Turkey Burger Delux

I spent a few days in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago for work, but did not have enough time to check out any of the dives or bars that I have heard about on Diner's Drive Ins and Dives and other food shows on TV.  I did however eat the best turkey burger that I have ever had in my life and it came from the cafeteria of the office building.  I loaded it up with american cheese, tomatoes, pickles, jalepenos, bbq sauce and some mayo with a side of tots.  I should have gotten the bun toasted, but I forget to ask, so my bad on that.

Not bad for a cafeteria

Eating Like an Olympian

I felt completely worthless and defeated after taking the Regulation part of the CPA exam on Saturday.  As I was walking to my car I noticed a McDonalds down the street and figured I would redeem my poor performance on the exam by eating like an Olympian.  Olympic athletes are well respected globally, so by eating like one, I figured I would feel better about the test.

Mickey's has been pushing their new limited time only Sweet Chili sauce pretty hard during the Olympic coverage so I figured I would give it a try, along with some fries and vanilla shake.  The nuggets themselves were great.  Personally, I feel the Chicken McNuggets are the best fast food nuggets around.  However, the sweet chili sauce wasn't that good.  It was sweet, had no spice, and was pretty gelatinous.  It only took one taste for me to not want to try it again.   I think the regular sweet and sour sauce is better than this sweet chili slop.  I ditched the Sweet Chili Olympic sauce and ate the remaining McNuggets with my two favorite Mickey's sauces.  Hot Mustard and BBQ.

- Lunch Pail

What every Olympian eats after dominating.

Carnegie Deli

I have never been to Carnegie Deli, but I have always heard great things about it.  The sandwiches are gigantic and not cheap.  I bet it is best to go their when you are wasted so you have a better chance of finsishing the sandwich without realizing how much it cost. 

Last weekend a lover of all things Philadelphia, known as Lightening, ventured into the city with his brother-in-law Thunder, Snee, and their wives.  Here is his story...

"There are times in a man’s life when you have to venture out in the city known for its famous eateries (Pat’s in Philly, Pepe’s in CT, Giordano’s in Chicago). That time came this past Saturday night. After a few pints of Guinness and some Black 47 at Connolly’s, Snee and I decided to tickle our taste buds at one of NYC’s most famous eateries: the Carnegie Deli.

We stumbled into the famous delicatessen at around 2:00AM and immediately got a sense of the ambiance. Pictures littered the walls and girls were passed out at their tables (true story) as we made our way to our booth for some late night munchies.
We were greeted by a son of a bitch looking to take advantage of six drunk patrons by saying that we should each order our own sandwich. The menu read like a who’s who of late night foods as I proudly ordered my plate of pancakes. After being told that it was too late to order breakfast (I should note that my wife and her sister each were able to order breakfast sandwiches), I decided to split Snee’s pastrami sandwich (for $19 plus a $3 sharing fee). My brother in law (Thunder) and Snee’s wife Annie each ordered a turkey club, with Thunder also ordering a potato knish.
15 or so minutes later our food arrived. Our eyes bulged out of our heads as the plates of food were laid down on the table. The normal sized breakfast sandwiches were dwarfed by the enormity of the pastrami sandwich and turkey clubs.
My first objective was to dive head first into my half of the pastrami. Unfortunately our inebriation resulted in us to forget to take the initial pictures so I only have a pic of the remaining scraps of said sandwich. Piled skyscraper high on 2 slices of soft rye, the salty pastrami was peppered to perfection and ideal for a late night nosh. I polished off my half and surveyed the table for leftovers. I sampled Thunder’s potato knish which must’ve been baked in a volcano because it was hotter than molten lava (I was told it was quite delicious). My next glimpse caught Thunder’s half eaten turkey club and I decided to immediately dig in. This sandwich was the Andre the Giant of turkey clubs. There was more turkey on this sandwich than there was when Miles Standish and the Indians broke bread at the first Thanksgiving (you know, before we stole all their land). Then there was bacon. Oh yes there was bacon. Let’s put it this way: if Mr. Zuckerman grew a pair of balls and didn’t listen to Fern or Charlotte’s deceptive webs, Wilbur wouldn’t have been able to produce as much bacon as what was on this delight. The pig’s worth of heaven was surrounded by a head of lettuce, some vine ripe tomatoes and a couple slices of white toast. Although the turkey was a little dry, it was quality roast turkey (not the slimy lunch meat turkey) that was perfect with a little salt/pepper and a slathering of mayo. If this sandwich had 2 more slices of toast incorporated, it would’ve been perfection.
The real gem of this place has to be all the photos on the wall. Contrary to Adam Sandler’s popular “Chanukah Song” lyrics, we did not find a picture of Bowser from Sha Na Na or Arthur Fonzarelli. We did, however, happen to sit at a booth with one of the greatest pictures ever taken. Corey J. Feldman’s picture looked down on our glorious piles of pastrami and turkey with grinning bliss. Please note that the Corey Feldman we all know and love has the middle name Scott, thereby making this imposter the least known celebrity in the entire establishment.
Late night snack for 6 came to $123, with the average sandwich in the $17-$19 dollar range. Not too shabby when you consider the food could’ve fed a tribe in Somalia for at least 2 months."

