All right, I admit it. Please don’t take away my foodie club card, but I just don’t usually care for sandwiches. I almost never order them. Sorry, sandwich shops of the world. I think it has to do with the fact that for me, a sandwich is often just too many bites of the same thing over and over. Same bread, meat, cheese combination, bite after bite. Given the opportunity, I might choose a salad, where every bite is varied – more cheese in this one, maybe a nut or two in that one, or an appetizer, where you can nibble a small selection of tasty ingredients and move onto the next one before your tongue gets bored. Oh sure, when I am back on the East coast, I must satisfy my craving for a killer, New York style Italian sub and my Florida favorite, a grilled grouper sandwich slathered with mass quantities of tartar sauce. A grave mistake most restaurants make when creating a sandwich is to serve it on mediocre bread. A great sandwich is only as great as the bread it’s served on, correct? Check out the sandwiches from the following Wine Country spots that never fail to impress with their bread, imaginative toppings and top quality meats.
The Fremont Diner is one of those spots that shines every single time they put something on bread, whether it’s toast, a biscuit or a simple bun. You have to know by now how passionately I feel about their ham biscuit. This sublime combination of salty southern ham, grainy mustard and sweet seasonal jam is all lovingly piled in perfect proportions between halves of the Diner’s flakey, buttery, delectable, homemade biscuit. Mike the [bejkr]’s breads single handedly elevate the common breakfast sandwich not to mention a gooey grilled cheese. The open-faced farmer’s toast, my go-to lunch choice also on Mike’s hearty bread, is always an interesting, seasonal vegetable a-top a generous smear of fresh white farmer’s cheese. One sort of sandwich I utterly love is a little tiny sandwich! One of the most whimsically delicious things I have eaten in many weeks was the Fremont Diner’s fried chicken slider. A miniature potato bun is a golden topped, soft white pillow that tenderly cuddles the crispiest chunks of slightly spicy fried chicken, lots of creamy mayonnaise and, in a move of pure genius, no less than a heaping pile of crunchy, tart house pickled pickles. Visit thefremontdiner.com for their current menu loaded with new fall dishes that I am desperate to get in and try.
With Hog Island’s pristine oysters and Kara’s decadent, salted dark chocolate cupcakes, I hardly need a specific excuse to visit Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, but that is precisely where I immediately head when I get the hankering for a sandwich. The glorious artisan butchery, the Fatted Calf, is where I occasionally – sadly, not as often as I’d like – pick up the most delicious, creative sandwiches that I have ever eaten, anywhere. Even though there are merely three or four sandwich choices daily, do not fret. It does not matter what the sandwiches are on any given day or how many they are offering. They are all ridiculously well crafted and utilize the shop’s beautiful meats, unique homemade toppings and come on rustic breads from their neighbor, the Model Bakery. The most swoon-worthy of the bunch is their rosemary-fennel seed inflected, succulent roasted porchetta that lavishly drips with pan juices and a garlicky aioli. Simple cured meat sandwiches are the picture of simplicity, with one stellar salami or possibly ham, paired with wood-roasted peppers or tomatoes, a shaving of parmesan or herbed ricotta and undoubtedly a glug of the best, peppery local olive oil. A gutsy pork-filled meatloaf sandwich is by far the most loved. A proper, crusty Ciabatta roll holds an opulent hunk of the homemade, tart-sweet tomato sauce glazed loaf and minimal garnish of pickled red onion and a creamy whole grain mustard sauce. Call 256.3684 or “like” them on Facebook to find out the day’s sandwich selections.
Last week I gushed about the blow-your-mind breads from Petaluma’s artisan baker, Della Fattoria that I love to pick up at Sonoma Market. The charming bakery itself is located in downtown Petaluma and offers a daily breakfast and lunch that is truly a happy addiction. Poached local eggs are my ultimate morning fare when they arrive on a thick slice of dark toasted levain. Maybe not what you’d think of first thing in the morning, but a puree of Rancho Gordo beans on the bakery’s outrageous Meyer lemon bread finished with crumbled chevre and Sonoma olive oil is downright happy-dance inducing. A simple side of toast becomes magical when served with the bakery’s homemade cream cheese and tomato jam. I could rave all day about the grilled ham and Gruyere. The classic, but heavenly combination arrives thoroughly crisp on the outside, oozing salty cheese. Not exactly a sandwich, but the biscuits and gravy offered during weekend brunch stopped this southern gal dead in her tracks. Visit dellafattoria.com for the cafe’s current menus and hours. Call 763.0161 for information.
On the Menu
The Sonoma County chapter of the Coalition Food Rights will be hosting a special screening of the movie, “Farmageddon” tonight, Thursday, November 10, at the Petaluma Seed Bank. This documentary is a must see for anyone interested in preserving our local food systems and family farms. Following the movie there will be a brief update regarding what is happening here in California, with a question and answer period from local farmers. The movie begins at 6:30 p.m. and the Petaluma Seed Bank is located at 199 Petaluma Boulevard, downtown Petaluma. Visit rareseeds.com for more information on the Seed Bank or call 509.5171 for details regarding this event.
• Be sure to make your reservations for Chef Rob Larman’s scrumptious “Cassoulet Dinner” being held at the Valley Wine Shack next Friday, November 19. In what has become an annual event, last year’s dinner was one of my favorites all fall. Larman’s cassoulet is loaded with duck confit, sausage and heirloom beans. This is the ideal November meal, especially when finished with his out if this world Valrhona chocolate mousse and a great, affordable Wine Shack wine selection. Dinner is $30 per person, beverages are additional, and reservations can be made by calling 938.7218.
• The Vintage House throws their “Vintage Holiday” dinner and reception on Saturday, November 19 in the Stone Hall Ballroom. Chef Catherine Venturini of Olive & Vine will prepare festive hors d’oeuvres and an elegant four-course, seated dinner. Seasonal cocktails will be shaken up by mixologist Shane McKnight and wine from Charles Creek and Madrone Ridge. Live jazz vocals by Jackie Ryan will entertain guests. The $175 ticket provides much needed funds for senior programs at the Vintage House. Call 996.0311 or visit the Vintage House to purchase tickets or for more information.
• The first of The Olive Press’ yearly “Community Press Days” is set for November 27. Mark your calendars and bring your olives within 24 hours of their harvest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. What a truly unique, festive experience for the backyard olive enthusiast! The cost is $.80-$1.00 per lb. and reservations are not necessary. Visit theolivepress.com/for-the-grower/community-press-information/ for all the details regarding the Community Press Day.
Kristin Viguerie is one of Sonoma’s most passionate, food obsessed residents. In this weekly column, she covers all the delicious happenings, foodie events and restaurants in Sonoma, the rest of Wine Country and beyond. Find her blogging daily as the Cook (thecardiganandcook.com) or via email at foodandwine@sonomasun.com.
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