Turkey Cranberry from Paradise Bakery & Cafe

If you're a long time reader of this blog (*cue sound of crickets chirping*), or if you have perused the archives at all, you may know that the very first review I wrote early this year was of a sandwich from Paradise Bakery & Cafe. So, I suppose it is only fitting that the first establishment to receive multiple reviews is that same Paradise Bakery. Now why do I end up going here so often you ask? Well, there are many reasons I could give, but the real one is that my wife enjoys the place and, since she is the boss, we eat there with some frequency. Draw your own conclusions about me based on that statement if you will, but that's the way it is.

So anyway, today Paradise Bakery becomes the first multi-review joint as we take a look at their Turkey Cranberry sandwich. And aside from providing the first review of more than one sandwich from the same place, it at the same time provides the first review of essentially the same sandwich from different places. Nice! I already gave a brief overview of Paradise Bakery in my previous review, so I think here I'll just provide some very general likes and dis-likes. In general, the things I like about Paradise are that it's always clean, the service is nice, and they use fresh ingredients to good effect. The downers, in my opinion, are that it tends to be a little pricey and I seem to always leave hungry. As I mentioned, the main reason I end up here so often is that my wife loves it. I asked her just what it is that she likes about it and her reply was "the cookies and the Southwest Chicken Caesar Salad." Obviously, this doesn't help us at all with sandwich analysis, but there you go.

Now then, back to the sandwich at hand. See what Paradise Bakery would like you to believe this sandwich looks like here. Compare that to the image above and, as usual, you will see there is a slight discrepancy. Here's the ingredients that go into this one:

• Type of Bread: Paradise Molasses
• Condiments/Dressing(s): Mayonnaise, Cranberry Sauce
• Toppings: Oven Roasted Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato

Pretty standard list of ingredients for a sandwich of the turkey cranberry variety, with the one foray into the unknown here being the type of bread used. In my opinion, the key to executing a turkey cranberry sandwich well is striking a balance between the sweetness of the cranberry sauce and the savoriness of the mayo and turkey. Let's see how Paradise Bakery fared in this regard as well as the other areas we judge:

• Quantity/Value: 3/5 - As I mentioned earlier, the main gripe I would say I have with Paradise Bakery in general is that it seems pricey for what you get. That was the case with this sandwich as well. For over $7 (which, it should be noted, also included a cookie), I expect there to be enough sandwich to vanquish my hunger. Unfortunately, after I downed my sandwich, I still had enough room to put away the last half of my wife's salad as well.
• Originality: 4/5 - While not totally original by any stretch of the imagination, having a turkey cranberry on the menu at least shows that the establishment has some sense of adventure when it comes to making sandwiches. And in addition to that, Paradise gets some style points for putting everything inside their unique molasses-tinged bread which you won't find just anywhere.
• Appearance: 7/10 - As you can see from the pictures, this is a pretty good looking sandwich. Here's another one in case you missed the first one:
  Obviously it's not close to the photo of the sandwich you see on their website or menu, but they never are. Obviously some care was taken in putting the sandwich together and the deep and vibrant colors of the lettuce, cranberry sauce and bread contrast nicely with each other.
• Quality/Freshness: 9/10 - This is where Paradise usually excels and today was no exception. The bread was obviously fresh, but although it was soft and spongy, it hadn't been left around long enough for anything to seep into the bread and make it soggy. The vegetables were cool and crisp - everything as it should be.
• Taste: 16/20 - Alright, now let's take a look at where the rubber meets the road. The freshness of the ingredients as mentioned above obviously contributed in a positive fashion to the taste of this sandwich. Unfortunately, so did the quantity/value rating. What I mean by that is I wish there would have been more turkey on my turkey cranberry sandwich. As you can see from the photo, the amount of turkey is less than the thickness of a tomato slice and in my book, that just is not getting the job done. Also, the sweet/savory balance I mentioned earlier fell a little too far on the sweet side for my taste. This again would be remedied by some more turkey on that bad boy or at least a little more mayo. All in all though, a pleasing version of a new classic.

Added all together, that gives the Turkey Cranberry from Paradise Bakery & Cafe a rating of 39/50 . And, as fate would have it, that is the exact rating I gave the other sandwich I tested from here in the first review on this blog. Interesting. We'll have to see if the next sandwich I get from here gets a 39 as well. And, with my wife in charge, I'm sure that day will come soon enough.

Turkey & Bacon From Training Table

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.

So taken all together, that gives The Turkey & Bacon from Training Table a very respectable 44/50 . Maybe one of these days, I'll get around to trying some other sandwiches that this place has to offer, but then again, as long as they keep serving this one up, maybe I won't.