- Lightening

Corey watching over the eaters.

Giant Turkey Club.

Soup and Sandwich

Cold winter nights mean soup and sandwich for dinner.  Stop and Shop had a sale on Progresso soup a couple of weeks ago so I loaded up on the essentials: Italian Wedding, Chickarina, Chicken and Barley, Split Pea with Ham, and some Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. 

Here is a soup and sandwich dinner from a while back.  Started with a fresh piece of seeded italian bread, gutted, thinly sliced Boars Head Ham and Genoa Salami, Provolone, hot cherry peppers, tomatoes, black pepper, and mustard and mayo.  Good bread, thinly sliced meats, and cheese coverage are they keys to success for a great sandwich.  Notice in the picture below the cheese cover the entire sandwich resulting in cheese in every bite, unlike how Fratelli's layers the sandwich resulting in the taco effect.

Sandwich Craftsmanship

Progresso Chicken Barley and Sandwich

The Angry Leprechaun

While waiting for my flanken-style beef short ribs to be cut at Sam's Meat Warehouse in Florida, NY I was looking around the store to see what they had since it was my first time there.  I came across some beef and guiness sausage that they make in house and figured I would give it a try.  Knowing I had some potatoes, saurkraut, and spicy brown mustard at home I picked up some rolls so I can create the Angry Leprechaun.
The sausage was good and was pretty lean.  I cooked it on a griddle and split the sausage right before it was fully cooked.  I probably should not have done this because it dried out the sausage a little bit.  Next time I will cook it on an outdoor grill and substitute a club roll for a hot dog bun, which will eliminate the cause for splitting.  The Guiness added a dark brown color and a nice flavor to the meat.

The Angry Leprechaun

Hamburger Helper - The Good Slop

Hamburger Helper is some of the best slop on earth, and I am using slop as a term of endearment.  I don't know how Betty Crocker did it, but it is amazing how good 1 lb. of meat, 1 packet of slop mix, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of milk, and 15 minutes can taste. 
It makes for a great dinner in a pinch and you do not have to be a 5 star chef to make it.
Growing up my mom hated making this stuff and would refuse to make it no matter how hard we begged.  She claimed it was gross and disgusting.  We only really ate it when she was away and my dad was in charge of dinner.  I never understand how she could say such horrible things about the slop, it is ground meat (you can choose good quality beef like 93/7, or even use ground turkey), pasta, and spices. 
I don't eat it often, but when I do, I go with the Beef Pasta slop mix and will generally use ground turkey.  I have tried some of the others like cheeseburger pasta and cheese enchilada, but Beef Pasta is the best.  Like a good chili or homemade soup, this slop is usally better reheated the next day.

- Lunch Pail

Long Live the Slop!

Kitchen Cleanout

Here is a dinner that was sent in by Phil #14 a few months back.  He didn't provide much detail, except for he just cleaned out his cabinets and fridge and was able to create this.  From the picture is looks a little like shrimp scampi.  Shell pasta, shrimp, crushed red pepper, in a buttery olive oil garlic sauce.  It is amazing on what can be created with the things lying around the kitchen.  The craziest part of the meal is the loud design on the plate.  I wonder if Phil was able to buy the matching mugs and soup bowls at the yard sale as wel.

