Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Grand Lux Cafe

grandluxcafe.com

C+

Like its sister restaurant (which is more aptly named), the Grand Lux Cafe is a food factory. The menu is outrageously huge, the place is a well-oiled machine and the food is typically pretty good and served in way-too-big portions. And this sandwich, also, is well-oiled, pretty good and way too big.

Braised short ribs are a menu favorite all over Vegas, and so it was hard to pass up this lunch option. It combines the succulent, slow-roasted beef with a melty but unidentified white cheese and not enough carmelized onions, served on grilled white bread. The ingredient the menu description does not include is butter, as there is a shit-ton of it grilled into the bread. That's okay, as butter is usually the secret to a top quality grilled cheese. Problem is, there's not enough cheese. I'm all for throwing some meat -- especially short ribs -- into your grilled cheese sandwich, but let's keep the proportions proper, huh? Overall, this sucker is very rich, very filling, and completely unnecessary. Balance is tricky, and you're probably not gonna find it in a food factory like this.



The Vito

The Vito Sub at Jimmy John's

jimmyjohns.com

B+

In my getting-less-humble opinion, this sub is the best sandwich on the menu of the best monster sandwich chain around. Jimmy John's is just solid stuff: the bread is fresh and great, the meats and cheeses are high quality, and they throw it together in a quick and classic way.

Speaking of classics, this Italian sub has a traditional meat mix of Genoa salami and just-spicy-enough capicola. (Actually, the cappy is a little sweet and a little spicy.) There's smooth provolone cheese, onions, tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce and a tangy vinaigrette to bring out the best in the veggies. Like most everything at Jimmy John's, I highly recommend you order the Vito with hot cherry peppers, which add a powerful vinegary kick. An Italian sub is a beautiful thing, and it's pretty good every time at Jimmy John's.

Reuben

Reuben at Zoozacrackers

wynnlasvegas.com

C

Yes, most everything you'll eat inside Wynn Las Vegas is ultra-delicious and fancy. Does that include this little deli stop near the sportsbook? Eh. Fancy, yes. Ultra-delicious? How about just slightly tasty?

Actually, this half-reuben was solid, unspectacular, and just a little boring. So ... definitely not living up to the Wynn standard. Riding on toasted seedy rye bread, you've got Swiss cheese, some pretty bland, kinda fatty corned beef, crisp, cool sauerkraut that really falls somewhere between typical 'kraut and coleslaw, and Russian dressing with a bit of a bite. Horseradish, perhaps? The bread was the best part. The meat just didn't bring it. I don't care if there's 'kraut or not, a deli sandwich has to be all about the meat.

It's kinda funny ... Wynn is one of the best hotels for food on the Vegas Strip, but the best sandwich spots on the boulevard (Carnegie, 'Wichcraft, Burger Bar, Canter's) are in hotels with lesser overall culinary acclaim.

Famous Star

Famous Star with Cheese at Carl's Jr.

carlsjr.com

D

Ugh. I gave in, finally. It wasn't a fast food urge that forced me to succumb, it was the damn Carl's Jr. they just opened across the street from my house. I was in a rush, there it was, no line at the drive-through. I'm a sucker. Damn you, fast food convenience. You are evil.

Carl's Jr. burgers, like their counterparts at Burger King, are better tasting than the average fast food burger due to charbroilyness. But this, the standard cheeseburger on the menu, is woefully inadequate in the flavor department. American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, special sauce and mayo on a sesame seed bun ... that's how you make a Famous Star. That's how you bore me to death. Of course, Carl's is home to the crazy "Six Dollar Burgers," which may contain anything from portobello mushrooms to guacamole. But I just can't get excited about this menu or this burger. I'll try my best not to return.

Pastrami, Vol. 1

Pastrami, Vol. 1

homemade

A-

What if you lived in a city famous for its spectacular food, but none of that food was actually from that city?

What if you could eat almost anything you want at almost any time you want, but not everything is going to turn out just the way it should be?

Why is the best pastrami in Las Vegas made in New York City?

Why can't we make our own stuff? Why? Can't? We?

This is pastrami, dry-brined for three days, home-smoked for over three hours, sliced thick and dropped on dill rye bread with (unseen) garlic mustard. The relatively small size of the 2.5-pound brisket allowed the curing process to go bananas, and so this meat is very salty. Eating it by itself, it is juicy and delicious with all the right notes of coriander seed and black pepper until a few seconds in when the salt sledgehammer smacks your buds out your mouth. But on this pleasant, soft, fragrant bread, it's a magical meal, almost balanced and much more satisfying than any of the high-stacked piles of thin-sliced, fatty, pink meat I've eaten lately.

This is one. There will be two, then three, four, maybe more. I'm going to do this. Wanna taste?

