Islington Mill, Salford. T-shirts and sandwiches

Islington Mill is, as the name suggests, a mill, or at least it used to be. Located in the heart of post-industrial Salford, once a cotton mill, it is now a 'creative centre', full of lots of artists and creative types, doing lots of arty and creative things. Where does a sandwich fit into all this you may be asking...? Well arty/creative people have got to eat! Why was I there? I was at the mill partaking in a t-shirt printing workshop, which came with the option of paying a bit extra and having a sandwich and a bowl of soup before the workshop. There was only a choice of two sandwiches; hummous and roasted vegtables, or goats cheese and red onion and the soup was Thai green vegetable. I went for the goats cheese sandwich and it was an absolute treat! Huge chunks of creamy goats cheese, with perfect, deliciously sweet caramelised red onions and a huge pile baby spinach, served in thick crusty white rustic bread topped with a sprinkle of flour. This was a lovely sandwich, the crusty bread perfectly contrasted and complemented the smooth goats cheese and silky onions, while the stack of baby spinach added a nice bit of freshness and colour to the sandwich. It was a nice generous sandwich, the picture shows just a half of it, so along with the soup it was a great, filling lunch. The Thai green soup was very nice too; the chilli spices kept your lips warm while the coconut worked to cool it down nicely, and made a lovely starter. The sandwich and soup cost an extra £5 with the workshop, but I think the regular price is only around £3 or £4 pounds for sandwiches and the same for soups, so not too bad for a very good lunch.

Burton Road Bakery, West Didsbury, Manchester. Westside fo life

Burton Road Bakery is surprisingly enough located on Burton Road, in the beautiful hidden gem that is West Didsbury. It's a lovely little place with a nice local feel, thick (but in a good way) Mancunian accents welcome you from behind the counter as you make your selection. A nice simple menu, nothing too fancy; chicken, turkey, cheese, ham, smoked salmon, cream cheese etc. I went for the ham, on a brown barm (which for those not from 'the north' is a round soft roll), with salad and mayonnaise. One of the best things about this sandwich was the delightful addition of egg in the salad, which is very rare and very delicious. A great simple sandwich, perfectly made. Add and drink and a packet of crisps all for under £4 equals a bargain. In the words of Liam Gallagher (probably) it's 'well good'.

Odd Bar, Northern Quarter, Manchester. FREEZE!

Odd Bar is a cafe/restaurant by day, bar and venue by night. It's one of three Odds in Manchester; Odd, Odder (Oxford Rd), and Oddest (Chorlton). It's a great place with a laid back atmosphere, similar to Manchester's Trof establishments, but without their dollop of 'too cool for school' pretension. The free jukebox in Odd is a nice touch, especially when it's quiet, allowing you to select all the tunes.

Odd has a good menu of breakfasts, burgers and sandwiches, veggie and carnivorous. I went for the N.Y.P.D.; New York Pastrami Doorstep. They do not lie, this is a doorstep and a half, filled with loads of pastrami, cream cheese, and juicy gherkins, served with a big pot of piccalilli, red onion coleslaw, and chips. This is a great, very filling lunch time treat, all the elements of the sandwich work together perfectly, the creamy smooth cheese, with the salty, spicy pastrami, and the sharp tangy gherkins. The piccalilli and coleslaw go very nicely on the side and the big chunky chips are perfectly crispy and fluffy. For just shy of a tenner with a drink, it's not the cheapest lunch, but it is one of the most filling.

