In case you needed an excuse to eat tasty ingredients between bread, today is national sandwich day.
And here in Winnipeg we have an abundance of sammys that are worth salivating over, so without further ado let’s tuck into some options.
In the past 15 months we’ve seen the start of something akin to “sandwich wars” downtown, with the opening of King + Bannatyne, Miss Browns, and Nick’s on Broadway — all of which celebrate the art of sandwich making.
Slow Roast Garlic Chicken topped with a Kale Caesar Salad, Soft Poached Egg and Fresh Grated Parmesan at King + Bannatyne (King + Bannatyne)
At King + Bann (as the cool kids call it) Mike Del Beono and his crew do slow-roasted right, with standards like the tender River City Brisket ($9.50), and a Chipolte Chorizo Meatball that is worth high-fiving your bros over during a business lunch. This week they are going all out with this sexy looking number (pictured above) that features slow roasted garlic chicken topped with kale caesar salad and a soft poached egg, while this week’s grilled cheese has gone aggressive with duck prosciutto getting embraced by melted brie with a spiced cranberry sauce and toasted walnuts (vegetarian version available).
Brisket sandwich with tomato, havarti and chipotle mayo at Miss Browns (PCG)
Just around the corner at Miss Browns they are serving up a deal with a two for Tuesday. If you and a friend each order a sandwich, one of them is free — which is a great deal considering the high standard, locally-soured sandwiches here are made with ethically raised meats (and yes, they also do vegetarian). Their pressed sandwiches are so good that on more than one occasion they’ve almost brought a tear to my eye. As well the owners, Jenny and Steve, have a cool story of sandwich destiny that you can read here.
Nick’s on Broadway takes handmade to a whole new level with fresh baked breads, slow-roasted meats and some superb sides (which means when you enter it always smells amazing). Their pastrami on rye is a masterpiece, which they are elevating today into a reuben with local Swiss cheese from Bothwell and Russian dressing.
The Earl Barish smoked meat sandwich platter from Sherbrook St. Delicatessen (PCG)
Just outside of the downtown core in West Broadway, Sherbrook Street Delicatessen is doing divine kosher-style food with everything – including the condiments – made in-house and hand cut with incredibly delicious results. The sandwiches are all killer, with my favs being the smoked goldeye and the Earl Barish. I’ve wrote before that the Earl Barish features, “some of the tenderest, juicy, full flavoured-meat I have had in quite some time and would more than hold its own to the smoked meat I’ve had in Montreal and New York.” I’m sticking to that, and I’ve hosted many a travel writer at this same delicatessen who has upheld my belief. It’s simply a stunner; close your eyes and let that brisket melt in your mouth while your tastebuds get the royal treatment.
Of course, there is no room to cover all the amazing sandwiches in this city, so I’ll give a quick tip of my hat to the one’s off the top of my head like Oscar’s Deli, Bernstein’s Deli, Myer’s Delicatessen, Marion Street Eatery, The French Way Cafe, Stella’s, Promenade Cafe and Wine, Epic Wedge Eatery, and all the awesome Vietnamese places that make banh mi the way it is suppose to be. I’ve had great sandwiches at all these places.
One of Il Molino’s many creative creations (Il Molino)
But to end this list, I have to give a shout-out to the avant-garde looking numbers of Winnipeg’s newest sandwich shop, Il Molino (709 Corydon Avenue), a place that specializes in open-face Danish sandwiches. Take one look at their Instagram page — these peeps are serving it up with flair, with some outrageous looking numbers where fruit, meat, vegetables and cheeses are artistically piled high and served with fine European beers. There is no place in Winnipeg doing anything like this.