And We Ate So Much!
We've since been told that New Year's Eve isn't, like, a major food holiday (at least not like the two that precede it), but we went nuts on some deli sandwiches. See, The Fork's mom is great at laying out a spread of meats and cheeses and the like, so what we did was cut some fresh avocado, mash it into a dinner roll with a fork and then added a light dusting of sea salt. Then we piled up the ham, half as much roast beef and some thinly-sliced heirloom tomatoes (because we can never understand thick-cut tomatoes that dominate a sammie's flavor profile). The final piece? Some crumbled-up potato chips. Now, you can laugh at The Fork and The Fork's mom, but that sammie rang in 2018 like you wouldn't have believed. We're still dreaming about it. And we'll tell you what—if you can honestly try a sammie with crumbled potato chips and tell us it's not fantastic, we'll apologize.
Which brings us to a fairly excellent point—where to get a good sammie around here. Some of our favorites include:
1711 Llano St., Ste. G, 473-7703
This one is pretty obvious, but the Mucho Pollo Loco ($8.25) with grilled chicken, provolone and green chile is the kind of treat you kill a man to get to. My god, this sandwich.
821 W San Mateo Road, 984-1980
We've talked Maven a lot but, like their namesake, they do a little bit of everything. Sandwich-wise, you really can't miss, but it's the portobello melt ($12) that's stolen our heart. It's mushrooms, it's cheese, it's gooey and wonderful and (mildly) healthy because of the fungus.
321 W San Francisco St., 986-8700
OK, so they've tried to hide this one, but if you go in and ask for the Di Bosco, they'll still make it. Like the previous sammie on the list, this one's all about mushrooms and cheese, though we'd recommend asking for mozzarella (and lots of it). We don't have a specific price because, like we said, it's hidden. Just say something like, "Oh no, do you not still do the Di Bosco?" And then they'll be all like, "No, we can do that." Boom.
Share some of your favorites with us by dropping a line.
More Tidbits
-We recently told y'all (a word we'll never stop using, y'all) about a new Vinaigrette situation in Albuquerque, but it turns out our local version (709 Don Cubero Alley, 820-9205) is gearing up for a number of themed wine dinners on three Wednesdays: Jan. 10, Feb. 14 (that's V-Day, you guys) and March 14. Dinner one is all about the Greek food and wine, dinner two gets into sparkling wines and dinner three takes you on a trip to Portugal. Ooh la la. Give them a call to make that rezzie.
-The Fork is embarrassed to say we never knew there was a restaurant in the Bataan Memorial Building (it was called Fox's Uptown Grill, and we hear they had Frito pies and the like). Even worse, the place closed late-December and, according to a Fork reader, will soon contain offices and the like. RIP Fox's Uptown Grill—we hardly knew ye. Like, at all.
-Can anyone tell us if Blake's Lotaburger is still doing biscochito milkshakes? All we really know is that they were around for "a limited time." We kind of want to try one but we may be too late. Did you have one? Were they good? Drop us a line at thefork@sfreporter.com and let us know.
-Word on the street is that Biadora Bakery ( 1807 Second St., Ste 9, 467-9305) has opened again, and you should probably visit them immediately. One time we had a cookie over there, and we're still recovering from the awesome. It's just past Back Road Pizza.
Also …
Have you made any New Year, New You resolutions? Maybe to eat healthier and bring your lunch from home more often? SFR Digital Services Manager (aka tech queen) Brianna Kirkland's been working on healthy ideas for every meal to kick off your new year right. We'll start off with some breakfast ideas, and stay tuned for lunch and dinner ideas in the coming weeks.
-Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so instead of running on only coffee, try whipping up a smoothie instead. Sneak some more nutrition in there by using lots of fruits (maybe even vegetables) and a base of Greek yogurt for protein. To save time in the morning, portion and prep your fruit mixtures ahead of time and toss them into the freezer.
-Maybe you're more interested in juicing , and trying one of those cleanses. The smoothie vs juicing debate rages on in some circles, but I think there's room to add both to your diet. There are some really great (and actually tasty!) green juice recipes that will give you a super shot of nutrients. Be sure to drink your rainbow and try some citrusy orange/carrot juices , and beets are a sweet way to rosy up your juices. Hothouse cucumbers, organic beets and kale are all on sale at Sprouts this week, so it's a great time to give juicing a try!
-For a more substantial breakfast option, we can't get enough oatmeal this time of year. I'm not talking about the quick-cooking kind, but the full porridge experience of steel cut oatmeal. It does take more time than the instant variety, but it's so worth the wait. We bet once you try Alton Brown's recipe you'll never go back to the packets.
Finally…
The Fork is considering going vegan (with a capital MAYBE) this year thanks to both feeling gross when there's certain types of meat to eat and a just straight-up tearjerker video of terrified pigs. So what we're asking is: Do any vegans out there have good recipes? How do we work around our love of cheese? How do we feel satisfied with the foods we're fooding? We know that Santa Fean Jim Corcoran probably has a lot to say, but just be nice and don't push us too hard—we frighten like a deer. Send help to thefork@sfreporter.com.
Keep it forky, y'all.
