Ruthie's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Robin Skinner from Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe alerted me to the fact that today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  According to a website called Punchbowl.com, it’s also National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month. So technically, you have 18 days left to eat a grilled cheese sandwich in a celebratory fashion. Ruthie’s isn’t your only option.  In Dallas, you’ve got Highland Park Pharmacy. Lucky’s, and The Porch on Henderson as sit-down restaurant options. Norma’s Cafe is also offering a free grilled cheese to dine-in customers who visit either of its two locations, and a portion of the day’s sales will be donated to the American Red Cross North Texas Region to help with the tornado damage. Lee’s Grilled Cheese rolls in Fort Worth.

Ruthie’s will be at the Flagpole at SMU for lunch today and at Celebrate Uptown for dinner.  Lee’s Grilled Cheese will be closed today, but open at the Fort Worth Food Truck Park for Friday and Saturday lunch and dinner.

Where are you getting your grilled cheese sandwich fix today?

Do you know anywhere in Dallas that makes a good Philly cheesesteak? Gandolfo’s uses cream cheese, so I couldn’t even bring myself to try it, and the people who suggest Texadelphia have no idea what a Philly cheesesteak is supposed to be. Thanks!

A real Philly cheesesteak? The last two I ate in Philly (Max’s and Gino’s) were made with Cheese Whiz.

The banner of all banners

Remember how I wrote about Capriotti’s and its plans to take over DFW one sandwich at a time?  Then, recall how they sent 100 sandwiches to D headquarters for my co-workers to try, and most of them were pretty happy with their free sandwiches (minus the mayo).

I thought that would be my last interaction with Capriotti’s, but then a SideDisher posted a photo of this enormous banner on Nancy’s Facebook yesterday. Capriotti’s Plano location is sporting a hot new look along with a copy of my article posted in the window (minus the comments, of course).

In my imagination, I wonder if Capriotti’s trip to Kinko’s looked something like this:

Capriotti’s people: I want a banner with the whole headline included.

Kinko’s people: Er, how big do you want it?

Capriotti’s people: Biiiiig. So big that you can spot it from a satellite circling around the globe. So big that – should we enter another Ice Age, like, today – we could use it to build a big tent for a small population of loyal Capriotti’s customers.

Anyways, you should enjoy the sign while it lasts, Capriotti’s. I think our lawyers will be contacting you guys soon since ya’ll are breaking a couple of copyright laws and all. But before you throw that banner away, I have this one request: Send me your sign. I’d really like to hang it outside my house. That way, should I ever get lost in space, I’ll know how to return home.

(No, really, I do want the sign.)

Pastrami sandwich at Deli-News. Photography by Kevin Marple.

As I opened the menu at Deli-News, the self-proclaimed “New York-style restaurant,” I casually asked my Brooklyn-born-and-raised Jewish friend what qualifies a delicatessen as New York style. Two hours later, I stumbled out of what could have been a long, neurotic Woody Allen movie. “It’s a Russian-Jewish thing,” he snapped. “You see this bagel. You see how this bagel shines. Now that’s a bagel.” I ate the bagel. “Now, you see this pastrami,” he snipped. “This is real pastrami. It’s got the right amount of fat and it’s steamed. It’s not too thick. It’s not too thin.”

He goes on.

Tim and Zac make sure the sandwiches are edible (left); Slaw Be Jos with roast beef, provolone, Russian dressing (right)

After my online musings over whether Capriotti’s would be a good 50-store fit for our beloved DFW, the big boys over at Capriotti’s delivered four ginormous plates of sandwich samples to me and the office mates. D employees gathered ’round the choices yesterday, carefully selecting between the Bobbie (turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo), Homemade Turkey, Italian, and Slaw Be Jo (roast beef, provolone, Russian dressing, cole slaw). The conclusion? Capriotti’s sandwiches are – hands down – wayyyy better tasting than Jimmy John’s limp excuses, and if it continues to preserve historic buildings the way it is, I’m personally a-okay with its expansion into DFW territory as a big fan of the Bobbie. (Thanksgiving leftovers in a sandwich = genius) Just lay off on all the mayo, will ya?

