soon. The generous portions of lean ham and proscuitto perfectly complemented the sweet flavors from the thinly sliced apples, honey mustard, and chunks of brie cheese. The sweet/salty pretzel bun was icing on the cake. Definitely one of my new favorite sandwiches!