Falafel

Falafel at the Goodwich

thegoodwich.com

A

Just off the top of the dome, I can't recall a better veggie sandwich than Goodwich's beautifully green take on falafel. It's made with fresh peas, loaded with flavor and smashed onto the flat top grill like everything else at the Goodwich—that flat top is magical. The crisp outside texture and tender, almost creamy interior is unlike any falafel we've sampled. Added to the mix is a garlicky chickpea puree, cucumbers and kale coleslaw in ranchy dressing, all layered between that sublime Goodwich toast. It's a bite beyond satisfying, good enough to make you wonder why you stick to plain old meat and cheese between bread.

Sandwich Sundays presents: Provolone Arugula Pizza Veggie Burger

Provolone Arugula Pizza Veggie Burger

homemade

A

Trader Joe's pizza-flavored veggie burger patties are legit. Or at least as legit as frozen soy protein discs could possibly get. They are packed with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese, which actually do get that familiar pizza-ness across when you heat and eat. But go the extra mile, like we did for Sandwich Sundays. Grill them, and melt some thick-sliced provolone on top. Toss some peppery arugula in olive oil and lemon juice and red pepper flakes and pile it high on your patty, and mount everything on a toasty ciabatta bun. We took a solid idea and maximized its deliciousness. This was an easy victory.

Pan Manchego

Pan Manchego at Julian Serrano

aria.com

B+

Okay, this traditional tapas dish is barely a sandwich, and a small snack of a sandwich at that. But it's so simple and delicious, it deserves all the love it can get. A sort of mini-baguette is toasted to crisp, savory perfection and filled with a sauce of fresh garlic and tomatoes plus year-old manchego cheese, that Spanish sheep's milk goodness with a nutty, caramelish flavor that blends so nicely with the acidic brightness in that tomato sauce. The simpler dishes at Julian Serrano are so brilliant, and this is one of our favorites. Think of it as a Spanish grilled cheese if you like, but just be sure to eat it.

Tzatziki Burger

Tzatziki Burger

homemade

B-

It only recently occurred to us that a veggie burger patty—especially one with a bit of Indian spice like this one—is a perfect fit for cool, creamy tzatziki sauce. So we put these friends together on a potato bun with some greens, and boom, a sorta Greekish veggie burger that satisfies. It would have been better with some sort of crunchy, spicy pickled thing on top, but hey, it's a process.

Sandwich Sundays Presents: The Monk

The Monk

homemade

B+

The evolution of our signature vegetarian sandwich continues. We're calling this the Monk because it's an abbreviated version of the Monkey, and also because it's a little more serene and thoughtful. Can a sandwich be thoughtful? We think so. We tightened up the veggie selection to create a balance of fresh flavors and textural variation, and maintained the slightly rich, satisfying foundation of cream cheese topped with sunflower seeds. On top of that, there's a layer of thin cucumber slices, then meaty slabs of heirloom tomato and super-thin rings of raw red onion. On the ceiling: Inglehoffer creamy dill mustard with lemon and capers, a true treasure. Getting everything in one bite happens naturally, and it's quite delicious—sweet, juicy, cool, creamy and crunchy, with just a bit of sharpness from the onion and the rainbow tastiness of the mustard. The only reason this isn't an A sandwich is the bread, which is utterly delicious but too big and too crusty-hard to bite through. A thick and broad French loaf is hard to resist but not the best beast for sandwich building. Maybe we'll try it on a baguette next time. 

Baja Vegetarian

Baja Vegetarian at Sausagefest

sausagefestfoodtruck.com

A

If you're lucky enough to come across the Sausagefest food truck in Las Vegas, attack it. The flavors are magnificently huge, and maybe most impressively, they stay that way if you go the vegetarian route. This is a veggie version of a smoked apple and sage sausage, and every morsel pops with sweet and savory awesomeness. Inside its soft bun, it's topped with the truck's Baja style selections: avocados, tomatoes, onions and smoky chipotle salsa. It's spicy, it's fresh and it's crazy delicious. You'll never know or care that this baby is meatless.

Torta

Torta at Los Chilangos

loschilangos.com

A-

We sampled the grub from Los Chilangos, a food truck and caterer operating in the Seattle area, at the spectacular Sunday farmers' market in Ballard. The true treasure on the menu was the chupacabra quesadilla, combining chorizo and carne asada into a savory, fatty blast of meat bliss. If we would have wisely ordered that on our torta, it'd be an A+  sandwich with ease. But the vegetarian version is beyond solid, a pillowy, slightly toasted sourdough roll filled with hearty black beans, salty, gooey cheese, shredded lettuce, cilantro, onions, and spicy salsa verde. There was definitely a dose of fresh jalapeño in that salsa, giving it an extra kick that cut through the rich layer of cheese and beans. It's the perfect thing to cradle and devour while walking through one of the best street markets we've ever experienced.

