All About the Au Jus

If you hadn’t noticed, each sandwich I’ve been writing about has been featured on many article listings of top sandwich lists. Last year, Thrillist.com, posted an article named “THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST SANDWICHESEVER KNOWN TO MAN”. If you are a foodie and really are into sandwiches, it’s a great read. I’ve had most of the sandwiches on the list before; my post last week about the Banh mi was one of the sandwiches I never had from the list. Just recently I had a classic sandwich from the list.

Last Thursday evening, my girlfriend, Stefania, and I went to the Red Wings game (great game btw, they broke a 7 game losing streak). Instead of buying something to eat at the Joe Louis Arena (JLA) concourse, we decided to eat somewhere that was in Downtown Detroit, but also close enough where we could walk to JLA. Stefania made a great suggestion to go to SignatureGrill, located in one of the Riverfront Apartment Towers, kiddie corner to JLA. She had been there a few times before and mentioned the food was good. Being that she is 50% more Italian than me, I trust her word when it comes to food.

First, I will say that the place is jammed pack on a night of a Red Wings’ game; you absolutely have to make a reservation and you are lucky enough if you are seated at the time of your reservation. Lucky enough they had two seats at the bar open, and Stefania and I, starving at this point, did not complain. The menu, while small, had a lot of dishes that seemed to be very appetizing; varying from corn meal catfish to a Filet. I initially had no plans to order a burger or a sandwich, but my eye kept on going back to the French Dip. I hadn’t had a French Dip in so long, I knew I had to have it; especially with my petite girlfriend ordering an Angus Burger (which she absolutely enjoyed).

Now I’ve had many great French Dip sandwiches over the years.  One that I constantly keep going back is at Nino Salvagios, which is an Italian/International Market. It’s one of the best French Dip’s I’ve ever had and that is mainly attributed to the freshly cooked/pink Prime Rib they generously slice. But that is a different French Dip for a different blog post.

Back to the French Dip I had at Signature Grill. While the beef was not perfectly pink and thick as the Prime Rib that Nino’s uses for their French Dip, it was still one of the best French Dip’s I ever had (I have my girlfriend to thank for this experience) It was cheesy; the Swiss cheese was gooing out from the sides. It was perfectly greasy, just the right amount of fat to know that you were eating something delicious, but kind of bad for you at the same time (sometimes bad can taste so good).

What clutched at my taste buds the most was the Au Jus. Now most Au Jus’ that I had before were very broth based; while good, it made the sandwich seem very soggy after each dip, while never feeling you had enough of the Au Jus flavor with each bite. The Au Jus at Signature Grill was more like a gravy consistency; it was a little fatty and greasy…it was perfectly delicious. It didn’t soak the French Dip to the point it was soggy; instead it gave each bite a creamy consistency. I wouldn’t change a thing about the French Dip I had, even the meat, which was still very good.

So if you are ever in town for the Wings game and need to grab something to eat that will hold you over and prep you for the few beers you will enjoy at the game, check out Signature Grill.

Being Open Minded

Growing up in an Italian household and around Italian families has exposed me to some very interesting foods throughout my life. Most of my friends wouldn’t even think of trying some of these dishes, as it is outside of their comfort zone. This type of exposure has given me an open mind when it comes to trying out new foods; I have a motto of “I will try anything at least once.” If I didn’t have an open mind or lived by those words, I would have missed out on a lot foods that I enjoy today.

My open mind to food led me to a great Vietnamese sandwich that I had today. Today was not my first day sampling Vietnamese food; I’ve been enjoying Pho for quite some time and have been working my way slowly into other traditional Vietnamese dishes.  If you ever go, you have to try any of their grilled pork dishes; they grill it to almost perfection.

One of the places that I frequent the most is called Pho Hang, which is located in Madison Heights, Michigan. Pho Hang is a typical Asian, mom/pop shop. The menu is long, but yet very descriptive, and the prices are very fair for the portions you get. When you walk in long tables surround you, each with filled with soy sauce, sriracha sauce, fish sauce, and hoisin sauce. It’s nothing fancy, but it is welcoming at the same time.

Today I tried Pho Hang’s Vietnamese sandwich, a Banh mi. A Banh mi sandwich is typically filled with cucumber slices, cilantro, fresh jalapeno, pickled carrots, and shredded daikon, with a protein and fish sauce, all on a French baguette. My Banh mi had Vietnamese sausage and shredded pork skin for its protein.