Jump for high fives

I asked other eaters to rate their sandwich experience from one (yuck) to five (awesome), and here are the results:

Charlotte willingly poses as my sandwich model

It was definitely Thanksgiving in a sandwich. The cranberry sauce and stuffing were full of flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m going back for seconds. -The Bobbie, 5!

Fresh, meaty, and more importantly—tasty. Better than Jimmy John’s! -Italian, 5

The pulled roast beef was awesome. So tender! -5

Mayo overkill on all accounts. My sandwich is dripping like a snot-nosed toddler. – Slaw Be Jo, 2

I nominate the Coleslaw Turkey Sandwich for a high Five!!! This was by far the best sandwich I have had in a long time. The bread was soft and fresh. Loved it! – Turkey, 5

Hello, Italian

Very yummy! I give it a 5.

I had the BBQ one and the turkey one. I’d give them both a 3. If they both cut down on the mayo/sauce, they’d each be a 4. If this is the direction chain sammich shops are going, we’re in for a treat.

The turkey cole slaw one was divine -5

I don’t even like cole slaw and I give both of them a 5. – Italian and Slaw Be Jo

The slaw was perfect (not slimy) and the beef pretty tender and flavorful. I was impressed that you still can taste the quality of the cheese despite all the flavors -Slaw Be Jo, 5

A good, solid, and tasty sandwich. I’d say a 4 for both – Turkey, Slaw Be Jo

Fresh ingredients, good bread with a crispy outside but a chewy middle. -Italian, 5

The Turkey one was just alright, nothing special. But then I tried the Italian – oh my! You can tell these people know their Italian food. Yummy! -Turkey, Italian -3.5

It had a lot of dressing so I’m sure the calorie content was out of the roof…which prob helped make it so delicious – Turkey

I’d give both my samples (Slaw Be Jo and The Bobbie) a 5 with raves! Deliciosa!

If you absolutely cannot wait for gas station Capriotti’s to open on Ross and Lamar this summer, you’re in luck because Plano’s already got one:
4021 Preston Rd
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 596-1999

Slow-cooked pork covered with caramelized onions and peppers.

Nick Badovinus and chef Dan Riley have been hunkered down for over a year developing the menu and creating all kinds of delicious roasted meats for Off-Site Kitchen. Today he is finally opening the doors!

Now, hold your horses. The dining room is tiny. Off-Site Kitchen is basically a take-out restaurant with a few stools inside and some picnic tables outside. Here are some pictures of what you can expect. The food, inspired by “what line cooks eat,” is basically simple sandwiches and breakfast burritos made from quality roasted meats. Roll the Badovinus quote of the year:

“It’s light industrial food,” he said. “It’s the kind of food you want to eat before you go solder something.”

Off-Site Kitchen will be open for lunch only from 10:30AM until 3PM for the next two weeks. Then the breakfast menu will kick in and they will begin serving at 7AM and will remain open until 7PM. “After we hit our stride, we’ll start rolling out the meat-by-the-pound program,” Badovinus said. “I’m so excited. This place is a real man cave.”

The original date for OSK’s opening was February 14, 2011. After Badovinus missed his mark, he decided to workshop the place and open on Valentine’s Day this year. “You see how many financial sacrifices I made to pay for my original vision,” Badovinus said. “I mean I’ve got a wheelbarrow of pork rinds down here. Who doesn’t love that?”

Badovinus was only half-joking about the Valentine’s Day opening. He and chef Dan Riley have used the Off-Site Kitchen space to tweak the menus of Badovinus’ other restaurants (Neighborhood Services, Neighborhood Services Tavern, and Neighborhood Services Bar & Grill). They also use the huge kitchen as a commissary for the other restaurants. The receive, portion, and distribute all of the meat and seafood at Off-Site Kitchen.

SOLDER, EAT, REPORT. No call-in orders. Plan to show up and wait.

[Also, Neighborhood Services Bar & Grill in Preston Royal will open for lunch in two weeks.]

The menu and photos are below.

Wheelbarrow of pork rinds.

Cherry cola pie.

Green chile cheeseburger.

First customer.

