Training Table, for those who might not know, is a local Utah chain of burger joints that also happens to serve one of my favorite sandwiches - The Turkey & Bacon. You'll notice that I made a distinction there between burgers and sandwiches. Now technically, isn't a hamburger a sandwich? Well, of course it is, silly. But for the purposes of this blog, I've chosen to separate the two. The task of sampling all the myriad of sandwiches out there is Herculean enough without throwing burgers into the mix as well. Does this mean I don't like burgers? Of course not. I love 'em. It's just that for the sake of time and simplicity, I'm not going to be including them in this blog. That will have to wait for another time, or more than likely, another lifetime. There - thanks for allowing me to make that distinction. I've been meaning to do that for awhile.Anyway, as I was saying, Training Table is a chain of 9 restaurants dotted up and down the Wasatch Front that, as an old slogan of theirs used to state, serves "Gourmet Burgers, Sandwiches and Such". The "such" includes such things a soup, salads, and some really wonderful cheese fries - a must with any order, be it burger or sandwich. Aside from the magnificent cheese fries, you'll find 17 different burgers on the menu and an equal number of sandwiches. I've tried nearly all the burgers with varying degrees of satisfaction, but the only sandwich I've ever ordered is the Turkey & Bacon. It's one of those situations where although I know there are other great things to discover on the menu, every time I go to order one, the allure of the Turkey & Bacon is too much and I just can't pull the trigger on the unknown. What (besides the obvious turkey and bacon) goes into this sandwich? I'm glad you asked:
- Type of Bread: Hamburger Bun
- Condiment(s)/Dressing(s): Ranch Dressing
- Toppings: Turkey Breast, Bacon, Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato
It should also be noted that this is a "hot" sandwich. Obviously the bacon is going to be hot, but this isn't like a BLT where the bacon's hot, but everything else is cold. The bacon is hot, but so is the turkey which is key in ensuring proper Swiss cheese meltiness. Now you've probably guessed from the above commentary that I'm a fan of this sandwich, but let's find out just how much of a fan I am:
- Quantity/Value: 3/5 - Unlike some of the other sandwiches I've already talked about, the Turkey & Bacon doesn't come with any extras when you order it. So, when you order your cheese fries to go with it, you're going to have to pay extra for those bad boys. Now it's still totally worth it, but the fact that the $5.99 sandwich comes with nothing and is not overtly huge results in it's average rating in this category.
- Originality: 5/5 - A perfect rating for this sandwich may seem a little strange. I mean, the ingredients aren't exotic in the least, and the pairing of turkey and bacon is not that unusual either. But the fact is, I can't get a sandwich like this anywhere else that I've discovered yet. The perfect combination of turkey, bacon, Swiss and ranch on the somewhat unusual bread choice is unique to Training Table.
- Appearance: 9/10 - This is a good lookin' sandwich. I mean that picture up above looks like the picture that most places would put on their billboard to represent their sandwich. The lettuce, tomato and bacon all add a great punch of color to contrast the relative blandly colored turkey and Swiss. And the fact that the sandwich looks like it's ready to topple over makes you hungry just looking at it.
- Quality/Freshness: 8/10 - The thing that lets you know this sandwich is fresh is, much like the extinct McDLT (bonus points if you can remember that thing), the cool ingredients are still cold and the hot ingredients are still hot. The swiss is still gooey and melty, the bacon is still crisp and hot and the lettuce and tomato are still cool. I have noticed the vegetables to be a little less than completely fresh at times, and that's what brings the freshness rating down a tad.
- Taste: 19/20 - I've touched on this already, but this is one of the tastiest sandwiches I've had the pleasure of eating on a regular basis. I love turkey, I love Swiss cheese, and I really love bacon. It's almost like this sandwich was made for me. The thing that really sets the sandwich off, though, is the ranch sauce. It provides the perfect cool creaminess to contrast the greasy deliciousness of the cheese and meats. The bacon and lettuce provide a nice crunchy texture, and even the hamburger bun is great - it's not your run of the mill white bread bun. It's got some kind of cracked wheat or something going on with it that makes it a little more robust and tasty. I wish I could describe it a little more accurately, but that's the best I can do.