The Deluxe From Grove Market & Deli

While one of my stated purposes in undertaking this project (and the accompanying blog) was to seek out and discover new sandwiches worthy of inclusion among the all-time greats, another purpose is to give well-deserved praise to those sandwiches that I have already discovered and love. Today's entry is one of those. Grove Market & Deli, thanks in part to its location on a nondescript corner of Main Street in Salt Lake City and it's unassuming outward appearance (if you didn't know any better, you'd never know what was inside) has become one of those "secret" places that attains a near magical quality when you realize the complete and total awesomeness that exists inside the small, plain exterior. I can't believe I'm about to make a Harry Potter reference, but Grove Market is kind of like that portal in the story that takes people to the wizarding world. Myriads of people walk by the place every day, but only a select few enter into the back alley and tap on the bricks to open the door into the wondrous world on the other side. Grove Market is like that. Except instead of entering a pretend wizard world by going inside, you open a portal to Sandwich Nirvana.

I've got a pretty long history with Grove - maybe that's one of the reasons I have such an affinity for the place. I don't remember the first time I went there, but I do remember many times as a student at the University of Utah meeting my dad after class and heading down to Grove for a sandwich. I also remember picking them up before heading a couple blocks up the road to catch a Bees game (what a beautiful coincidence that two of the things I enjoy most - baseball and great food - can be found so close together!) Although my history with Grove Market is long, my first-hand knowledge of their menu is extremely limited - that is because in all the years I've been going there, I've only ever ordered one sandwich - The Deluxe. I fell in love with it from the first bite and have never felt the need to order anything else. I keep telling myself I will, but without fail I always end up back at The Deluxe. Here's what goes into one:

• Type of Bread: Ambassador Roll (essentially an entire loaf of french bread)
• Dressing(s)/Condiment(s): Mustard, Mayonnaise
• Toppings: Ham, Turkey, Avocado, Swiss Cheese, American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle

Even though I made an analogy of Grove being a secret place that not everyone knows about, I should warn you that this is not actually the case. Plenty of people know about it, so if you think you're going to walk right in at lunch time and saddle up to the counter to place an order, you're wrong. Our approach was always to call ahead so our order was ready when we got there. The store is so small that it can get really crowded real quick. But if you play your cards right, the sandwich will be ready when you get there, you can pick it up, grab a cool refreshing beverage and sit outside at one of the tables as you mount your gastronomical attack. You can probably already guess this sandwich scores well, and you're right. You'll find out how I broke it down after one more photo:


By the way, in this photo, you'll notice I've adopted a new visual aid to help with scale. I figured most people know how big a Star Wars action figure is, so you can use that as a guide for how big this thing really is. I chose Han Solo because it seemed to me he'd be the most likely to join you for a refreshing beverage and a sandwich. Droids just drink oil, Luke and Obi-Wan probably eat sprouts and tofu and all that hippie crap and I lost my Chewbacca figure, so there you go. The Deluxe scores as follows:

• Quantity/Value: 5/5 - This one was never in doubt. This is one of the bigger sandwiches I have ever tried. Half of the sandwich is plenty on most occasions. With a price tag of $8.99, it might seem a little pricey, but when you consider it is essentially two meals, it's a great bargain. In my entire life I've only ever completed an entire Deluxe once - back in my early 20's when I was young and spry. Let me give you just one more picture with The Deluxe and Han in action:
  Man, I'm jealous of Han Solo right now. If I was him, I could eat on that thing until I was tired, then just climb inside it and go to sleep. Then if I was hungry, I could wake up, eat a couple bites and go right back to sleep. What a lucky jerk.
• Originality: 4/5 - A couple things stand out here - first is that roll - or loaf, or whatever you wish to call it. I can't think of another place around that uses anything close to it. The combination of meats and cheeses is fresh, as is the use of the avocado.
• Appearance: 9/10 - So, although The Deluxe's looks wouldn't make it feel at home at some high-brow restaurant, they are enough to send my salivary glands into overdrive. The size is of course appealing, and another thing that looks just great is the healthy amount of black pepper on top of the cheese, avocados and pickles.
  
• Quality/Freshness: 9/10 - The meats and cheeses used aren't top top shelf, but the crucial thing is that they were FRESH. The turkey and especially the ham didn't have any of that gross greenish shiny crud that you'll often find on the ham and meats at some places. In addition, the veggies were also fresh - no wilted lettuce, no withered tomato, and most importantly, no unappealing brown avocado.
• Taste: 19/20 - So here's the kicker. Not only is this an enormous sandwich, it also tastes great. There are quite a few ingredients, but they all come together perfectly without losing their individual flavors. The insane crunch of the bread perfectly complements the creaminess of the cheese, condiments and avocado. And then the bite of the pickles and black pepper really put this one over the top. Simply fantastic.

