Scott Jamama's BBQ

I love good BBQ and it was pretty nice out last Saturday, so I decided to try and squeeze a few last drops out of summer and grab a nice BBQ sandwich. You could drive past Scott Jamama's BBQ in Tangletown and not even realized you missed it - good thing I know what I'm looking for. The place is a classic dive with only two tables and a little register to order at, but it's swimming with character and the appearance of a serious BBQ joint. I walked right in and all the seats were taken as usual, but since I live right down the street I had already decided to take it home anyways. I ordered the pork sandwich and Scott asked if I wanted mild, medium or hot. No brainer - hot. Scott reappeared a few minutes later and told me I owed $5 and he handed over a foam container that felt like it had a small dumbbell in it. If you pair the enormous sandwich with the cole slaw, bag of chips and soda he gives you, you realize you are getting a crazy deal.

I took the sandwich home and soon realized the generous allotment of pork and sauce quickly overcame the inconsequential bun, and I decided to attack this with fork and knife. The sauce was rich, sweet and hot at the same time. You definitely got the heat in the finish, but the rich pork flavor was sort of lost. I managed to get a few bites that weren't overloaded with the robust sauce ad it was really good. The pork really was pull apart and was cooked to perfection. The bun, as mentioned, was nothing special and was essentially an attempt to organize the pile of swine and sauce.

My Rating: Good, not great. You literally can't beat the deal, or the convenience, but I think you can beat the execution. I would have liked about half the sauce I received so I could get a little more balance in the sandwich. I think over saucing is a common mistake in BBQ and getting less sauce would greatly help the cause here. I'll head Back to Scott Jamama's, but probably not until a very cold day in the winter when I need a jolting reminder of warmer days to be savored.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Corner Table Ham, Cheese and Rustica Baguette

I swung over to Rustica this morning to grab another sandwich from the Corner Table. I arrived right when they were setting the display up and the gentlemen doing so told me they make their own corned beef for the sandwiches. I thought that was a nice little nod to their pursuit of excellence. I settled on the ham and cheese sandwich because it looked tasty and because it featured a smoked paprika aioli,.

The sandwich is composed of a nice crusty baguette layered with Hidden Streams ham and Fenceline Farm provolone. They used some nice buttery bibb lettuce ans smeared a delicious aioli on the bread to make the flavors nice and bright.


The ham was really good. It was firm and think and was closer the the variety you would eat during the holidays vs. what you would pick up at the deli. It wasn't too salty and the marbling of the flesh made it rich and luscious. The provolone cheese was pretty strong and a bit gamy for what I typically perceive as a pretty creamy cheese, but it was a nice contrast to the firm and flavorful ham.
The aioli was really nice and light especially when compared to a standard mayonnaise. It had a serious jolt of lemon which was nice and refreshing, but I didn't catch much paprika, which was a bit disappointing. Overall the sandwich was rich, satisfying and a meal in itself. I really appreciate the fact that Corner Table uses good ingredients and still manages to keep their prices low. The $7.75 I paid for the sandwich was more then worth it and I'll be back to enjoy some of their other creations soon.

Sandwich Rating: Tasty. I'll be back at Rustica several times a year to eat, but I'll want to try something new every time I'm there. The sandwich was very good, but not enough to overcome my curiosity for something different when I return. The sandwiches Corner Table makes to sell there are all quite good and I'd rather keep things fresh before I settle in on a favorite.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Broder's - Caprese Sandwich

I love Broder's Cucina Italiana like I love my Italian Grandmother. It's the perfect place to swing by and grab delicious pizza, pasta, hoagies and a whole mix of Italian favorites ranging from pasta to cold salads to authentic Italian foodstuffs.

I go there quite frequently and enjoy a number of things, and falling into that category are their delicious paninnis. Last night I had the caprese sandwich. Take a fresh, chewy baguette and brush some olive oil on the inside of the loaf. Then sprinkle with some coarse ground pepper and salt. Layer in incredibly fresh basil and some nicely sliced tomatoes, and then, the star of this sandwich: fresh, pillowy mozzarella. It's essentially a caprese salad on a nice baguette.

I enjoy this sandwich and it's a go-to in Lent for me on my flesh free Fridays. Although the caprese sandwich was tasty and light, it's better suited for spring/summer or when you need a nice reminder of the pending warmth in the late winter months. I recommend the sandwich, but as temperatures drop I'll start to favor their South Jersey hoagie or the meatball sub.

Sandwich Rating: Tasty. I'll eat this several times a year and it's a good meal to cycle into my regular trips at this neighborhood favorite.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

The Future

Ok, this is going to be pretty bare while I get it up and running. I'm trying to scratch my itch for good sandwiches, and I feel like the tale is worth telling due to the pure enjoyment I get from tearing into an epic 'wich. I've seen the future, and there will be sandwiches. Stay tuned as I try and kick-start my second endeavor to spread the good word on the Twin Cities food scene.