Mouse Pad

Hank misplaced his mouse pad the other night under a pile of a bunch of shit on his desk at work and had to improvise.  Well done Hank.

To Eat It Or Not To Eat It..

When is it ok to eat food after it is dropped on the floor?  Some say five seconds, some say 30 seconds, some say always (me), some never.  Here is a flow chart that was submittted buy Peter Cerone, not Greek Peter, to help us decide when it is and is not ok to eat dropped food.

Personally, 9 out of 10 times I will eat it, a little dirt never hurt anyone.

"The 30-Second Rule, A Decision Tree" by Audrey Fukman and Andy Wright.

Super Bowl Sunday

It was a pretty mild super bowl for me this year.  I didn't go to a party and didn't even buy boxes or make any other bets.  It was a pretty lazy day, I watched 7 episodes of Weeds season 4 and while waiting for the ribs to marinate.

My menu did not include anything too wild or over the top, but it was broken down as follow:  Your standard bowls of chips, pepperoni and cheese platter with crackers, my dad made some stuffed jalapenos with chorizzo and cheddar, Seegs made a hot crab dip, I made some Korean style beef short ribs, my mom made some fried rice and broccoli, and mint chocolate chip ice cream at half time.

The stuffed peppers and the crab dip were probably the highlight, the ribs were disappointing.  The marinde was very good, but the ribs themselves were pretty fatty so there ended up being alot of waste.  I got them cut 'flanken style' which is a 1/2 strip of 4 ribs cut accross the bone.I will use the marinade in the future, but on a different cut of meat.  Probably a ribeye pounded out thin and quickely cooked on a hot grill.

The marinade was made up of the following, next tim I might add a little thai chili to it:
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 green onions
10-15 cloves of chopped garlic

Here is a picture of my plate from last night....

The Hotsy - Garden Catering

The best egg sandwich in Stamford and one of the 5 best egg sandwiches I have ever had, The Hotsy from Garden Catering.  It is a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese with home fries and spicy chili.  On the menu it is with bacon, but I substituted sausage.  The layering of flavors and textures cannot be expressed in words.  You have to go try it for yourself to see how good it really is.

Speechless

The SOBO - Central Deli - Florida, NY

Like a few other sandwiches already mentioned during breakfast week, the SOBO is a sausage, 2 egg, and cheese with potatoes and hot sauce on an onion roll that Serious Meat enjoyed on Saturday morning.  After 2 bites Serious Meat burst with the excitement, "This is the best egg sandwich around!"  I have never eaten at this place, by the looks of the inside of it and the quality of their product that I saw coming across the counter and within the showcases, I can tell it is a good deli.  The rolls looked great, they use Boarshead coldcuts and the place was very clean.  I also saw a couple of familiar faces working there that use to work at Monroe Bagels and Deli (MBD) of Monroe, NY.  MBD is no longer in business as the owner has moved up to New Hampshire and is in the process of opening Big Daves Bagels & Deli. Hopefull Dave will submit some posts about the quality product he is pushing up north.

TSEC - Corp. Cafeteria

This is probably the best egg sandwich that I have had so far from the cafeteria downstairs.  It was two eggs, cheese and turkey sausage on a toasted roll with ketchup and black pepper.  I learned my lesson from the last roll I had from the cafeteria (cloud like)  and made sure I asked to have it toasted.  I was expecting him to run it through the conveyor belt toaster, but instead, he split the roll in half and pressed it open face on the grill press.  Nice move on his part.  I gave this egg sandwich an 'A'  for the toasted roll and the runny yolk.  It would be an A+, but the lack of fat and added health benefit of turkey sausage  held it back to an A.

Nice grill marks.

I think it is trying to say something.

The Cluckin Good Egg Sandwhich

I had a serious craving for chicken cutlets the other night, it was an 8 out of 10 on the Serious Craving scale. What does SM do when he has a craving? That's right, he fulfills it: trimmed, egg-bathed, crumbed, baked...boom cutlets. These were decent cutlets, but no where close to the ones that D cranks out (Ill give them a 7.5 on the Cutlet Meter).