The Banh mi was a very delicious sandwich; I would actually place it in my top 10 sandwiches. You can taste the garlic and peppers from the pork sausage and the texture is very soft, which makes it very easy to bite into the sandwich. The shredded pork skin gives a great fat flavor that is not too overwhelming. The pickled vegetables provide a necessary crunch to the sandwich that can tend to be a little wet from the fish sauce. All of the flavors tied together gave me an overall sense of freshness; it really reminded me of summer and I thought how great of a summer sandwich this would make.

I washed every bite down with bubble tea, which is a Taiwanese based tea. The base is typically a black or green tea and you can choose to either have it with milk or without milking. The ingredient that gives this Taiwanese tea the name “bubble tea” is the chewy tapioca balls. It’s really a unique experience and is very refreshing.

So if you are feeling adventurous enough, go to Pho Hang and order a Banh mi. Don’t let the fact that this is a Vietnamese sandwich throw you off, because besides the fish sauce, there are not any unusual ingredients. If you are really feeling adventurous, try their traditional Pho.

When Substitutes Work

In my blog post “No Substitute for the Real Thing”, I spoke about how popular sandwiches should just be left alone, without overdone variations. Most of the time it simply does not work out and you are left disappointed with your order. However, there are times where a variation on a popular sandwich can have positive results.

Yesterday, I took yet another risk on a variation of a popular sandwich. I wanted to prove that not all variations are bad and that establishments can pay homage to a classic in their own little way. House of Reuben does just that; they have several variations of Reuben’s, hot pastrami sandwiches, hot corn beef sandwiches, and many other old time favorites. In all they have about 30 different sandwiches on their menu. That is not a far cry from their original menu from 1969-1970 that boasted 20 different sandwiches.

I had decided to go with a Reuben that had a slight variation to the original. Since I am not the biggest fan of  Sauerkraut, I decided to go with their sandwich called the Lamp Lighter. The Lamp Lighter is made with hot corned beef, swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing all on grilled rye bread. The real only substitute is the coleslaw.

So how did this stack up to the original? Was I disappointed again with yet another decision to go with a variation on a classic? This time I was not disappointed at all. The hot corn beef had the right amount seasoning to it and was not overly salty. The swiss cheese provided enough sharpness to contrast the seasoned beef. The grilled rye bread was very flavorful and the coleslaw and Russian dressing tied everything together. I actually prefer this variation than the original, again I am not the biggest fan of Sauerkraut and the coleslaw was a really good substitute for me.

I enjoyed every bite of the Lamp Lighter; every stomach filling bite because not only is this sandwich delicious, it is also pretty big. House of Reuben stacks this sandwich with a lot of hot corn beef and coleslaw in between two thick slices of rye bread. This sandwich definitely fills you up for $6.75.  If you are really hungry, you can order a king size for $8.15; I wouldn’t want to know how filling the king size is.

So if you are in a mood for a traditional Reuben sandwich, hot pastrami, hot corn beef; check out what House of Reuben has to offer. They definitely live up to their name by providing several variation of the popular classic sandwich. I haven’t tried their classic Reuben from their menu, so if you do try it, let me know what your thoughts are.

The Famous Italian Sub

Everyone has a favorite type of sandwich to eat and mine is the Italian sub. I am not talking about subs from Subway, Jimmie Johns, or Quiznos; I am talking about authentic fresh deli subs, where the bread is always fresh and you know they are using the best possible cold cuts. There is one place that I always keep going back to on a regular basis for the past six years and that is Alcamo’s Market in Dearborn, MI.

Alcamo’s is a family owned Italian market that has been selling specialty imported items, mainly Italian produce, to the community for nearly 50 years. Your senses are immediately taken over once you walk into this small Italian market. On your right is the deli and specialty food counter; the smell from the imported meats and cheeses will put you in a spell. Your eyes are drawn to all of the specialty imported Italian produce that includes peppers, jarred/canned tomatoes, olive oil, vinegars, espresso, wines, cookies, etc.

Alcamo’s is really known for serving up some of the best subs in the Metro Detroit area; they were mentioned in the Detroit Free Press for having one of the Top 5 Subs in Metro Detroit.  Their popularity has definitely grown since I started being a regular six years ago; their sub menu has even grown. Even with an expanded sub menu, I always still order one of my favorites, the sub that had me hooked from first bite, and that is the Alcamo’s Famous Italian Sub.