Wagyu Beef Burger on the Plated Lunch Menu at Capital Grille

Capital Grille rolled out a new lunch option earlier this month – serve customers a high quality, multi-course, customizable meal in 45 minutes flat, allowing those of us who watch a lunch hour clock the ability to have a delicious meal and still meet time constraints.  A friend and I were invited guests of The Capital Grille in Uptown earlier this week to try out the Plated Lunch menu and test if we really could get in and out in 45 minutes.

Capital Grille's Roasted Red Pepper Soup (front) and Clam Chowder (back)

The concept is easy, enjoy a soup or salad to start, then dig into one of their unique sandwich combinations paired with a seasonal side dish.  Options include a delicious and fresh Roasted Red Pepper Soup with a Sweet Potato and Pepper Hash; classic, creamy Clam Chowder or a Seasonal Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, followed by a selection of sandwiches including a decadent Wagyu Beef Burger complete with Havarti cheese and a Fried Egg on a Brioche bun, to Filet Sliders with Boursin and Mushrooms, to a traditional Lobster Roll with tons of fresh lobster.  Sides range from Parmesan Truffle fries to Roasted Root Veggies to an interesting spin on green beans, sauteed with ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes.  Indulgent, scrumptious and filling.

The best flavors had to come from the red pepper soup and the Wagyu burger….add a fried egg to anything and it is good….though I am slightly surprised it didn’t have bacon on it as well, that would have clearly taken it over the top though.  And as promised, we had everything in and out in a timely manner ensuring I would have time to run by Starbuck’s on the way back to the office for my afternoon caffeine fix, if needed.

Though all was delicious, they do call this menu “lighter fare” and there really isn’t anything light about it, other than somewhat smaller portion sizes to some of their normal meals.
However, without question, the food is savory, hearty and well executed and the gracious staff makes a quick lunch seem like you have enjoyed leisurely afternoon get away.

Off-Site Kitchen: These goodies will be available for consumption by "the end of this year."

Well folks, it has been a year since Nick Badovinus leased the former Danny’s Chicken spot at Wycliff and Irving Blvd. for Off-Site Kitchen, a mostly take-out spot featuring “light industrial food” inspired by “what line cooks eat.” Basically the menu is simple sandwiches, breakfast burritos, quality roasted meats by the pound.

Badovinus went silent for a long time. In September I dropped by Off-Site Kitchen to see WTF was up. Badovinus is a tough dude to find when he doesn’t want to be found. But there he was, deep in R&D, curing sausage, flipping burgers, trying out different meat combinations for sandwiches.

This morning, I called Badovinus for an update. As Badovinus talked about the opening date, menu, and concept, I enjoyed listening to him spin off on how the dynamic of opening this restaurant changed as it came to life. It’s almost trite to say that many entrepreneurs start with a grand design and find that once their plan goes from paper to brick and mortar, some details have to change. However, one thing I’ve learned over the years is this: those who allow the on-the-fly changes to overwhelm their original vision rarely succeed. Staying the course can be the difference between success and failure. And what Badovinus has already discovered about his little soon-to-open Off-Site Kitchen is unique and could prove to be a model for others.

Jump for it.

OSK Jalapeño cheddar sausage.

NN: I haven’t touched base with you since September when you said you were putting the finishing touches on Off-Site Kitchen. What’s going on?

NB: Man, we are having a blast. We’ve been down here for two months making and hanging sausages, hot links, chorizo, jalapeno cheese sausage. We’re going crazy with three immersion circulators doing 36-hour sous vide pork loin ribs in a hoisin-base glaze which we finish off on the grill at NHS. We’ve ended up using this place a lot more than I originally thought I would.

NN: You mean you are using more like a commissary for your three restaurants?

NB: Well, we started OSK not only as a restaurant but as a butchering plant, if you will, for all of the meat and fish for all three of our restaurants. You know, like we’re becoming our own producer. Our fish order hits DFW, then our back door, and we’ve got it butchered, portioned, cryovaced and on crushed ice within two hours. We’ve got control over our product.

NN: So once you got going, the energy shifted. Would that be fair to say?

NB: You know the hardest part of growing a business is there are certain things that you love to do that you can’t do any more. Like when the fish or meat comes. I love that. I don’t get to see that as much with three places. Every day at OSK is like Christmas morning and I get to open the stuff up and see it. Now it all comes to one place.