There is one thing about cutlets that I'm sure all of you know, they are not as good the next day...cutlets need to be eaten fresh. I did however improvise on the day old cutlets, since I knew ESW was coming up, I decided to take it down. I'd like to introduce:

The Cluckin Good Egg Sandwich:

2 Cutlets

3 Eggs, beaten...not scrambled

2 Slices of White American

Hot Sauce

Toasted WW Bread

It was a pretty heavy sandwich, not going to lie, but I took it down with ease.

Always remember:

It is not wise to sublet your cutlet.

Pleasant Manging,

Serious Meat

The Curt Schilling

Was it blood or was it ketchup?  Only a few people know the real answer, but I think I may have uncovered the truth!  The other mornging I got an egg sandwich from Liz Sue Bagels after I picked up my dry cleaning.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the eggs are microwaved which results in a decent, below average egg sandwich.  Since they have good bagels and I wanted an egg sandwich I decided to get a sausage, egg, and cheese with ketchup and pepper, or a Curt Schilling.  Overall it is a C+ egg sandwich.

When unwrapped the foil I noticed a blotch of ketchup seeped through the paper wrapper.  This blotch looks almost identical to the same blotch on Curt's sock.  The cat is out of the bag Schilling, enough with the drama, we know it was ketchup.  Go Yankees!

Look familiar?

The Curt Schilling

Fat Kid Special

This was submitted by my cousin Scott from an undisclosed deli in Newburgh, NY.  It is called the Fat Kid Special and made up of 2 eggs, cheese, ham, bacon, and sausage, on a buttered roll.  I guess to feel better about himself he followed this up with a Corn Flakes chaser.

Fat Kid Special.  Two please.

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast for dinner is always a great meal, especially when it includes bacon and a burger.  BG was thinking this last week when he met up with some friends for dinner.  Well done BG....

"Been on a recent diet kick as of late, I'm squaring off against Sensei Timmy, who can lose the most weight as a % of our beginning weight by the end of March. I've done pretty well in eating well and working out, but last night I went out with some friend from O-Town and this happened.....

We stopped at Prime 16, which is an excellent burger/beer bar in downtown New Haven. They have a number of specialty burgers, the Latino burger looked intriguing with Chorizo sausage ground into the beef patty with a jalapeno relish, but they also have a large number of toppings so you can make your own burger. I was weighig my options and saw that fried eggs were a potential topping and decided on a bacon, egg and cheeseburger. The fried egg was delicious, with a runny yolk that was deliciouslly messy. The bacon was thick and chewy, and there was a big slab of cheddar on top. The beef patty was very good, they definitely used good quality beef, and the bun was soft which is a plus. They also have pretzel rolls which my buddies had and raved about, but I just wasn't feeling it that night. The fries were also amazing, having truffle oil and parmesean cheese on them, very very good.

Prime 16 is a great place, they always have a rotating list of beers on tap, had 3 different beers and they were all great. If you are ever in New Haven looking for some great burgers, definitely give it a try. - BG out, and still stuffed"

Sunny side up egg is clutch.

Coach Diner - Part Deux

GRPD's best work comes after 3 a.m.  Here is another look into his favorite thing to do after a night of bars....

"I always wondered why they called it the Coach Diner. I know it’s a Diner, but why “Coach” (noun – a large, horse-drawn, four-wheeled carriage, usually enclosed)? I asked the manager on my way out and he had no clue. Anyway, Coach Diner round two was déjà vu from the getgo. Same ambiance, the best clientele White Plains has to offer and not enough napkins. Since I didn’t know what to get I started with the usual CCP for the table.

.

For my main course, I was torn between Belgian waffles and an egg sangwich. So I got both.

I call this mess…“Bloodsport” in honor of the great Belgian Jean-Claude Van Damme in his role as Frank Dux in the 1988 martial arts film.

Lesson learned: Some sequels can have great potential."

- GRPD

Showdown: Country Cow vs. Commack Breakfast

Phil #14 needs no introduction, here are his results from his NY vs CT Breakfast Sandwich Showdown...

"After seeing breakfast sandwich week advertised on lunch o’clock, I was ready to make trips to my two favorite breakfast places for a showdown: Commack Breakfast (NY) vs. Country Cow Deli (CT).


