Since the Earl of Sandwich first slapped a portion of meat between two slices of bread centuries ago, the handheld meal bearing his name has become a staple in the dining world.
No matter how you concoct two simple carbohydrates, whether with succulent meats, healthy veggies, supreme sauces or all of the aforementioned toppings, everyone loves sinking their choppers into this lunch and dinner favourite.
These literally handy meals come in all shapes and sizes waiting to quench your hunger. Stepping well beyond two flat slices of baked dough, a quick search can find a variety of bread shapes and flavours, from the submarine, multilayered club, open-faced Reuben, hero, smoked meat and poor boy varieties, just to name a few.
Following in the footsteps of the namesake Earl, let us grab our appetites and test the taste buds on some quick, but satisfying bread-nourishing wonders, as conceived by some of Airdrie’s top eateries.
Abe’s Modern Diner
If a restaurant displays “Diner” on its marquee, you can be assured it will serve up a good sandwich.
Abe’s Modern Diner has been a popular tiny island in the sea of restaurants in Airdrie for several years and, if you’re lucky enough to be marooned in this food-driven sanctuary, there are plenty of fresh-made options, including sandwiches.
From the traditional to the unique, this bistro puts out everything from the time-tested Old Tavern Clubhouse and Philly cheese steak to a naan bread grilled cheese.
While several of these would easily fall on your favourite plate, the temptation of a Pork Belly Master was too much to pass up.
Served on a brioche bun, the Master is stacked with a healthy portion of slow-braised pork belly, cooked for five hours, and topped with bacon-onion jam, lettuce and spiced mayo.
The round bun may say burger, but the tenderness of the pork belly puts this handheld meal into another dimension. Spicy mayo adds a kick while the exceptional bacon-onion jam cuts through the heat with a touch of sweetness.
Combined, this produces the perfect bite of sweet, heat and savoury.
Flavours of Montreal
Focusing on freshly sliced smoked meats, Flavours of Montreal stacks your lunch, dinner or, heck, even breakfast with subs or sandwiches.
Hand-carved smoked meat is piled high on rye bread that stretches the limits of your jaw muscle, with options of Sauerkraut and coleslaw, pickles and cheese. These six-ounce wonders could pass for two meals in one.
Other smaller packed-bread meals come in variations of BLT, roast beef and cheddar, turkey and Swiss, and even fried bologna.
“Where’s the beef?” might have been a famous commercial catchphrase decades ago, but it’s still a question we all put to our hunger when tracing down a handheld meal.
The Main Street-located bistro and bakery answers that question with its in-house Montreal smoked meat sandwich. There are no veggie distractions on this lunchtime favourite, just bread and meat.
The freshly sliced slow-cooked succulent protein is piled twice as high as the accompanying rye bread. Connecting the sweet and savoury meat is a good swirl of plain or spicy mustard.
As the meat is carved in front of your eyes, the stomach growls encourage the chef to slice off just a little bit more. By the time it hits your lips, you realize there’s plenty to satisfy any hunger.
Jon Smith Subs
It’s easy to submerse yourself in an ocean of savoury pleasures at Jon Smith Subs.
Don’t let the generic name fool you; this petite Kingsview Market bistro serves up a large variety of sandwiches, from classic giant cold cut subs to grilled specialties like the Cuban and Reuben.
This sandwich shop torpedoes your empty belly with classic Giant deli subs, served in a shiny wrap, simulating a deep-sea submarine, There’s sweet glazed teriyaki, spice-filled Cajun, turkey breast, Virginia ham, tuna and specialities like The Gator, complete with swamp sauce.
The bestseller, The Bomb, is an explosion of flavour which put Jon Smith Subs on the sandwich map.
Whether a six-inch or foot-long version, the sliced steak or chicken Bomb is packed with grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms and provolone cheese.
Made fresh to order, with all meats produced in-house, the steak Bomb
is built with a slice of bacon almost hidden underneath a god portion of sautéed beef fresh off the grill along side crunchy green pepper, fine-diced tomatoes, mayo and provolone cheese.