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

Grilled Cheese and Peppers

homemade

B-

It's nice to have a garden. The thought of walking out back, grabbing something and eating it is very soothing. And then there's the thought of plucking some sweet banana peppers and pepperoncinis from that backyard garden, slicing 'em and sizzling 'em up with some olive oil, and melting them in-between toasty bread with gooey cheese. And then you take that thought, and you make it real. And then you bite that thought.

Red & Green Veggie Burger

Red & Green Veggie Burger

homemade

B-

Okay, we've got a honey wheat bun smeared with Sierra Nevada Porter Spicy Brown Porter Mustard, a Dr. Praeger's veggie burger patty, a melted Kraft American cheese single, homemade pickled red onion, roma tomato slices, and hulking green bell pepper slices. This was nearly a hit. What do we know? What have we learned in our quest to make a legitimate veggie burger (or legitimize the veggie burger)? We know we've got some winners here, with thick slabs of bell pepper that provide a fresh, delightful crunch, and the amazing pickled onions. Wherever this mission goes from here, these two ingredients will be along for the ride. The fake cheese is not a good match, but it does create a peculiar, real-burgerish bite. But it's guilt by association; it makes you feel like you're eating some garbage when you're not. Lesson learned. Let's keep moving.

Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger

Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger at Smashburger

smashburger.com

A-

The burgeoning Smashburger chain switched up its vegetarian offerings recently, offering a new black bean patty available as a cow or chicken substitute on any of its sandwiches. It's pretty good stuff, too: a soft, delicate, almost crumbly patty with plenty of flavor. They smash it on the grill and quick-cook it, just like they do with their beef burgers. The obvious choice for this specialized faux burger is the Spicy Baja option, with pepperjack cheese, guacamole, fresh jalapeno, lettuce, tomato and onion. The hot-to-cool balance is particularly effective against the lighter flavor of the black bean burger, resulting in an ultimately satisfying veggie experience.

Vegetable Masala Burger

Vegetable Masala Burger

homemade

B

Veggie burgers: not boring. This is Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burger, a vegan patty sold frozen made of potatoes, carrots, green beans, bread crumbs, bell peppers, onions, corn, ginger and a significant bit of spice. It's kind of the filling from a delicious samosa molded into burger form. So it's good, and we don't have to do much to make it so ... just grilled it up and dropped it on a kaiser roll with red leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion and spicy garlic mustard. Just another reason not to hate TJ's.

Sandwich Sundays Presents: The Monkey

The Monkey

homemade

B+

You gotta have a nice veggie sandwich on your roster. You just have to have at least one. The Monkey represents the quest for that perfect combination of vegetables, toppings and bread. It was a real nice try. Almost there.

The bread: kalamata olive ciabatta purchased from the local Whole Foods store, soft, chewy and rustic. The spreads: straight up cream cheese on the bottom, smooth honey truffle mustard on the top. And the goods: sunflower seeds, chunks of juicy green bell peppers, ripe red tomato slices, avocado slices, thin shreds of red onion, and fresh arugula. Overall, a very interesting combination of flavors. The different shape of the bell peppers made for an interesting if not improved bite. We're all about finding new and delicious substitutions for lettuce, and arugula always is a nice, spicy experiment. Maybe there's a better combo here. Stay tuned.

Christy Special

Christy Special at B&B's Pickle Barrel

Pickle Barrel website

B

Every college town should have a Pickle Barrel nearby, a laidback spot with a chalkboard full of great food, a bar, and a giant, somewhat unsanitary bin of grab-your-own pickles from which to snare a salty delight. Getting used to the veggie friendly style of Fort Collins, I opted for a meat-free experiment on my first visit to this beloved shop, and munched down on the Christy Special. Among the grilled mushrooms and onions, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and avocado, and tangy vinaigrette, please note the mound of melted havarti cheese. Havarti really ought to appear on more sandwiches, as its smooth, creamy, almost buttery Danish goodness stands up well against sharp dressings and pickled or vinegary vegetables. I don't know who this is Christy is, or why she likes havarti cheese so much, but I appreciate her good taste.



Red & Yellow Veggie Burger

Red & Yellow Veggie Burger

homemade

B-

The veggie burger adventures continue ... Here we have grilled up an ordinary Boca Burger and tossed it on a fresh kaiser roll, with a little splash of balsamic to wake things up. The colorful toppings include green leaf lettuce, sauteed red onions, roasted sweet yellow bell pepper (out of a jar from Trader Joe's) and a bit of goat cheese. It looks pretty. It tastes good, too, particularly the sweet, juicy pepper mixing with the creamy cheese. The biggest drawback here is the lack of crunch or textural alternatives; when you're eating a veggie burger you need to avoid the possibility of mush. But hey, that's what the crispy pickle spear is for.