Bread and Butter, Northern Quarter, Manchester. Service with a smile and a chat about the pros and cons of legalising drugs

Bread and Butter is a hidden gem located on Tib street in the trendy, indie, cool Northern quarter of Manchester city centre. It is a lovely little cafe with a large selection of panini, piadinas (which i discovered today is a sort of wrap, a bit like a cross between a naan bread and a tortilla, which like panini is toasted), cakes and teas. My eye was drawn to the meatball and mozzarella, which the friendly Mancunian waitress advised I had on the aforementioned piadina. The friendly duo behind the counter made the short wait for the sandwich a pleasant one with tails of relbellious youth and future dreams. I would have loved to have sat in and continued with the conversation if it hadn't been for the £1 extra charge for doing so (not much to the average layman, but I am a stingy student), but alas, I found a comfy wall nearby where I greatly enjoyed my lunch. A truly delicious sandwich (or piadina to be precise). The meatballs were served with a superb homemade rich tomato sauce, and the mozzarella was delightfully gooey when melted. Can't wait for the next visit!

Maison Mayci, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Last one I promise....

This will be the third sandwich I have reviewed from the Maison Mayci establishments; the chicken and crayfish. As expected, it's delish. Lovely chunky bits of chicken with big juicy crayfish in a tomato-ey sauce. Very nice combination of flavours and textures, sweet crayfish, tender chicken, smooth rich sauce and thick crunchy bread. Delightful. Great salad as always and also found out that their chips are amazing, proper french fries, really thin and crunchy. A very filling lunch for just over a fiver. TREAT.

Petit Pain, Hall Green, Birmingham. Call the police!

Petit Pain is a great sandwich shop just opposite the horsehoes pub in Hall Green. The smell of baking baguettes and the friendly staff make this little establishment feel like home as soon as you walk through the door. A nice unassuming menu with all the classics, available in a baguette or on white or brown sliced bread. On recommendation I went with the chicken tikka baguette. Served with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and topped with their homemade mint and chili sauce. This is a delightful twist on the classic chicken baguette, and as Birmingham is the 'capital of curry' it is no wonder this is a popular choice. The tikka marinade on the chicken is delicious, the salad brings a welcome freshness to every bite, the chili sauce adds a kick to the ensemble and the mint ensures that it's a pleasant one...all in all a very enjoyable sandwich and at £2.40 it's a steal!

Guest review: Pret a manger, Birmingham. Carrot and Humous Crunch Artisan Baguette

Breaking all the (unwritten) rules of this blog’s ethos this sandwich stems from a big corporate company, Pret a Manger. ‘Ready to eat’ as it translates, is exactly this establishment's selling point. Having only minutes before catching a train I went for the summery ‘Carrot and Humous Crunch’ on artisan baguette, which boasted to have won a prize for fresh ingredients...I hoped so anyway!

The roasted carrots poking out from the baguette swung it for me and on first bite I was not disappointed to find them perfectly cooked and accompanying the chunky chickpea humous deliciously! However the sandwich’s ‘crunch’ element was nowhere to be seen (despite its naming) and keeping faith I assumed its bite was to be discovered further in. Alas, minutes in and still no crunch!

However, the yogurt mayo dressing kept the chewy seeded artisan bread moist and helped balance out the coriander kick running through. The bread itself almost as delicious as my favourite boulangerie dans Paris, was a real treat and definitely worth opting for even if you're partial to a different filling. All in all, for £3.90 (ish, add a little extra for eating in) it's quite expensive, but for fresh and good quality ingredients in a short space of time est pas grave! Bon appétit!

K.S.

Maison Mayci, Kings Heath, Birmingham. GCSE french and beef sausages

After sampling and enjoying the delights of Maison Mayci in Moseley I thought I should try out the original bad boy, i.e. the Kings Heath establishment of the same name on Poplar Road. Just like it's younger sibling it is a very nicely decorated and authentic feeling Frenchy cafe, this one extending the illusion even further when I was greeted by the owner, a real life French man! Anyway...once sitting comfortably on a table in the nice little courtyard, I scanned down the menu, my eye immediately caught by the 'merguez' sandwich, which the description informed me was spicy beef sausage (called merguez) with roasted vegetable and Dijon mustard. TRES BIEN...a delightful sandwich...the merguez sausage was, as advertised, slightly spicy and very delicious, perfectly complemented by the roasted vegetables which were really soft, sweet and slightly oily, just as they should be. The hint of mustard topping the sandwich off. The side salad with new potatoes which comes with every sandwich is always a winner and makes this not only a very satisfying lunch but also a bit of a bargain at £3.90. C'est fantastique!

