The wide wonderful world of American sandwiches ...

[tutsiwarrior]

Did not the Mexican taco (which likely has ancient Indian roots) predate the so called western sandwich? A taco is a type of sandwich. Enough with the Anglophile arrogance ...

whoa, Nellie!...if we're gonna include tacos then we gotta include my hoummus, baba ganoush an' arabic bread...a middle eastern street shwarma drippin' with tahina sauce...stop western culinary imperialism now!

[Jingthing]

Did not the Mexican taco (which likely has ancient Indian roots) predate the so called western sandwich? A taco is a type of sandwich. Enough with the Anglophile arrogance ...

whoa, Nellie!...if we're gonna include tacos then we gotta include my hoummus, baba ganoush an' arabic bread...a middle eastern street shwarma drippin' with tahina sauce...stop western culinary imperialism now!

No, we don't don't. Bread used in dips is obviously ancient. As far as I can tell, schwarma and falafel stuffed in a pita which is of course a kind of sandwich is NOT ancient. In any case, falafel in pita is listed as regionally popular in Oregon (though of course isn't hard to find in many other U.S. states).

Also consider if tacos are very ancient (really not fully known) they could be associated with the Maya or Aztec peoples who were descending from Asian people who walked down from Siberia ...

[tutsiwarrior]

^ hmmm, interesting about the falafels and Oregon, when I lived there in the 70s the Eugene-Springfield area had the distinction of having the most pizza places per capita than anywhere in the US...mmm, mmm; can't beat a falafel sandwich in arabic bread with salad and tahina...I wonder if they were invented by arabs or by israeli vendors in West LA?...

[Jingthing]

Honestly the last two times I was in Oregon, which wasn't THAT long ago (Ashland and Portland) I didn't really notice a plethora of falafel for sale. I can imagine that the dish would be popular there, lots of vegetarians.

My favorite place in the U.S. for that was a joint run by Palestinians on 16th Street near Valencia (San Francisco):

Their combo plate is to die for.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For a variety of American deli sandwiches, the not very long ago opened El Osito near the Ploenchit BTS Station has an interesting menu of various deli sandwiches and hamburgers for their lunch/afternoon menu only.

http://www.elositobkk.com/MENU/LunchMenu.pdf

I was there for the first time a week ago, and had a cheeseburger with homemade pastrami for 290 baht++. Fries or chips are extra, which for me makes it a bit pricey. I thought the burger was OK...and the combo of the beef and pastrami was not something you can find every day around these parts. But I thought the beef they were using for the burger was pretty good.

Sorry the pastrami cheeseburger photo is out of focus... Pastrami on the top underneath the veggies, with the burger and cheese on the bottom.

Other lunch menu sandwiches there include a reuben, cubano, BLT for 120++ baht (which my wife had, and I tasted, finding it pretty sparse and ho-hum, but with a very thick French roll), braised brisket, Vietnamese BBQ pork, salami, cheesesteak, etc.

The curious part is, this restaurant is the sister restaurant and located right nextdoor to the popular La Monita's Mexican plan. But when we went last Saturday afternoon right at lunch time, we were the only customers in the place during our entire stay. Presumably they're busier on weekdays with the local office lunch crowd. El Osito is closed on Sundays, and at night time, they switch to a different menu focused on tapas.

As for sandwiches in general, the BBCO (Bangkok Baking Co.) at the Marriott Hotel on Suk Road near Soi 2 makes some of the best and most interesting deli sandwiches I've had in Bangkok or elsewhere for that matter. Although their menu tends to focus on healthier choices like grilled veggies with goat cheese on foccacia bread (that's one of my absolute favorites), or chicken or ham varieties, although they do also do a shaved prime beef sandwich that's OK. But I don't believe they do much in the way of heavier, fattier meat sandwiches there.

Bangkok Baking Company - Bangkok Baking Company at the J.W. Marriott Hotel on Sukhumvit Road in downtown Bangkok seems to be famous for one sandwich. Every one I know raves about the roasted veggie and goat cheese sandwich, which they serve on focaccia bread and, I must say, I can see why. Their eggs Benedict are also pretty great and, with a nice selection of pastries and cakes, Bangkok Baking Company is one of the best sandwich places in Bangkok. Don't miss sitting outside on the terrace too. It's wonderful for people watching.

http://voices.yahoo.com/best-sandwich-shops-bangkok-thailand-fresh-homemade-5789010.html

[tutsiwarrior]

hey...16th near Valencia? the famous Taqueria La Cumbre is on Valencia near 16th...a veritable culinary energy center at 16th and Valencia, looks like...

I lived up 16th around the corner on Albion in the early 70s and the owners of the 'mom and pop' next to the Roxie Cinema were palestinians...maybe they're related to the falafel folks...

[lannarebirth]

Seattle: Fried Oyster and Cole Slaw Hoagie

New Orleans: Muffuletta

New York: Ruben w/Russian Dressing

[CPT]

A great list that does a surprisingly good job of pointing out the regionalism of American cuisine.