This is all encased in a tender submarine bun with a choice of dipping sauces on the side including garlic aioli, buffalo, butter chicken sauce, sweet onion and many more favourites.
Firehouse Subs
Who doesn’t need a hero when fighting some annoying hunger pains?
Firehouse Subs is ready for any lunch or dinner emergency with cold and hot subs that will save any craving whether it’s a seven-eight-inch, or 11-12-inch sandwich served on an attractive, soft-scored Italian bun.
With names like Smokehouse Beef and Cheddar Brisket, Hook and Ladder, Firehouse Sweet and Spicy Meatball, and New York Streamer and Engineer, this Sierra Springs sandwich shop is a five-alarm experience for Flavour Town.
If that doesn’t suit your needs, there’s a build-your-own option, as well.
With a fitting name to help celebrate rescue workers who risk their lives on the job, the Hero is a go-to favourite on the menu.
This ladder truck-sized sandwich is a red-light masterpiece, with layers of cold honey ham, smoked turkey breast and a succulent warm roast beef smothered with melted provolone cheese.
Plenty of mayo and deli mustard make for a perfect combination of savoury, creamy, sweet and smoky, all in one. Fresh tomato slices, crunchy lettuce and white onions make for a pleasantly alarming textured feast, giving any sandwich shop a run for its money.
Decorated in a firefighter theme, this restaurant fittingly donates a portion of profits towards the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada, helping to provide life-saving equipment and resource to rescue workers.
Rio Nectar Fast Casual Restaurant
Combining health with taste, Rio Nectar Fast Casual Restaurant, is cooking up flavoursome food without chemicals and preservatives.
Tucked away in downtown along Main Street, Rio Nectar approaches a hearty meal with homemade, healthy ingredients in salad bowls, smoothies, vitamin-packed Acai bowls and chef-inspired sandwiches.
The tiny takeout-and-delivery restaurant uses real, fresh ingredients with slow house-roasted turkey breast, chicken, bacon, ham, and homemade sauces and dressings. Caramelized vegetables, avocado mash, cheeses and fresh vegetables are menu options.
If you are looking for a little afternoon or dinner kick, the Habanera Mango Chicken sandwich will surely spice up your day. Available on several types of breads, this version uses a firm ciabatta bun to surround thick cuts of juicy, roasted chicken.
A spicy habanera mango aioli gives a good kick to the taste buds, starting out hot and letting the sweet fruit cool you down. Crispy red onion, tomato and a slab of creamy provolone cheese merge nicely with a sweet tropical slaw.
A solid bite, the spicy after burn can be complimented with a sweet, healthy granola parfait or fresh fruit, sugar-free uplifting smooth drink.
Rio Nectar can be found donating and volunteering for several community outlets like the Cancer Society, children’s sports, blood donor clinics and Airdrie Children’s Festival.
Cheryl’s Country Kitchen
What sandwich story can be complete without the go-to lunch or dinner favourite, clubhouse sandwich?
Like stepping into Grandma’s kitchen on a late Sunday afternoon, you will find all kinds of homestyle delights in Cheryl’s Country Kitchen, including a few breaded wonders.
While a variety of salads, burgers, pastas, pizzas and entrees can be found at this welcoming Edmonton Trail food outlet, it also produces more than a dozen hand-held eats.
Among those down-home favourites served at this family-style restaurant, you will find hot turkey and roast beef classics smothered in gravy, Monte Cristo, Ruben, BLT and Philly beef, just to mention a few.
A literal layer of flavours, Cheryl’s puts it on thick for its wide-mouth clubhouse sandwich. Just release your jaws and take a big bite of this masterpiece highlighted by in-house cooked turkey and off-the-bone ham.
There are no processed meats here, just some down-home, slow-cooked meats that will transport you to Thanksgiving dinner, without the holiday strife of who wants turkey or ham. Plenty for everyone.
The juicy meat, mayo and thick-sliced tomato makes this sandwich a succulent, savoury feast, with crisp lettuce adding a satisfying crunch.
Oh, and did I forget to mention bacon? That little delight is also layered into this piled-high sandwich alongside an optional flavoursome boat of gravy perfect for dipping.