New York Deli, Manchester. California,New York......via Manchester

New York Deli is a really nice little sandwich place at the top of the oxford road in Manchester. They have a wide selection of classic fillings and a daily roast which varies between beef, lamb and pork with a selection of breads and rolls available. I went with the daily special which was Californian cheese steak. This delightful little number consisted of rump steak (which was fried up in front of me), mozzarella, sweet pickle, grilled onions and homemade coleslaw in a toasted ciabatta. The picture doesn't do it justice as this sandwich was a blooming treat. The steak was superbly cooked, all the ingredients complementing it perfectly; creamy mozzarella, soft onions, really nice coleslaw and the sweet pickle with a welcome little tang. Very nice, and only 3.95, not bad.

Taylor Made, Northwood, London

Taylor Made is a little family run takeaway sandwich shop on Northwood high street in N.W. London. They have a good menu of no thrills classic sandwiches, I went for their chicken and avocado on thick white bloomer style bread. Not a bad sandwich, could have done with a bit of salad but for 3 quid it's not too bad. A nice simple sandwich and the bread was good, soft with a nice thick crust.

Hartenkass, Amsterdam, Part 2- Curry sauce?

This place is so good I thought I'd tell you about another one of their many sandwiches. This time it's the Ajax '04, just as ambiguous a name as the NR.19, it consists of brie, lamb, pancetta, tomato, pine nut, and the menu says guacamole, but mine came with curry sauce (not sure if that was a mistake, but their curry sauce is amazing, don't think chip shop curry sauce, its actually really good), on brown bread, covered in poppy seeds. This is a really good sandwich, the creamy brie and salty pancetta go particularly well together, and the thinly sliced lamb is an interesting element and works well, I would imagine guacamole would be a good touch, but the curry sauce worked well too, and the pine nuts are an ever welcome top off...another great sandwich from Hartenkass!

http://www.hartenkaas.nl/

Singel 404, Amsterdam....OOOOHHHHHHH its good

Singel 404...now this is a sandwich shop and a half..and another half..and another other half.. you get the idea, I like this place..A LOT. It's a fantastic little cafe on the Single canal, Amsterdam. On a sunny day it's nice to sit outside, but tables are few and its always busy so getting there early is always advised. If you do have to wait, DO IT, it will be worth it!

Right, to the sandwiches, they are all amazing but I’m just going to mention a couple, its a tough choice but my favourites are the grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, cucumber and basil yoghurt sauce and the 'single club', which consists of chicken, bacon, old (mature) cheese and the extra slice of bread in the middle. The grilled chicken is particularly good, like most of their sandwiches it is served open; two ridiculously thick slices of bread with an enormous pile of chicken and avocado. It has to be tackled with a knife and fork, trying to turn it into a conventional sandwich would be near impossible! The chicken is the true star of this sandwich, grilled to perfection, ever so slightly crispy on the edge, it combines with the avocado and the sauce for a delightful texture. All in all an incredible sandwich.

The 'Single club' is also a treat, with sticks impaling through the layers of bread-filling-bread-filling-bread, holding the sandwich together. Luckily the bread is relatively thinly sliced and toasted which adds a nice crunch along with the crispy bacon juxtaposed with the soft chicken and cheese. Other greats include the salmon, avocado and cream cheese and the melted goats cheese and smoked chicken. All the open sandwiches are around the 6 euro mark and the clubs around 6.75, well worth every penny. GO THERE

Maison Mayci, Moseley, Birmingham. Bonjour!

Maison Mayci is a lovely little cafe which has recently joined Moseley high street. It is the sister establishment of the cafe on Poplar road in Kings Heath, always a favourite for those partial to a little bit of Frenchy. You're greeted by huge loaves of delicious looking bread stacked up in the window and a counter full of cakes and pastries, which make this place feel like an authentic Parisian cafe...almost, the brummie accent of the friendly waitress reminds you where you are, but we're not here for the French waitresses, we're here for the food...