A few quick comments:

• Hot browns are a bit of a stretch as a sandwich (if you have to eat it with a fork and knife it isn't really a sandwich in my opinion).
• The North Carolina entry is an odd choice and really should be the classic NC pulled pork barbeque sandwich.
• Po'boy is a whole category and perhaps should have been broken down to a particular type (admittedly I wouldn't be able to choose between roast beef and fried oysters so I really can't complain)
• The Sailor Sandwich would have been a better choice for Virginia than ham and cheese. While I get the whole Virginia-ham connection the ham and cheese sandwich is hardly a regional thing.

Now that I've thought about it, I probably miss quality BLT's the most out of any sandwiches. Real thick cut bacon, a flavorful in-season tomato, Dukes mayonnaise... ummm...

[Ulysses G.]

Now that I've thought about it, I probably miss quality BLT's the most out of any sandwiches. Real thick cut bacon, a flavorful in-season tomato, Dukes mayonnaise... ummm...

I can get decent BLT's in Chiang Mai. I really miss bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwiches - the avocados here suck!

[CPT]

Now that I've thought about it, I probably miss quality BLT's the most out of any sandwiches. Real thick cut bacon, a flavorful in-season tomato, Dukes mayonnaise... ummm...

I can get decent BLT's in Chiang Mai. I really miss bacon, lettuce and avocado sandwiches - the avocados here suck!

I'd say avocados and tomatoes both suck here (the tomato being the main problem with the BLT, followed by the lack of Duke's mayonnaise). I really miss good tomatoes. Tried everything I could think of to get a good avocado including visiting remote Royal Project sites and have yet to find anything better than the Hass's available in the supermarkets (at around 70 baht each here in BKK). Having said that, if anyone enjoys doing a bit of exploring I've really enjoyed visiting the Royal Project sites and so many are near Chiang Mai.

[Ulysses G.]

Tomatoes in Thailand have improved a LOT, since I first came here, so maybe I have just forgotten what they taste like at home. I'm still a little surprised when I bite into one that has any taste at all, but it happens fairly often and it never did 20 years ago.

[mca]

Any sandwich involving Italian cured meats, cheese, onion and lashings of decent mayo and I'm a happy camper.

[Jingthing]

Any sandwich involving Italian cured meats, cheese, onion and lashings of decent mayo and I'm a happy camper.

Lashings? Not sure that's a 'Murcan sandwich, mate.

[A1Str8]

Yeah sandwich is gooood!

But it always makes me laugh how here in LOS thais have realized that foreigners like sandwich and so they have come up with their own horrible idea on how to make it: put a slice of tasteless cheap ham along with a piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato between two slices of 7/11 white bread. Sell it for at least 100thb. Don't be ashamed. It's a sandwich. As one, its farang food. So jack that price up and smile.

[Ulysses G.]

Any sandwich involving Italian cured meats, cheese, onion and lashings of decent mayo and I'm a happy camper.

Lashings? Not sure that's a 'Murcan sandwich, mate.

American, or not, that sandwich looks GOOD.

[attrayant]

Did not the Mexican taco (which likely has ancient Indian roots) predate the so called western sandwich? A taco is a type of sandwich. Enough with the Anglophile arrogance ...

A taco with roots? Extra crunchy.

[riceyummm]

hey...16th near Valencia? the famous Taqueria La Cumbre is on Valencia near 16th...a veritable culinary energy center at 16th and Valencia, looks like...

I lived up 16th around the corner on Albion in the early 70s and the owners of the 'mom and pop' next to the Roxie Cinema were palestinians...maybe they're related to the falafel folks...

La Rondalla was in that area, last time I drove by it appeared boarded up. El Faro, 20th and Folsom had great food in the 70's, not so good now. Tacqueria San Francisco on 24th and Florida (or there abouts) made one of the best burrititoes ever. But that was three years ago.

We should start an 'Ex San Franciscan Thread" Lots of memories there.

Ever see the sign at Burritt Alley?

[Ulysses G.]

I loved El Faro back then. I have not been back to San Francisco in more than two decades, so am very out of touch. I have noticed a bunch of Mexican restaurants are called "El Farilito" in SF. Did El Faro change their name or is this something new?

[ma91c1an]

Someone asked where to get a good Reuben in BKK.

I have tried them all. One is head and shoulders above all others: Fatty's.

The guy who runs this place is named Matthew. He specializes in hot wings, Reubens, brats, and cheesesteak and pastrami sandwiches.

This is a sandwich thread, so I will gloss over his hot wings by simply observing that they are, bar-none, the best in BKK. We can argue about this in another thread.

Matthew's Reuben is the real deal. He makes it right. Good bread, not too thick, not too thin. Toasted with butter. Good pastrami, good cheese, good dressing. A Reuben is not a diet dish, so cardiac patients should proceed with caution. Good slaw. He includes enough meat in the sandwich.