Living in both states for a considerable amount of time, I will say that for most aspects of quick and unhealthy food, NY crushes CT (Pizza, bagels, delis, hot dogs, etc.). Which in my opinion is mainly because CT is very top-heavy. It’s like that girl with amazing cans but a backside that caves in and teeth that make Michael Strahan look like an orthodontist. There’s just too much bad that outweighs the good. The analogy holds true for breakfast sandwiches. CT has been inconsistent in my time here. I’ve seen too much bread, limp bacon, terrible bagels, and I’ve even seen the dreaded microwaved egg. Whereas in NY, you can get a pretty decent breakfast sandwich anywhere you go. However, can the best in CT stack up to the best in NY? Now onto the competition:

To make sides equal, I went with my go-to combo - bacon, egg, and cheese with home fries, salt & pepper. No ketchup (cardinal sin when eating a high-quality breakfast sandwich). I don’t prefer my egg runny on a sandwich, and I know this is a difference of opinion for a few blog readers. Note that these places are veterans in the game and will cook your egg with the precision of a Jedi knight.

Commack Breakfast: Pretty unique place as all its business comes from breakfast (hence the name). They serve lunch as well, but it doesn’t mean anyone actually gets it. It’s like seafood at the diner – its on the menu, but no one touches it. Although only about 10 square feet, the friendly staff and consistent food make this establishment a Commack landmark. Now onto the sandwich. Great amount of egg to cheese ratio, maybe a little too much on the home fries, but all ingredients were top-notch. The sandwich was neatly packed, used the classic poppy seed Kaiser roll, and the bacon was crisp. The kicker was you can really taste the salt and pepper. Grade: 9/10.

Country Cow Deli: Referred to by regulars as just “the Cow” and pretty much the reason I wrote this post, I knew it would take Commack Breakfast on their best day and the Cow on its worst to pull the upset. I specifically remember the first time I was introduced to the Cow by my buddy Ray, who said to put the home fries on the sandwich. I was skeptical at first, but the rest is history. Ray actually crashed his car while backing out of the Cow’s parking lot that morning. Barely taking notice, the three of us in the back seat, with our taste buds in awe of this culinary masterpiece, continued to eat until completely finished. Fast forward to last week and again, another satisfied customer. The home fries really make the sandwich. They are mixed with a few onions and peppers which are a great addition. Everything else is damn near perfection. The best. Period. Family owned, friendly staff, and the Mexican guys that man the grill must use some special ingredient to make the sandwiches taste this good. And no, I don’t want to know what it is. Grade: 10/10

So that’s it. While both were amazing, it is Country Cow Deli in Fairfield, CT that holds the crown for the best breakfast sandwich in my eyes. I used to frequent this place in college, and their product is enjoyed best while hungover. I also recommend the steak egg and cheese or if you are feeling up to it, the steak, bacon, egg, cheese, and homefries on a wedge, double everything – the true lumberjack special."

Till next time,

Phil #14

Info:

Country Cow Deli: 2505 Blackrock Turnpike, Fairfield CT

Commack Breakfast: 95 Commack Rd., Commack, NY (Long Island)

Breakfast Stevewich - Cheechman's Grilled BECC

"Yo Smalls, can you make me an egg sandwich?"  Is the question my younger brother Cheechie will ask me  either Saturday or Sunday morning on weekends, but never before 10:30, that I spend at my parents house.  A few weeks ago I made him a Grilled Cheddar Cheese, Bacon and Egg on wheat bread on the griddle.  Grilling bread on a griddle with some butter is much better than toasting it.  It adds an additional layering of flavor and gives the chance for everything to come together in the sandwich that a toaster cannot provide.  This method of sandwich making is known as a "Stevewich" in our kitchen.  Not really sure how it happened, but I know Serious Meat had named it years ago after the great Stone Cold Steve Austin. 

After a few bites of the sandwich you hear Serious Meat ask, "Yo, can I get a bite of that?"  After some bickering and name calling, Serious Meat usually gets a bite, depending on how cranky Cheech is.  Cheechman doesn't have the same appreciatoin for food as Serious Meat and I do, so he doesn't really understand the whole blogging concept.  I can accept that and have decided to dedicate this post to him anyway because he loves egg sandwiches.