The menu has many temping French inspired sandwiches, soups, and quiches all at reasonable prices, most under a fiver. Naturally I went for a sandwich, I was drawn to the croque monsieur, such a simple sandwich but done well can be a treat, the menu told me this one had crème fraiche in it which I thought would be a winner, unfortunately so had many others that day and so I was informed by said waitress that it was sold out! Not entirely sure how a cafe can sell out of cheese, ham and crème fraiche, but never mind, onwards and upwards, I opted for the chicken marinated in spinach and mustard sandwich. What a treat...all negative thoughts regarding the lack of croque monsieur vanished as I sunk my teeth into the slightly toasted brown ciabatta-esque bread and then the sublimely creamy moist filling. All the sandwiches come with a little salad and a few new potatoes which really go down a treat and for 4.50 I think it's an absolute steal! Can't wait to try everything else on the menu, especially the elusive croque monsieur...

http://www.maisonmayci.co.uk

Hartenkass, Amsterdam. Service without a smile

Hartenkass is a great little sandwich shop just off the beautiful Prinsengracht canal in the heart of Amsterdam. It has a huge menu full of delightful classics and a few unusual combos.

The first sandwich I am going to review from Hartenkass' menu is the NR. 19. Despite it sounding like R2D2's love child it is in fact a chicken, bacon, avocado sandwich with lettuce and pine nuts. I opted for a brown seeded roll (as the day goes on the selection of bread reduces, so getting there around 1ish is the best). Now for the sandwich....in a word, delightful. The extremely generous fillings which the charmingly grumpy sandwich crafter piles in the sub style roll offer absolutely no disappointment, every bite full of ingredients and not a single bread only bite (the first sign of a terrible sandwich; battling against bread to reach the filling!). At least 5 slices of chicken and half an avocado make for a packed sandwich, topped with lettuce and crispy little bacon bits, a sublime texture is created, creamy smooth avocado, crunchy bacon and a pine nut here and there top this sandwich off as a true great lunch time filler.

Service without a smile, but who cares when the food is this good, who am I to demand a smile? I would have it no other way, I'd take a punch in the groin as long as they keep making sandwiches this good.

http://www.hartenkaas.nl/

Do you like sandwiches?....Do you like the world wide web?...BOOM!...MEGA SANDWICH

Welcome to MEGA SANDWICH, the slice of the internet dedicated to those artists who put stuff between bread and make it so relicious (ridiculously delicious).

Not a lot of people know this but sandwiches were actually invented on the fifth day of creation, Friday, as (understandably) by this time God was flipping hungry, not only had he created light and dark, land and sea but also shit loads of animals and plants! So although the bible tells us Sunday was his day of rest, he did sneak a cheeky little mini break on Friday afternoon. He sat down on a mountain, sighed a deep breath of exhaustion and surveyed the beautiful world he had created; he observed a great white shark chomp down on a baby seal, a lion tearing apart a gazelle and a blue whale going to town on a plankton buffet...naturally this made God bloody hungry. With a click of his fingers he ground down some flour and fashioned some delightful poppy seed ciabatta, sliced up a few juicy chickens, chopped up a couple of avocados, some ripe tomatoes and fresh cucumber, mayo, and finished with a pinch of salt and 'hella' pepper. He chowed down on his new delicious creation and felt revived and ready to crack on...

...and to this day man has carried on this tradition, so simple and yet so many possibilities. This blog is here to celebrate all the great sandwiches of the world, I will do my best to guide you to the best of the best, each sandwich will be marked on various criteria including the quality of the bread, moistness of sandwich, texture, combination of flavours, seasonings and overall deliciousness.

I hope you will enjoy this blog and more importantly enjoy some amazing sandwiches, any suggestions of sandwiches which deserve to be celebrated are very welcome.


MEGA SANDWICH