The Meadow

 The Meadow at Eddie D's Famous Italian Sandwiches
edsworldfamoussandwiches.com

A

It’s hard to pick a favorite sandwich at Eddie D’s, but The Meadow is certainly worthy of the title. The eggplant on this sandwich is sliced thin and then battered and fried, but it’s the cheese and broccoli rabe that push this delicious sandwich over the top. Thick, sharp slivers of provolone cut right through the eggplant and bread with a zing that brings taste buds to life. The broccoli rabe, stewed in a tomato-y sauce that replaces the usual marinara, brings a unique freshness to the sandwich. It’s a good eggplant marinara, with a mighty kick of flavor and character.

The Philly Veggie Burger

The Philly Cheese Veggie Burger

homemade

B

I know what you're thinking. What's with all the damn veggie burgers? Two things. (1) The wifey is kinda-sorta vegetarian. Not really, but when she was hardcore, she acquired a taste for veggie burgers. Turns out they're not so bad. (2) When you write about rich food, you eat a lot of rich food, and I'm sorry, but I've got to make some cuts somewhere. I love a good beefy burger, but I have to spread those suckers out.

So veggie burgers it is, sometimes, and there's no sense in making the same old thing over and over. You gotta try something new. I've heard of combining cheesesteak with burger before, and I respect that some people might consider a cheesesteak VB as sacrilege. But this thing is mighty tasty. The benefits of a veggie patty over a beef patty are numerous. It's lighter (so you don't die later on that night) and its flavors are not as overwhelming so this patty is going to blend together more harmoniously with other sandwich ingredients. From the top down, we've got quite a bit of grilled sweet onion and green bell pepper, melted cheddar cheese (vegetarian I'll do, vegan I won't), and a nice VB that was cooked in the same pan as the veggies, all on a soft wheat bun. No, it doesn't taste like a Philly, or a burger. It just borrows. And it delivers. This is probably my favorite VB so far.

Spinach Veggie Burger

Spinach Veggie Burger

homemade

B

The typical veggie burger, on a whole wheat bun, is given a subtle makeover here with fresh baby spinach sauteed in garlic and mustard and olive oils, a wipe of mustard, melted cheddar cheese and some nice thick slabs of red onion. The crunch of the onion created a nice texture shift from the softness of everything else, and the slight bitterness and strong garlic notes in the spinach really stood out. Another strong re-invention.

Mac & Cheese Daddy

 

Mac & Cheese Daddy at Johnny Smalls

hardrockhotel.com

D

This is fairly ridiculous. The Mac & Cheese Daddy plate from the new Johnny Smalls eatery at the Hard Rock Hotel actually comes as an order of three sliders, each stacked with a nice rounded pile of deep fried macaroni and cheese, heirloom tomato, arugula and garlic aioli. As a sandwich, it's pure crazy, and highly ineffective. The dry, spongy roll clogs up your chewing pleasure, and there's no trace of the taste of the vegetables or spread. It's all mac and cheese, and while that part is mildly tasty, it's not nearly flavorful enough to compensate for this culinary experiment gone wrong. Johnny Smalls is a fun, intriguing restaurant, a menu full of small, party-ready noshing options. This isn't one of the good ones.

Veggie Burger

Veggie Burger at Shari's Diner
sharis50sdiner.com

A-

You’ll find all the usual veggie burger trappings here, but it’s the little things that make this sandwich stand out. Amid the de rigueur lettuce, tomato and onion, the Shari’s cooks lovingly nestle rings of fresh green bell pepper. It’s such a small addition, but one we haven’t seen anywhere else, and the bell pepper adds crunch and the perfect clean, crisp flavor.

The “burger” patty itself nicely navigates the road between being just another bland faux-meat disc and veering into the land of the overworked, crumbly, handmade veggie burger patties that have started popping up in some of the city’s finer burger joints. It’s flavorful, and the bits of veggie, grain and seeds maintain a nice texture. Have the Shari’s staff throw some sweet potato fries on your plate, and you’re set.

Vegetarian Turkey Sub

Vegetarian Turkey Sub at Capriotti's

capriottis.com

A

At a sandwich shop known for serving arguably the most popular turkey sandwich in the nation, my go-to order features something called vegetarian turkey, a soy-based, non-meat replacement. It’s a head-smacker, I know.

I discovered the Capriotti’s veggie turkey years ago, during the height of a strict vegetarian diet. The sandwich was a ray of light, a beacon of hope, because it was simultaneously vegetarian and delicious. There is something about the specific veggie turkey used at Capriotti’s, combined with provolone, a sprinkling of lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, olive oil and yellow mustard, that just tastes good. So sacrilegious as some might find it, I say with conviction that the Capriotti’s veggie turkey is even better than the real thing. Go ahead, say it: Crazy.