NN: Has that encouraged you to do more? Like make more than what you originally planned?

Dan "The Marzipan Diesel" Riley & hanging sausage! Photo by Nick Badovinus.

NB: We’re producing a lot more at OSK. What used to take “Fillet” [butcher Jose Martin] 50 hours a week, now gets done in 30 hours. So, we say “hey what else can we make?” This place has become kind of a clubhouse for the staff. They pop in and we all hang out and sorta jam on new stuff. It’s created a real sense of family. Hey, Fillet and I go all the way back to Nick and Sam’s. We wanted to do our own sausage and now we’ve got time to make more. Like I said we are having a ball with those immersion circulators. We’re buying cuts of meat that are a bitch to cook like Waygu rib ends and fingers (the meat between the bones), softening them, pounding them out and chicken-frying them. They’re on the menu at all NHS. Now we’re on to pepperoni.

NN: Well, it’s cool to have a culinary clubhouse but are you going to make Off-Site Kitchen a restaurant?

NB: Yeah, I’ve got to get that done by the end of the year. For tax purposes if nothing else.

Seekers of authentic Cajun food should head to Andria’s Cajun Cuisine at the junction of Alma and Parker in Plano (SE corner). The unprepossessing strip mall establishment has been open since August and the restaurant offers a straightforward selection of Cajun favorites and off-site catering services. I was alerted to it by a friend who has spent a lot of time in Louisiana and who said it reminded him of countless authentic Cajun shacks that dot the southern Louisiana landscape.

Boudin Balls

On our first visit we started with Boudin Balls ($5.99). These are boudin rolled into balls rather than stuffed into sausage skins. Andria’s are a hearty blend of pork and rice, maybe fortified with some organ meat. The white dipping sauce had been replaced with a tastier remoulade sauce by the time of our second visit. We also liked the Oyster Po Boy ($8.99). The sandwich bread, bought at Fiesta, was ethereally crusty. The oysters were small but tasty. This sandwich is large enough for two by the way. Crab Corn Soup faithfully projected corn flavor and had a comforting creamy texture.

More.

Our main courses were more of a mixed bag. Crawfish Etoufée ($8.99) was consistent across two visits – consistently lacking in chile heat that is. The chef explained that he started making it as he had during his time in Louisiana (as execuchef at the Holiday Inn in Monroe) but customers had complained that it was too spicy. The result is the dumbed-down version  we got. We only found out afterwards that you can explicitly ask for Louisiana heat. I also found the roux rather thin on both visits but the rice was carefully cooked just al dente both times. Crab Stuffed Eggplant ($12.99) was a triumph on the first visit. The creamy sauce blended with the sweet crab meat and the eggplant formed a base with texture and a slight bitterness to contribute contrast. On the second visit the result was the same except that part of the eggplant was the hard, inedible stem. You had to work your teeth around where the flesh of the eggplant started to harden. The side of green beans was cooked like classic southern vegetables (i.e. well done). Blackened Fish ($9.99) smothered most fish flavor with spices (a common problem with this preparation technique). We guessed that the fish was redfish.

Crab Stuffed Eggplant

Andria’s is trying. The chef knows what he is doing and we could have improved our experience if we had better communicated our preferences for unadulterated authenticity. Service was quick and friendly on our first visit but a waitress failed to turn up on the second one. That led to long waits which we assume would not be typical. The restaurant is BYOB so Gewürztraminer, Zinfandel, or your choice of heavy beer would be a good match with this food. Décor amounts to a lick of paint to this strip mall slot and furniture appears to have come from an auction where everything had wheels! The rudimentary surroundings and the location help keep prices down and make Andria’s a solid value. In fact, if you don’t feel like cooking a holiday dinner you may want to check out their Christmas Dinner Catering Special which looks like a bargain. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

We dined anonymously and paid for our own meals.

