How did I miss this?

PBS food is hosting Sandwich Madness for the month of March!
http://www.pbs.org/food/features/sandwich-madness-meet-the-teams/
I just voted. Unfortunately I missed the first round. You should go vote before it's too late!

Happy National Sandwich Day!

Who knew such a day actually existed? I didn't until late this afternoon. Which is why we went out for sandwiches rather than trying to throw together something suitably ornate for the occasion. Be'wiched filled in perfectly. They have fancy sandwiches and a double punch on your punch card special just for Sandwich Day.
Beth had the turkey burger special with mushrooms, bacon and cheddar. I got the smoked turkey. It has a big pile of delicious smoked turkey with bacon, goat cheese, medjool date spread and zippy dressed salad greens. It's such a yummy sweet and salty and sour combo. They do that very well at Be'wiched. They do everything well there! I got a cup of cream of celery root and apple soup and it was decadent and tasty enough to serve as dessert.
Happy Sandwich Day everyone!

The best sandwich in downtown St. Paul?

That's what some people say!
This is a mozzarella, tomato, basil and prosciutto panini from Maison Darras. It was featured as one of the 17 best sandwiches in the Twin Cities by Minnesota Monthly. I love the panini. And I hadn't been on a walk through the skyways in ages. And who am I to argue with Minnesota Monthly?
The verdict? It's a lovely sandwich. It's not over stuffed. The fillings balance each other out perfectly. The bread is reminiscent of the paninis you can get on the sidewalks of Paris. Which is a good thing, of course. I'll be back.
And yes, I need to check out some more of these 17 best sandwiches!

Again with the baseball!

I can't get away from Target Field. At leat not until I've tried all of the sandwiches. We got the chance to sit in the Legends Club section the other night. It's a teeny step up from our usual third deck seats. There are padded seats and people to serve you drinks while you sit in them. There's an enclosed, air conditioned concession area with fancier food than you can get elsewhere. Like these Italian beauties. At the Frankie V's stands throughout the stadium you can get pizza and calzones. At the Legends Club Frankie V's, you can get meatball sandwiches and paninis, too. And you know I'm a sucker for a meatball sandwich.
The meatballs were made with a mix of Italian sausage and beef and were fennel-ly and delicious. The sauce was bright and fresh. And they melt the cheese on top in the pizza oven!
The panini had salami and peppers and a creamy, cheesy sauce. It was quite tasty. The sauce did a good job of holding it together--it's making me think of things to put on a panini...bechamel, anyone?
The view wasn't bad either. Now, if we could only get to a game when the Twins win!

It was fate

Beth and I went to the Twins game last night because we couldn't think of a better way to spend a 90+ high humidity evening than sitting outside surrounded by hot people. Plus, we already had the tickets.
I had been thinking of getting the Turkey to Go sandwich all day and that's exactly where I headed as soon as we got to the stadium. We passed Tony O's Cuban Sandwich on the way and I was reminded that I really should try one of those...
Moments later, armed with my turkey sandwich, Beth and I headed for the blissfully air conditioned elevators to the upper deck. The elevator opened, and Tony Oliva himself walks out! He said, "I've been waiting for you, ladies." Then he walked away. We got on the elevator, and laughed about the whole episode with the elevator operator. I told him I almost got a Cuban tonight and he highly recommended it. So I got one for dessert. Well, half was my dessert and the other half was Beth's dinner.
The verdict? The pork and ham are tasty and there's just enough cheese. The pickle is good, too. But there's no mustard on it! They should warn you about that, before you get all the way back to your seat, passing countless condiment counters brimming with yellow mustard along to way. Without the mustard, it's a pretty tasty sandwich, but no match for my favorite Turkey to Go. With the mustard, who knows? It could be the best sandwich at Target Field.

Food Truck Food Court, revisited

The weekly food truck food court in downtown St. Paul is pretty awesome. I've been back a couple times and everything has been delicious! This is a bison burger from Chef Shack. It had guacamole, bacon ketchup, and pepper jack on it. I added some pickles from their well stocked condiment bar, too. The patty was perfectly cooked to medium rare, which was a lovely surprise. I got their Arnie Palmer as well. It's made from jasmine tea and isn't too sweet.
On another trip, I revisited Gastrotruck and got a black bean slider and a BBQ chicken slider with onion marmalade. Super yum! I look forward to trying more of their sliders!

California wrap-up

On my last full day in California, Junior took me to Point Richmond to see a county park and a model train set-up. After that excitement, we were feeling a little peckish. Luckily, Point Richmond has a nice historic downtown with lots of food options. We were drawn to a rugby bar, the Up & Under. It wasn't just a bar with rugby jerseys. It was a true rugby pub with a rugby themed menu. Of course I had to check out the sandwich named after the position I played.
How did they know this is one of my faves? The other position's sandwiches were just as appropriate. The Lock? An Italian sausage grinder. (Beth approves) The Wing? A portabello mushroom sandwich (Tee hee).
The sandwich was lovely. The sauce was not too sweet and the bun was soft enough to hold all the juicy goodness in. The avocado was an especially nice touch.
I also had a chance to get back to Bun Mee for another delicious creation. This one is the Sloppy Bun: red curry ground beef with a fried egg, Thai basil, cilantro, onions and jalapenos. Holy moly! The server slipped me extra napkins before I even started to eat! It was a great banh mit. I'm only sorry I couldn't try more of their fancy sandwiches. I will have to try and make some at home until I can make it back!