Splatz!

Coach Diner, White Plains, NY - Part 1

During hot dog week I got an email from GRPD and Hank asking me if sausage can be considered for hot dog week.  I said if it is on a bun, it is debatable, and to send me the post and I will consider to post it during HDW or not.  Key fact they forget to include in the email is that the sausage was part of a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich from a diner, which makes it an egg sandwich, and not a hot dog. 

Anyway, this S.E.C looks great and the addition of the fries was a nice touch.  At first I thought the bread was a hamburger bun, which would have resulted in some demerits, but after further review it looks like a nice hard roll.  Also, I prefer the patty style sausage as compared to the links when it comes to an S.E.C.  I know I am not the only one who has the same opinion, Dennis' fiance, Lauren Macri, has said the same thing on more than one occasion.

Here is what GRPD has to say...
"So the plan was to do a combined White Plains Coach Diner post since I got two incredible meals there on back to back nights this past weekend (when I say incredible keep in mind I was not sober at the time of making this judgment). However, when I showed this creation to Hank, he said this definitely qualifies for hot dog week. It is on a roll which some may consider a bun but this is debatable. So here is round 1 at the Coach Diner. If you don't think this qualifies for hot dog week you should take it up with Hank as he insisted this counts or give us your thoughts in the comment section below.
The fun doesn't end after last call. To start out, I usually like to order Chocolate Chip Pancakes ("CCP") for the table (not pictured here in round 1).  People always appreciate CCP for the table, it's a nice thing to do... especially when nobody knows what they want yet, it can be hard to decide what you want after a night of boozing.
For my main course I ordered sausage, egg and cheese on a roll with two eggs sunny side up. This order exceeded my expectations because it came with whole sausage links, not a patty like most places use. I added salt, pepper, french fries and lots of ketchup to this dish. I must say it really hit the spot. The service was also pretty good although I had to grab some napkins off the empty table next to me. As you could imagine, the ambiance at 4am has some room for improvement. Overall, round 1 was a nice experience. Lesson learned: late night dining, like regular dining, is only as good as what you make of it."
 
- GRPD
 

GRPD's not-so hot dog week Sausage, Egg, and Cheese.

The Country Carpetbagger

The was created during a breakfast at the Country Pancake House in Ridgewood, NJ.  It consists of a half of a Carpetbagger pancake (cornmeal, bacon, ham, and cheese pancake), one egg, corned beef hash, and nice amount of ketchup.  The pancake held together nicely and the combination of flavors was wild.  An additional 10 sausage links were needed to keep it together during the eating process.  After a few bites, 5 sausages were able to handle The Country Carpetbagger.  Overall this was grade A breakfast sandwich.

The Carpetbagger

BEC - Corporate Cafeteria

A great breakfast and a standard in most peoples lives is the egg sandwich.  In most cases, you can tell how good a deli is just by their egg sandwich.  My go to is sausage or turkey sausage and I prefer the patty over the link on sandwiches.  I dress them with black pepper and ketchup.

The one thing I have noticed about Stamford, is that you cannot find a good egg sandwich anywhere.  Most of the egg sandwiches I have had in Stamford are decent, with the exception of the egg sandwiches from Garden Catering.  For now I will talk about the Bacon Egg and Cheese (BEC) I had the other morning from the cafeteria at my office.  This sandwich made a good first impression.  It was made with two eggs with medium well yolks, 3 strips of crisp bacon, white american cheese (weak), on a hard roll.  Two eggs on a sandwich should be the standard for all places.  An egg sandwich automatically gets a half a letter grade bump for the two egg standard.   Nothing is worse than a giant roll with one small egg.The worst part of the sandwich was the roll.  It was too thick and soft.  I prefer a less thick roll with more of a crust and bite to it. 

Overall this was a "B-" BEC, the help of the two eggs bumped it up from a C+.

Feel free to share your egg sandwich experiences and let me know where the best places are to find a good egg sandwich.

- Lunch Pail

The two eggs were nice and the bacon was crisp, but look at the roll.  Too much bread if you ask me.