His burgers are good, but there are several contenders for the Best of BKK throne, and there have been threads galore about this on TV in the past. I will say that his burgers are competitive.

His brats are beautiful. Rather than ordering any of the various permutations on his menu, I just order the brat platter, a couple of them actually, and eat all of them. He has a selection, and they are prepared to perfection, with a nice snap to them. His brats are also the best in the kingdom. No question.

His cheesesteak is ambitious, and he is closer to quality than anyplace else, but anyone who has dined at the Philly institutions of Geno's and Pat's and their innumerable imitators knows that it is impossible to get a competitive cheesesteak in the kingdom. Matthew's cheesesteak is ok. But it just made me homesick for the real deal back in South Philly.

So that is it. Fatty's makes the best Reuben in the kingdom. This is a bold statement, but I stand by it. Fatty's is inconveniently located on Pra Ram 9 by Din Daeng. The bar, or restaurant, is small, with uncomfortable seats. He opens at 1600 in the afternoon, so you cannot get his provender for lunch. You can find Fatty's on Facebook. The location is so inconvenient that I bully Matthew into delivering my orders to me by moto-taxi. I order enough to make it worth his while. His big concern about deliveries is that the food may not travel well. I get wings, Reubens and brats, and they travel just fine.

I am just a customer with a big mouth and strong opinions. I receive no benefit from this testimonial.

Enjoy.

[GinBoy2]

The pinnacle of sandwiches has to be the internationally renown Chip Butty

Once on a trip to England I had a chip butty. All I can say is, I will Never Forget it......

[briandanes]

In Phuket next to Freedom Bar you can get some juicy american burgers.

[Jingthing]

In Phuket next to Freedom Bar you can get some juicy american burgers.

Hamburgers, really an internationally popular food now, are really too ... OBVIOUS.

[zydeco]

Schlotzky's original

[GinBoy2]

In Phuket next to Freedom Bar you can get some juicy american burgers.

Hamburgers, really an internationally popular food now, are really too ... OBVIOUS.

Burgers are at least in my mind separate from the decent sandwich, which is still a rare and wondrous thing here, especially in Back of Beyond land

[Dannyboy6]

Darby Dans in South San Francisco, Stuffed Meatball sandwich, they pull the bread out of roll and stuff meatballs and put bread cork in the end of roll, Yummmm, also love their meatloaf sandwiches...

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Dannyboy6]

Honestly the last two times I was in Oregon, which wasn't THAT long ago (Ashland and Portland) I didn't really notice a plethora of falafel for sale. I can imagine that the dish would be popular there, lots of vegetarians.

My favorite place in the U.S. for that was a joint run by Palestinians on 16th Street near Valencia (San Francisco):

sf.jpg

Their combo plate is to die for.

Truly Meditrinien

I can't spell it

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Dannyboy6]

hey...16th near Valencia? the famous Taqueria La Cumbre is on Valencia near 16th...a veritable culinary energy center at 16th and Valencia, looks like...

I lived up 16th around the corner on Albion in the early 70s and the owners of the 'mom and pop' next to the Roxie Cinema were palestinians...maybe they're related to the falafel folks...

I know the Duran family, used to go la cumbre in 70's, we used to bring the burritos to the Day on the Green concerts in Oakland Col. Bak in the day for Led Zep, Rolling Stones..

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Dannyboy6]

hey...16th near Valencia? the famous Taqueria La Cumbre is on Valencia near 16th...a veritable culinary energy center at 16th and Valencia, looks like...

I lived up 16th around the corner on Albion in the early 70s and the owners of the 'mom and pop' next to the Roxie Cinema were palestinians...maybe they're related to the falafel folks...

La Rondalla was in that area, last time I drove by it appeared boarded up. El Faro, 20th and Folsom had great food in the 70's, not so good now. Tacqueria San Francisco on 24th and Florida (or there abouts) made one of the best burrititoes ever. But that was three years ago.

We should start an 'Ex San Franciscan Thread" Lots of memories there.

Ever see the sign at Burritt Alley?

I still like El Faro, burritos are a lil soupy, but brings back memories, el faro to is completely different owner, el faro supposedly made the first burrito in SF, the story is on the wall at el faro there is an El Faro on 1st and mission in financial district, where is Burrit alley? La to falls still not has reopened, it looked like they were going to , but The Mission is changing, all those video gamers have changed SF and The Mission may cease to exist, with average 1 BR going for $3500 a month, just crazy...

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Jingthing]

My first burrito I ever had in my life was at El Faro in San Francisco. I met some locals when I first moved there and they were amazed I didn't know about burritos so they sent me there. I became an addict. But it turns out, there are much better choices in that city. But, yes, El Faro, the memories.

[Ulysses G.]

El Faro was really good when it was only on (about) 16th and Mission. It was one of the first ones to become fashionable with white people. It turned into a SF chain and was still pretty good in the late 80s when I first started living in Thailand. I liked the one on the corner of Sutter and Polk Streets, because I had the hots for the franchise owner's daughter.