The Alcamo’s Famous Italian sub is made with Italian capicola, mortadella, cooked prosciutto, provolone, shredded lettuce, tomato, and onion served on a crusty, flavorful, Sicilian roll with their famous house sub dressing; I always opt to have the dressing served on the side in a separate container. The Famous Italian sub is nothing to laugh at, it’s big and it is the definition of an Italian sub. The funny thing is, it is also one of their smaller ones. You might think you cannot tackle the whole thing in one sitting, but eventually you notice you are at your last few bites and you start to wonder “who stole half of my sub?”

I have to repeat, this sub is love at first bite and you want to savor every bite out of this big sub. The Italian capicola, mortadella, and cooked prosciutto all come from the same animal, but each provides their own unique flavoring. The provolone cheese provides a sharp taste at each bite, while the lettuce and tomato gives a fresh taste. Speaking of the lettuce, I do prefer lettuce shredded because it is easier to eat and you have an even amount through out the sub. The fresh Sicilian bread provides a great crust on the outside while being soft inside. However, what really brings this sub together are the tangy flavors from the onions and Alcamo’s homemade house sub dressing. I don’t know what’s in the house dressing besides red wine vinegar and fresh herbs, but it’s liquid gold. I always get upset with myself when I forget to ask for extra dressing.  I washed everything down with a nice cold San Pellegrino Aranciata.

I can only put into so many words how amazing this Italian sub is, but I urge you to experience it yourself; you won’t be let down. A couple of notes, Alcamo’s is closed on Mondays and be sure to try and get there before the lunch crowd shows up, because you will be waiting impatiently with a number. 

All About The Shawarma

I’ve enjoyed meals at several Middle Eastern restaurants since I have been working in the Dearborn area and never really had a bad experience. However, after a while, every place almost has similar flavors. So being surround by a sea of Middle Eastern cuisine, how do you find that “one place” that sets itself apart? One such place is on Warren, Ave.

Since I have been working in the area, there is still one place that has been recommended to me several times, but I have never made it there. Today was the day though, because I was in a mood for a Shawarma and Tuhamas has a reputation of having some of the best Shawarmas in the area; I needed to experience myself if they lived up to this claim.

If you drive through certain areas in Dearborn, you are going to find a Middle Eastern restaurant or market at just about every corner; Warren Ave is one of these areas. So when going to Tuhamas, you have to be very careful, as it is really easy to miss; I didn’t even see a sign.

As soon as I walked in, I realized that Tuhamas was definitely not known for their ambiance and environment. The place is definitely outdated and very small; it seats no more than 15 people and the only obstacle blocking the kitchen is a counter. But you quickly come to realize that ambiance doesn’t matter so much as soon as you see and smell the stacks of seasoned meat and chicken sitting on their rotating spits in the kitchen. For a foodie and meat lover, it’s a great site to see.

The menu board was filled with many great items, such as, shish kafta, shish tawook, and shish kabob made to go in a sandwich or pita wrap.  If you really want to be adventurous, you can order a chicken liver or lamb tongue pita. I was not adventurous today, so I order exactly what I came there for and that was a meat Shawarma, especially seeing the juicy season meat rotating on the spit.

As I have mentioned previously, this place is definitely small and it was packed; so I had to make my order to go. I took my meat Shawarma back to my desk at the office and began to dig right into it. Before I go into my overall thoughts, let me first explain what a Shawarma is. A Shawarma is essentially an alternating stack of season meat (beef or lamb) or seasoned chicken with strips of fat that sit on a rotating spit and is roasting all day. Shavings are cut off the blocks of meat or chicken for serving. A Shawarma is usually served in a rolled pita mixed with onion, tomato, parsley, pickled turnips, cabbage, and is topped with a tahini or tom (garlic mayo).

So now that you know what a Shawarma is, did Tuhama’s meat Shawarma live up to its street cred? Yes it did, it was by far the best Shawarma I have had, which is saying a lot since there are so many great places in Dearborn to find one. The meat was perfectly seasoned and was very juicy. The parsley provided a fresh herbal flavor, while the pickled turnips and onion provided that necessary crunch. I believe that Tuhama’s used both tahini and toum sauce, as I could taste both the garlic from the toum and the sesame from the tahini. For $3.75, this was by far one of the best food purchases I’ve made since working in Dearborn; my only regret was waiting six years to finally try this place out.

I definitely recommend you to try out Tuhama’s if you find yourself in the Dearborn area. You should definitely order the meat or chicken Shawarma; and if you are feeling adventurous enough, try out the lamb tongue or chicken liver. If you do try out the lamb tongue, let me know what your thoughts were.