Terrifying Fake Owl on Roof at Andria's To Scare Off 'Occupy Plano' Protesters

701 Commerce Street.

Kristy Alpert files this report.
Overview: Original owner Emily Susman has gone to pursue the “family life” with her husband in Austin, Texas, but new owner, Norma Westurn, has decided to keep Susman’s original menu and recipes alive at EClaire Texas Café in downtown Dallas. (She’s made a few additions.) The café is light and airy, but on the sunny, cool day I visited, the green grass of the park in front of the restaurant and next to the courthouse was begging to be picnicked on. Even the lack of EClaire’s outdoor/sidewalk seating wasn’t enough to keep me inside on such a gorgeous day.

Menu: The café is known for offering up a varied menu, ranging from Texas breakfasts to Cincinnati-style coneys with cinnamon-laden gravy and cheddar cheese ($1.25) to fresh off-the-griddle sandwiches ($6.50), and will soon include a few Brazilian appetizers and desserts that pay homage to the new owner’s family heritage (brigadeiros!). Their salads are made fresh to order, and come in two sizes (small $3.99; large $6.99). They make their specialty sauces in-house (tomatillo and ranchero), and bake their own cookies from scratch daily (try the chocolate chip or the white chocolate and cranberry, $1.50).

Jump.

The Cuban.

What we ate: I’m in the camp that believes food tastes better when eaten outside, so I’ll be the first to admit my review of EClaire’s Cuban sandwich could possibly be a bit biased. The sun was shining and there was a State Fair parade going through downtown when I took my first bite of this warm sandwich ($8.99, with chips). The pork was thinly sliced beneath a blanket of melted cheese, fresh pickles and a nice delicate sauce between two slices of Empire Bakery’s ciabatta bread. My friend, who had spent the better part of the summer dining at EClaire’s between lunch breaks of a pretty big trial, ordered the chicken hot griddle sandwich ($6.50) that came with seasoned shredded chicken, lettuce and tomatoes on a wheat bun with EClaire’s homemade ranchero sauce. Let’s put it this way, she’s been ordering this same lunch for months and has yet to grow tired of this mildly spicy, powerfully flavorful sandwich.

Chicken Hot Griddle Sandwich.

Extras: They also have tacos made on a four inch tortilla with homemade queso fresco and pulled pork for $2.50 and regular deli sandwiches made with Boar’s Head turkey or ham for $6.50. The new owners are hoping to roll out a few new specials and possibly even incorporate some new menu items from diner’s suggestions. Alright Dishers, let’s help these ladies out! What would you like to see on the menu at EClaire’s?

Glittery cake balls.

Tomato mozzarella and pesto sandwich with drip coffee.Kristy Alpert munches some grindage at this Deep Ellum coffee shop

Kristy Alpert munches some grindage at this Deep Ellum coffee shop.

Overview: Murray Street Coffee is the type of place I could live; if only owners Liz and Doug Davis would allow cots in the backroom. It’s two stories with three rooms that can take you from the serious “don’t mess with me I’m on deadline” room with plastic chairs on the first level, to the “ah I finished and now I can relax” room with overstuffed chairs on the second floor, to finally the “coffee has kicked in and I have to get this energy out” room with one common farm-style table of board games. They’re known for their coffee (Coffee Eiland roasters based in Richardson, same coffee used in the Pearl Cup’s Pearl Latte), but their light/airy/funky/clean vibe make this a great place to grab a bite between caffeine fixes.

Menu: Most everything at this coffee shop is locally-sourced (from coffee in Richardson to muffins and cookies from Central Market), and their sandwiches are no exception. Meats and olives come from Jimmy’s Food Store, mozzarella comes from The Mozzarella Company a few blocks away, and their tomatoes come from Lemley’s produce stand at the Dallas Farmers Market. Breakfast is served all day and ranges from a granola parfait ($5.50), The Blinker (a scrambled egg and prosciutto sandwich on an English muffin, $5.50), a bagel with lox ($5), to Eggo Waffle with fresh fruit, syrup and whipped crème ($4.50). Their sandwiches include The Insider vegetarian—can be made vegan—for $8 and a PB&J on Ezekiel bread with banana, honey, jam or jelly for $5.50. All sandwiches can also be prepared gluten free.

Turkey and arrugla sandwich.

View from upstairs.

