French dip, falafel, bánh mì, breakfast
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Recently someone in the editorial office asked if sandwiches were my favorite food. Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous, I thought. But … maybe he was right. I love the versatility of their flavor profiles – you can have flavors from around the world served between two pieces of bread – ease and price.
Austin has dozens of great sandwiches. Below are 10 of my favorites from the past few months.
French Dip at Bartlett ($ 24)
Tim Bartlett opened Houston’s in Austin in 1990 after helping open the first American grill location in Nashville. He changed the name in 2010, but wisely it hasn’t changed much – the same warm service and consistent execution (the spinach and artichoke dip and smoked salmon are perfect every time).
When Bartlett died in 2013, his partner and longtime general manager Alan Thomas, who joined the restaurant in 1989, continued the service and culinary traditions, including the restaurant’s famous French dip sandwich. Arik Skot Williams, Thomas business partner and long-time Bartlett chef, says: “We roasted bones and mirepoix and cooked for hours long before the bone broth was cold.”
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This is the sandwich’s eponymous broth, which gives half a pound of velvety ribs, which are so pliable that they almost melt in the mayonnaise-coated, toasted New World Bakery roll, an additional depth of the meaty essence, as well as a hint of fat won’t harm you. (2408 W. Anderson Lane. 512-451-7333, bartlettsaustin.com)
Apricot and Chicken Salad in the Chicken Salad Shoppe ($ 8.49)
The pandemic just happened as the couple and catering veterans Ivan and Molly Mills were preparing to launch their new concept. But they turned the crisis into an opportunity. The couple have been running Vanilla Orchid Catering since 2009, and as the coronavirus pandemic effectively paved the catering and events business across town, the Mills opened their new Chicken Salad Shoppe as a take-away only, serving right outside their catering kitchen has been. The name says it all: the shop only serves chicken salad on sandwiches and salads (okay, there are also some vegetarian options and a biscuit), with about a dozen varieties on the menu.
Anyone who remembers the old apricot and chicken salad sandwich from Central Market knows how great this sweet and savory mix can be. White pieces of meat are mixed with dried apricots and almond pieces, which give the creamy mixture a nutty crispness. The sweet, salty, crispy and spicy mess sloshes out of smooth sourdough bread. (7433 Burnet Road. 512-790-7790, chickensaladshoppe.com)
Butter ham at Hopfields ($ 13)
The first time I backpacked across Europe, I was looking for quick, easy snacks that I could buy at a market and eat on a train. A sliced ham and butter baguette was simple, filling, and tasty, and it had the added benefit of having a sense of place when in France.
Hopfields offers a nifty version of this travel pleasure with luscious, clove-pink ham folded into a crispy baguette and coated with creamy butter. If you want a little more dimension, add Emmentaler to get a nutty and mildly sweet note.
As recently reported on these pages, Hopfields will open a location on South First Street in July. It’s hard to imagine that this classic sandwich won’t make its way south of the river. (3110 Guadalupe St., No. 400. 512-537-0467, hopfieldsaustin.com)
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese at Paperboy ($ 13)
It’s pretty awesome to see a hospitality company close in Austin. Paperboy began as a trailer on this East Austin lot more than five years ago and now has his own building to call home.
It has greatly expanded its menu since its inception to include more pastries, bowls, sandwiches, and composed dishes, but one of the early loyal exponents has remained. Golden egg yolks ooze from tender buttermilk rolls coated with spicy allspice cheese, a clever southern modification of a classic sandwich with thick slices of solid bacon dangling around the edges. Order online or at the walk-in window, and you can even reserve a seat online. (1203 E. 11th St. 512-910-3010, paperboyaustin.com)
Grilled pork sandwiches at Le Bleu ($ 8)
Growing up next to a Bánh Mì shop in Saigon before moving to San Antonio with his family, Chef Tebi Nguyen built his two grocery brands (Le Bleu and the trailer Saigon le Vendeur) on the power of these Vietnamese sandwiches. The baguette crackles and crumbles around grilled caramelized pork that has been marinated in fish sauce, garlic, red shallots and a hint of honey. Cucumber and matchstick pieces of pickled carrots give the tender meat a crispy relief, while coriander and jalapeño balance the flowery calm and the spicy kick. For now only online / call-up orders and collection to the curb. (9070 Research Blvd., Suite 303.512-770-1100, lebleuatx.com)
Allspice cheese at Butler Pitch & Putt ($ 5)
Ben Crenshaw helped design the greens at the renovated Butler Pitch & Putt, and the two-time Masters winner is likely familiar with many of the sandwiches on the par-3 course. Chef Michael Fojtasek from Olamaie, a regular butler and now a culinary partner, created the sandwiches as a tribute to the simple classics served at Augusta National.
