Subway, Everywhere

I can't believe I'm blogging about Subway. So let's just call this an editorial rather then a review. After all I would guess with some sense of assurance that most people in Canada have been to Subway and know all about that familiar smell.

Subway is about fresh ;) if you believe the marketing. It’s about making the right choice in a market deluged with crappy fast food. It’s about sandwich artists. For me it’s the lesser of all evils when my blood sugar levels are in dire lows and there is nothing else around. I rarely eat here. In fact I was lamenting over a couple of past posts why anyone would actually eat at Subway when there are phenomenal options like La Guianda in Kits and La Galleria in Edgemont Village.

 In my case, this time around I pulled into a little strip mall in Burnaby, starving and looking forward to a deli sandwich from a small Italian deli I hadn't been to in awhile. Sadly said deli was under renos and closed. Look there’s a Subway conveniently located in every strip mall in every city.
So, mechanically separated chicken it is. It sort of looks like a chicken breast but there is so much gelatine in this mystery meat press that I think you need to call this what it is a chicken hotdog without the tubing. I try and eat well but I have this weird affection for hotdogs so a chicken dog is not so bad but don't sell it as fresh white meat. And then there’s the bread. Really? What's the ratio of flour to chemicals in this loaf. Take a look at the picture see the way it kind of falls in on itself and you can almost squish it down to nothing?
I could go on but alas I digress. Why would anyone eat at Subway? Because its there its everywhere and we are all most certainly sold on its deceptive "fresh" marketing claims. Until we meet again subway. Yes I will be back.

La Ghianda. Officially my sandwich shop

La Ghianda is an upscale deli / restaurant on Alma kitty corner to its sister restaurant La Quercia on

4^th Ave.



Beef tongue - La Quarcia



La Quercia tops Van Mags best Italian Restaurant List year after year. I just eat there last month but I'm not going to blog about it except to say that it was outstanding. I was there with a group of friends and the chit chat got in the way of serious, yes this place demands serious attention, serious critiquing and serious picture taking. My friend Cristina took one photo of the beef tongue appetizer just because it’s something you don't usually see on menus. It tasted a bit like really fine head cheese. The rest of the dinner was a surprise 7 course meal, served family style.

The surprise was the fact that we actually didn’t order anything; this is chefs’ choice all the way. The table next to us got the same treatment but entirely different food.



This place has its act together.
Our dinner culminated it what was probably the best lamb I've almost ever had.

Ok I said I won't blog about La Quarcia, back to La Ghianda.

La Ghianda is a cross between an Italian deli and restaurant. It has a huge kitchen for a deli and an extended menu. Great looking deli like stuff especially the salumi.  
I'm here for a sandwich. A sub actually, roast beef (perfectly roasted pink middle) on a gorgeous crusty sub style bun. The type of bun that has a thick outer crust dusted with flour that gets all over your face and cloths with every bite but soft chewy airy holiness inside. The holes in the bread suck up the ample amounts of horseradish cream and then this masterpiece is finished with crisp bitter arugula. I embellished my sandwich further by purchasing a bottle of good expensive peppery olive oil and then drizzling every bite so that the green oil filled all the air pockets in the bread. What can I say; I've got issues with olive oil (amongst other things).

Remind me again why people eat at subway? This behemoth at La Ghianda is bigger infinitely better and about a dollar more then a footlong at subway. (if you don’t count the olive oil)
La Ghianda is now officially my sandwich shop whenever I'm in this neck of the woods, unless its a Monday they are not open Mondays WTF they should be open 24/7 as far as I'm concerned.

See you there.