Those excellent scores all add up to give The Deluxe from Grove Market & Deli an enviable score of 46/50! Trying to come up with a way to improve this sandwich is difficult. That is because the most obvious fault the sandwich has is as also what makes it so fantastic - it's sheer size. The Deluxe is so big that it is quite a challenge to eat. The mayo and mustard are applied liberally (my dad says they put it on with a boat oar) which means when you start pressing the sandwich together to fit it in your face, you encounter definite slippage and sliding apart of the sandwich's elements. The other thing that can pose a problem is the bread - it's crunchiness is phenomenal, but the hard outer crust that gives it that can also do a number on the roof of your mouth. But, in the end, these are minor quibbles that I wouldn't change even if I could. The Deluxe may not be the perfect sandwich, but it's awfully, awfully close.

Turkey Cranberry Melt From Iggy's Sports Grill

One of the things I wanted to try for in undertaking this quest for the best thing between two pieces of bread was to order outside my comfort zone. After all, if I just keep ordering the same thing over and over again, how am I every going to discover anything better, right? Hence my decision to go with the seldom-ordered tuna sandwich (see below). That turned out pretty good! So, when our family paid a visit to Iggy's Sports Grill the other night, I decided to press my luck again. More on that in a second, but first a little background on Iggy's. Iggy's is a local Utah sports bar chain with close to 10 locations along the Wasatch Front from Ogden down to Orem. On this particular day, we were in the area, so we stopped at the Centerville location. I'd been to Iggy's a couple times before and had been impressed (the barbeque chicken pizza was especially good). It's a pretty nice sports bar with a menu I'd say is a little more diverse than usual, and, in addition, it's not at all a place you'd be scared to take your kids to.

As I was saying, insofar as I'm making an effort to expand my sandwich horizons, I decided to go with with the Turkey Cranberry Melt. The first time I saw a sandwich with turkey and cranberries on the menu somewhere, I thought it sounded horrific. I don't know why, though - those two things go together perfectly well every Thanksgiving, so why not on a sandwich? And indeed, the first one I tried (I don't recall where) was fantastic. The Turkey Cranberry Melt at Iggy's is made up of the following:

• Type of Bread: Toasted Rye
• Dressing(s)/Condiment(s): Iggy's Sauce (a variant of Russian Dressing)
• Toppings: Sliced Turkey Grilled with Swiss, Coleslaw, Cranberries

The turkey/cranberry sandwiches I'd had before were always cold, so I was curious to see how this would play on a "melt" type sandwich. I'm sorry to report that, although the idea has some potential, the execution on this sandwich was quite disappointing. Before I get to the actual scoring breakdown, here's one more photo with all the sides out of the way:

And without any further delay, here are the scores:

• Quantity/Value: 2/5 - I paid $7.95 for this sandwich which did include sides of french fries, coleslaw and a pickle, but for crying out loud - this thing was minute. I mean, look at the picture at the top of this post. The french fries and pickle are each clearly dwarfing the entire sandwich. I immediately felt a little ripped off.
• Originality: 4/5 - As I said earlier, the concept for this sandwich was original - I can't remember seeing a grilled melt with turkey and cranberries. Interesting idea.
• Appearance: 5/10 - Aside from being really freaking tiny, there were other problems with the appearance of this sandwich. I don't know if you can tell from the 2nd picture, but the combination of dressing on the sandwich itself, the liquid from the slaw, and the grease from the melting process on the grill all combined to leave this sandwich hemorrhaging a greasy liquid mess. Not appealing, brah.
• Quality/Freshness: 7/10 - Aside from the fact that the sogginess I just mentioned left this sandwich with a distinct feeling of not being fresh, the quality of the ingredients themselves left a little to be desired - the turkey was not of the lovely Thanksgiving variety, but instead your run-of-the-mill pressed turkey loaf cut into slices.
  
• Taste: 14/20 - At this point, I think it's important to remember that the name of this sandwich is the "Turkey Cranberry Melt". This name would imply that the important parts of it were turkey and cranberries, no? Well, go ahead an look back at that picture and tell me how much turkey you can spot. Go ahead, I'll wait........yeah, not much, is there. Now, if you looked hard, you may have noticed one cranberry on each half of the sandwich. Those two little guys are important because they were the only ones present! Seriously, I checked. Two cranberries. On the whole sandwich. Couple the embarrassing lack of headlining ingredients with the saturated sponge-like sogginess already mentioned, and, well, this thing didn't taste great. Imagine a Reuben sandwich with no meat that was left sitting in a sauna for half an hour.
  

In summary, while I will probably still return to Iggy's, it won't be to order their Turkey Cranberry Melt which stumbles in with a final SSTF rating of 32/50. Unless of course they rename it something more appropriate. Might I suggest "The Meatless Reuben Snackwich" or "The Coleslaw Melt".