While the allspice cheese from Fojtasek is reminiscent of the famous golf tournament, it also has its roots in the humble sandwiches the chef ate as a child with his grandmother on the runs at 7-Eleven. The chef adopted the recipe from former chefs Vinny Shook and Jon Dotolo from Animal in Los Angeles, although Fojtasek thinks the recipe came from elsewhere. It’s as creamy as you want allspice cheese to be, and there’s a nice flavorful blast hidden in the mix of cheddar, cream cheese, and mayonnaise (I suppose) that adds more jazz to the sandwich than its Augusta cousin.
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The cheese spread and a juicy slice of tomato sit on a smooth, honeycomb white bread baked by Carlyle Watt, who moved to Austin to run the bakery at Fojtasek’s Mignette, an upcoming casual southern eatery on the St. Elmo development in South Austin.
Augusta National may have more prestige and a few decades more history than Butler, but as someone who has attended Masters, I can promise you that Austin Golf Course has the better pimento and cheese sandwich. Fojtasek longs to find out for himself one day, hopefully while carrying the bag for his brother Randall, a member of the University of Texas golf team. (201 Lee Barton Drive, butlerpitchandputt.com)
Deluxe fried chicken sandwich at Pollo las Abuelas ($ 10.25)
Crunchy, salty, and juicy … fried chicken sandwiches are a perfect meal. Even before you dress her up. They’re great enough to build a food trailer (or a food empire). Chef Matt Reinhart obviously knew that. He put calorie counting aside at Snap Kitchen, where he served as a chef for six years, and opened this South Austin trailer in 2018, where bird is the first and last word.
The name honors his two grandmothers, one from Illinois who had a knack for fried chicken and the other from the Rio Grande Valley. Their influence is best seen in this sandwich, which carries smoke and twilight from chipotle, grassy sting from toasted serrano crema, tingling crunch from pickled coleslaw, and greasy creaminess from avocado and cotija cheese. This proves once again that the fried chicken sandwich, already perfect in its simplicity, is one of the best foundations to support a flavor explosion. (11444 Menchaca Road, 737-228-7449, pollolasabuelas.com)
Whitefish Salad on Toasted Bagel at Wholy Bagel ($ 8)
Wholy Bagel changed hands more than five years ago, but retained its New Jersey pedigree when Nicole and Richard Spiegel bought the store from Scott Campanozzi, who was originally from New Jersey. The bagels are boiled in the cauldron and baked to a shiny, crispy, and chewy finish that makes them some of the best in town.
Lox sandwiches may love most of the fish-filled bagel sandwiches, but I prefer a smoked whitefish salad sandwich. Wholy Bagel uses smoked whitefish salad from Acme Smoked Fish of Brooklyn. The mixture is bursting with oily fat, and the mayonnaise and salted egg yolks give it a bit of spice and minerality. You’ll want to add some backbone to the creamy spread; This is where the added red onions and banana peppers come in. I take my sandwich on a toasted bagel, which adds flavor and complexity to it. (4404 W. William Cannon Drive, 512-899-0200; 3637 Far West Blvd., 512-992-0003, wholybagelatx.com)
Falafel at TLV ($ 10)
If you want the best falafel sandwich in town, you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. In the time since I last had Chef Bertie Richter’s falafel, TLV has taken a short break as its downtown Fareground food hall prepares to reopen in July under new management. But your patience will be rewarded.
The fried balls shatter, revealing an herbaceous green center that is complimented by several sauces layered on top of bright herbs, a pickled whip, and a nutty depth of tahini. TLV’s creamy hummus, a smooth blend that offers a clean slate platter for the explosion of added flavors, holds the contents of the smooth pita sandwich together, with an overflowing coleslaw giving the falafel its own crispy texture. (111 Congress Avenue Fareground No. 7. 512-608-4041, tlv-austin.com)
Chicken Bacon Ranch Burger at Hold Out Brewing
OK. Is a burger a sandwich? Not really. Am I cheating here? Kind of kind. Is that chicken and bacon beast in the Better Half brewery sibling good enough to allow me to break my own rules? Certainly.
The two stacked patties made from ground chicken are seared and juicy, draped with Swiss cheese, crumpled with iceberg lettuce and red onions and topped with a spicy miso ranch dressing umami crunch. It’s so busy that you can barely taste the bacon, which is really saying something. And if you’re not into pigs, swap the pork for shiitake bacon for a small fee. Grab a four-pack of succulent, pine, and tropical Koala Takedown IPA ($ 14) to discover that Hold Out is just as good at making beer as food. (1208 W. Fourth St. 512-305-3540, holdoutbrewing.com)
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