Bob's Sandwich Challenge: Round 4

For those of you who haven't been spending time in Boston for the last few weeks, it's been really f***ing hot; hot enough that eating a warm sub is less than appetizing so we've been focusing on some of the warmer weather sandwiches (read: lighter, cooler, less sauce and cheese).

Today's battle? Smoked Turkey Breast vs. Plain Turkey Breast! And please, I don't want to hear any guff from you readers. I know this isn't the most exciting battle but a good, cold turkey sandwich on a hot day? Amazing.

Smoked Turkey	Plain Turkey

Look at those beauties? Don't you want to sink your teeth in?

Smoked Turkey	Plain Turkey

In the end, we gave the victory to the Smoked Turkey but I'd be happy to eat either of these sandwiches again any time. Bob's really gets the quality out by freshly slicing the meat as you order and piling it on. This isn't that gross, slimy deli meat you find some places but is actual meat, from an actual turkey.

Yum.

Bob's Sandwich Challenge: Round 3

Check me out! I'm eating sandwiches! At this rate, it'll only take us 3 or 4 years to declare an overall victor in Bob's Sandwich Challenge. Life is hard.

Todays battle brought together two strong contenders: Roast Beef vs. Proscuitto and Mozzarella. Proscuitto and Mozzarella happens to be my favorite Bob's Sandwich so far but Roast Beef is an old favorite too. We topped the Roast Beef with all toppings (except onions) and got the Proscuitto and Mozzarella as is (with tomatoes, basil, and some olive oil).

Roast Beef	Proscuitto & Mozzarella

The Roast Beef was pretty amazing. A bite by itself revealed that Bob, in fact, does know his meats. The beef was perfectly cooked and still moist with that really great taste that comes from fully cooked but still slightly rare Roast Beef. It was only enhanced by the tang of the pickles and the spice of the hots - my favorite bites consisted of a little bit of it all to really bring all the flavors together.

Roast Beef	Proscuitto & Mozzarella

But, (and it's a big one!) every time I transitioned from the Roast Beef to the Proscuitto and Mozzarella, it was like taking a step towards heaven. There's just something magnificent about the combo of the salty Proscuitto, creamy mozzarella, acidic tomatoes and fresh, delicious bread. It's light but tasty and I just want to eat it all the time.

In the end, we gave this round to Proscuitto and Mozzarella. No one is surprised that I chose that sandwich but I was intrigued to see how Nate netted out here. While he may not have been quite as emphatic about the heavenly characteristics of the Proscuitto and Mozzarella, he too agreed that it's near sandwich perfection.

Bob's Sandwich Challenge: Round 2

Happy Memorial Day Dear Readers! A very happy holiday found Nate and myself at Bob's Italian Food Imports once again for the resurgence of Bob's Sandwich Challenge. According to our pre-determined sandwich bracket, Round 2 found the mighty Meatball Parm facing off against the underdog Seafood Salad. Anticipating a win in favor of Meatball Parm, we camehome with a small Meatball Parm and only a roll of the Seafood Salad.

Though I don't want to spoil the results for you, I will tell you that the Meatball Parm was pretty delish - the meatballs are mighty and nicely browned, clearly homemade. I prefer a bit more sauce on my Meatball subs but this one wasn't hurting for much. The Seafood Salad too was pretty good. It surprised both of us when Nate actually finished off his half of the roll. From what I can tell, the Seafood Salad is comprised of some shredded "crab" (probably whitefish) with chunks of lobster and crab in a mayo dressing. They do a really good job of n

ot letting the seafood get overwhelmed by the mayo (as is always the risk) but the shredded "crab" was mostly distracting - not adding much to the sandwich expect bulk. The sandwich was much improved by the addiction of tomatoes, pickles, and hot peppers - adding the contract between salad and condiments that made both that much better.

I admit we'd both sort of written off the possibility of a Seafood Salad victory but it put up a fight.

In the end, we had to go the route of meat and cheese (shocking) as the Meatball Parm was pretty damn good.

The contenders:

Meatball Parm		Seafood Salad
Meatball Parm (cross)		Seafood Salad (cross)

Bob's Sandwich Challenge: Round 2... Er, Cake

I know what you guys are thinking. That looks like a cake, not a sandwich. You're very astute.

Nate and I are still pursuing the Bob's Sandwich Challenge but sometimes... the best laid plans and all that jazz. Yesterday, instead of heading into Medford for Round 2, we headed down to CT for some exciting family togetherness. An impromptu barbecue resulted in two very full people with no room for sandwiches.

The good news? I got an early birthday cake (funfetti is my fave - see above!) and we'll be ready for sandwiches next week.

Do not despair!

Bob's Sandwich Challenge: Round 1

For those of you who don't know Nate (or me!) personally, you might not know how much sandwiches are loved in our household. I'll admit that Nate's love of sandwiches makes mine look trivial but still, sandwiches are pretty fantastic.And for those of you who didn't go to school in, live in, or work in Medford, MA, you might not be aware of the haven that is Bob's Italian Foods Imports. Bob's is amazing and authentic; with amazing food cooked on site, every type of olive you could want, a vast assortment of imported Italian goods and... the sandwich menu. OH, the sandwich menu.

In the new house (see: We Love.. the Journey?) we're even closer to Bob's than we were before and it's led to frequent visits and the birth of a fantastic idea.

I present to you, the Bob's Sandwich Challenge - a bracket style assessment of ALL of Bob's sandwiches to find the ultimate winner. Okay, I know what you're thinking - these kids have too much time on their hands - but seriously, the menu has 48 sandwiches on it. LOVE.

We started the tournie off last night by comparing the Italian Deli Combo with the Deluxe Imported Italian Combo (the rest of the pairings were determined at random by assigning numbers to each sandwich and then using a random integer generator). This round was fairly easy for us to determine - both Nate and I preferred the Deluxe Imported Italian Combo with it's 4 meats (compared to 3 in the Italian Deli Combo) and prosciutto (oh how I love thee). Future rounds will be trickier as Nate and my personal preferences come to light but it'll be interesting to see which sandwich wins out. Stay tuned for weekly battles.

For now, Round 1 goes to the Deluxe Imported Italian Combo.

Some pics:

Deluxe Imported Italian Combo	Italian Deli Combo
Deluxe Imported Italian Combo	Italian Deli Combo