What we ate: Luckily I saw someone else eating a full sandwich as I walked in, so I knew immediately a whole would be too much. With that in mind, I ordered the half tomato mozzarella sandwich with basil pesto from Central Market, ripe tomatoes (yellow and red) and fresh mozzarella on olive oil and sea salt ciabatta bread made specially by Whole Foods. The sandwich came and a peanut butter cookie came to $4.50. I added a water and a drip coffee ($2) to wash it down. My friend ordered the half turkey sandwich with smoked turkey, sharp cheddar, arugula, and homemade chipotle aioli on the same soft ciabatta bread with an oatmeal raisin cookie ($4.50). Overall, the tomato mozzarella sandwich was both of our favs. The tomatoes were vintage Texas fresh and the bread was perfectly soft with that nice ciabatta crust. Oh, and their coffee is excellent.

Extras: They also sell a hummus plate that comes with traditional and red bell pepper humus, naan, olives, roasted red pepper, feta cheese, and tomatoes for $7.50, and they carry Tamale Company tamales if you can catch them before they sell out. One of the best things about this place is, along with their amazing coffee, they also have a pretty nice selection of beers and wines to help make playing Candy Land with strangers at the common table that much more intense … and memorable!

103 Murray Street, Dallas 75226

Reporter Kristy Alpert gets an uber exclusive preview of Deep Ellum’s newest sammich shop.

For months I’ve driven by the bold, black banner hanging high for all to see. Taunting me. Enticing me. Confusing me, even. “Coming Soon, Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop.” Who’s this Uncle Uber guy? What does he have against the ‘sandwich’? What ever happened to Fat Ted’s? Are people saying uber again? It’s normally at that point that I would get flooded by depressing memories of my failed attempts to bring back the word ‘boss’, and disheartedly head home … sammich-less. But come Thursday, that acerbic banner will be down, as Uncle Uber opens the door to his shop o’ sammiches.

I was lucky enough to get a call from the Uncle himself, who offered to let me try the place out before the soft opening this Thursday. Needless to say, I was uber pumped to see what this place was all about.

Jump.

Uncle Uber’s is the brainchild of Bryan and Kathy Crelly, who have previously successfully opened four restaurants with their team of uber financiers in the Uber Restaurant Group: namely Uptown Bar and Grill. Their concept was to create a casual and unpretentious hang-out with a simple, but exceptional menu. What they ended up with is just that, with a throwback to the late ’80s and early ’90s cultures mixed in.

Double Uber-ger with fries.

Original, commissioned posters by father and daughter team Frank and Amber Campagna line the mustard and ketchup colored brick walls and display ads for nostalgic items like Sea Monkeys, Space Shoes, and Dick Tracy memorabilia. Although the original murals of circus performers from the days Crelly’s second business, Fat Ted’s, occupied the space are gone, remnants of the paintings are still found on one of the brick walls. There’s a small stage nestled in the corner of the dining room—across from a framed copy of Nancy Nichols’ review of Uptown Bar and Grill from the mid-nineties—prepped and ready for local musicians on Fridays and Saturdays.

The layout was intentional, with a separate dining room away from the “Order Grub Here” and “Grab Grub Here” sections by the bar, and the food is simple but ambrosial. The menu is straightforward: 10 sandwiches, three sizes of burgers, three salads, and desserts. Their burgers (Uber-gers) come out straightforward as a single (yay, a 1/4lb burger in Deep Ellum!), double, or triple, topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle and Uber sauce (not Thousand Island!). You can dress them up with cheddar, provolone, Swiss, blue cheese, goat cheese, or pepper Jack cheeses. Their sammiches are their mainstay, and each offer a creative mix of flavors (try the bacon and goat cheese with mounds of bacon, cucumber, and avocado or the shaved rib-eye steak with blue cheese crumbles and garlic mayo). Also, since the hot dog is apparently the new taco, it may be worth checking out their BunME Dog, a 1/4lb all-beef hot dog loaded with cucumber, daikon carrot slaw, cilantro, thinly-sliced jalapeno, and smoked habanero ranch on a toasted hoagie.

Interior and bar.

They also sell Dirty Chips from Louisiana (get the funky fusion flavor!) and their hand-cut fries come sprinkled in Uber salt, or “French fry crack” as Kathy lovingly calls it. Be on the lookout for their ice cream sandwich (to come) that will be made with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla between two pizzelle cookies. They’ll also have their beer and wine license soon, and plan to sell only local and craft bottles.

Beginning tomorrow (Thursday), they will be open 11am until10pm Monday through Saturday. They’re planning a Grand Opening around the first of October. Overall, Uncle Uber’s is going to fit perfectly in its Deep Ellum digs, with its raw hippie vibe and cool, but funky atmosphere. This sammich joint is hip without trying to be and, IMO, is totally boss (there it is!).

Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop
2713 Commerce St
Dallas, TX 75226
214-653-8237

Shaved rib-eye steak with a salad.

Roast beef sandwich at La Spiga in Addison.

This week Kristy Alpert manga’s some Italiano.

Overview: Tucked away in an ever-so-elusive location in the warehouse district of Addison is where you can [hope to] find Donato and Carolyn Milano’s tantalizing Italian bakery, La Spiga Bakery and Cafe. The scent is so powerful it can’t be contained by brick and glass walls, as patrons can catch their first whiff of warm, baked bread as soon as they step foot into the parking lot. Open since 1994, La Spiga is known for one product: artisanal bread. Boasting hotel, restaurant, and country club clients around Dallas and the ‘burbs, this bakery has made their passion known. But there’s a whole other side to this leavened location.

Boxes of Ruffino Chianti stack against the walls to hold displays of Italian memorabilia and antiqued photography, adding to the already overwhelming sense of comfort to this place (what’s more comforting than the smell of bread, fresh out of the oven?). All their breads are baked daily in brick ovens, and the café serves a varied menu for both breakfast and lunch. The best part of this place? The free samples. Walk through the tight tables to the back of the room to find a buffet of glass jars covering mounds of warm breads, muffins, pastries, homemade butters and jams, and more. From egg and wheat to sundried tomato and lahvosh, if you could sneak into the back unnoticed, you could feast on bread alone … worry about your conscience later. Unfortunately though, you’d be missing out on some amazing lunch dishes.

Tomato soup at La Spiga in Addison.

Menu: La Spiga is a definite bang-for-your-buck place. Their salads are huge and even their half of one of their sandwiches is enough to satisfy a fierce appetite. House (large $4.95), chicken (large $6.95) and Caesar (large $4.95) salads all come with homemade creamy Italian dressing and are themselves an entrée; although most people get a sandwich on the side. All of their soups are made in house and range from $3–6. Although their pastas are all over eight bucks, I’ve heard the penne pasta with vodka cream sauce is heavenly and worth the extra $.75 if you’re trying to stick to the eight-dollar-budget, as is their Bolognese lasagna. Their pizzas are made on the spot and come on homemade square pizza dough with fresh ingredients for only $8.75.

What we ate: Bread. Lots of bread. Like a rookie I ordered way too much food (it all looks so good and it’s so inexpensive!), and started with a cup of tomato basil soup ($3.25) which had a nice hearty consistency that was gently pureed, creamy and delightfully thick. Then we ate more bread. Blueberry muffin tops, cinnamon apple scones, egg bread, and more. My friend ordered the half roast beef sandwich with thinly sliced roast beef, sautéed onions, melted cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and a side of salty homemade chips ($4.25) with a fresh-brewed iced tea ($1.50). The sandwich alone was outstanding, but the homemade horseradish dip took it over the top. I ordered the half Italian ($3.95) with Italian dressing, vinegar and oil, onions, black olives, turkey, ham, pepperoni, and mustard. Both sandwiches were served with warm, doughy bread and lightly browned lunch meat served hot between melted cheese and decadent toppings.

Blurry photo of Italian sandwich at La Spiga in Addison.

Blurry photo of Italian sandwich at La Spiga in Addison.

Extras: Have I mentioned the bread? Good. Get some. But being an Italian bakery, it’d be a shame to leave without a cup of espresso ($1.50) and a slice of Italian cream cake ($3.25). They also have some mighty amazing muffins, brownies, and lemon bars, and if you catch them on a good day you can even try a Godfather-worthy cannoli … leave the gun.

Does Dallas have a good Italian Beef sandwich like Mr. Beef in Chicago? Thank you.