Egg, Ham & Cheese on Hoagie

Egg, Ham & Cheese on Hoagie at Snacks at Bellagio

bellagio.com

C

Though it's one of the fanciest resorts in the world, the Bellagio does in fact have sandwiches. More specifically, it has a sportsbook in its casino, and every sportsbook needs a mini-deli or snack bar. The one at Bellagio is simply called Snacks, and the menu is just as simple. Leading off its breakfast (served all day) offerings is this thing, which includes every single ingredient in its name. The soft scrambly eggs, barely melted cheese and shaved ham almost give me a fast-food-breakfast vibe. The only redeeming bit of this bite is a spongy, delicious roll. Also, it's nice, and odd, to have a pickle spear served alongside breakfast potatoes.

If you're looking for breakfast in Bellagio, definitely opt for buffet, cafe, room service or the magical Jean Philippe patisserie.

French Dip

French Dip at Bob Taylor's Original Ranch House

bobtaylorsranchhouse.com
B-

This old school restaurant is known for two things: being hella old, and serving up great big slabs of smoked prime rib. So this is the lunch version, thin slices of that flavorful beef on a nice toasty French roll, slathered in melted provolone and served with salty au jus for dipping. It's a pretty solid sandwich, but as you can see from this cross section, a little extra beef would've been nice. Thinner slices takes away a lot of the fat and flavor of prime rib, but as far as the ordinarily boring French dip sandwich goes, the ranch house does it decent.

Buffalo Pot Roast

Buffalo Pot Roast Sandwich

homemade

A+

Leftovers = sandwich greatness.

Roasting a buffalo shoulder was something of a Thanksgiving tryout. Buffalo meat has great taste considering how lean it is, but could the texture be manipulated to replicate mom's beloved pot roast? Hoping for the best, I brought in a secret weapon: piggy. So this roast went in the magic blue LeCreuset wrapped with slab bacon, and accompanied by garlic, celery, carrots, onions and red wine. The result was soft and tender meat, slightly gamey taste, but an overall lack of succulence. Eh, good try.

But after piling all these goodies on two slabs of fresh sliced crusty French bread, slathered with my shit Boetje's Dutch stone ground mustard, we've got a super winner. Rustic, spicy, messy, hearty, totally satisfying ... especially with the chewy bacon and glistening, fat-glazed carrots riding shotgun. This is basically having a bowl of stew and a chunk of bread, minus the bowl. Accidental ideas rock.

El Korean "Nate" Dog

El Korean "Nate" Dog at HanShikTaco

hanshiktaco.com

A

Vegas' first Korean taco stand also serves up these spicy, creamy, tasty dogs. This weiner is split and sizzled up nicely, releasing its savory delights much more than your typical uncompromised frank, dropped in a toasty bun and covered with some customized Asian-fusion toppings: HanShik's very own spicy-sour kimchi, sriracha-spiked ketchup, a thinner yet still formidable mayo, and the special chili seasoning dust that also comes on this fun food stand's delicious, crispy fries.

If you think this looks delicious, wait 'til you get some of these tacos. The Vegas food truck revolution continues, and it sure tastes good.

The Orleans

The Orleans at Steiner's Nevada Style Pub

steinerspub.com

B-

A juicy chicken breast, seasoned with some cajun dust and grilled. A sweet, also juicy roasted red pepper. A sharp tasting mound of blue cheese. All this on a soft kaiser bun, with lettuce, tomato and red onion on the side. This is not the best sandwich on the menu at Steiner's Pub. It's downright average. But the pepper is a nice touch, blending with the cheese and adding a little unexpected flavor. Little touches like these are the reason why Steiner's is known to have some of the best bar food in Vegas.

The Parma

The Parma at Parma

parmabychefmarc.com

A

Hell yes. We've known Parma Pastavino & Deli as a great little neighborhood Italian joint, but only recently did we stop by for lunch and experience one of the best Italian subs in Vegas. Even more incredible than the taste of this beautiful sandwich is the fact that at six bucks, half of one of these is all you'll need.

Piled on a very flavorful, very crusty hard roll are a variety of meats and cheeses, and the selection could change at the chef's whim. But rest assured all are imported, high quality ingredients like hot capicola, pepperoni, mortadella and classic picnic ham, augmented by provolone and parmesan cheeses. Shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and a red wine vinaigrette dressing are pretty familiar complements, right? But the kicker is a spicy, vinegary spread of marinated olives and pepperoncini, an element that makes an ordinarily delicious sandwich unique to this shop. Bravo. Maybe we'll get a whole one after all.

The Engineer

The Engineer at Firehouse Subs

firehousesubs.com

B-

I don't really understand you, Firehouse Subs. Your sandwiches are fine, large soft rolls stacked with mighty portions of meats, but your flavors are merely ordinary and your gimmick is ... firemen? Because firemen are extra hungry? Or everybody loves firemen so they'll probably love your sandwiches? This franchise was founded by firemen, fine, I get that. But what does that have to do with a delicious sandwich?

There's nothing confusing about this straight-ahead sub. The Engineer has a nice pile of smoked, sliced turkey breast (standard stuff without a lot of smoky flavor), mushrooms, Swiss cheese and your everyday hoagie vegetables. In fact, at Firehouse Subs they call it "fully involved," which means lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayo, onion and a pickle spear on the side. Most sandwiches here come warm, though not necessarily toasty a la Quizno's. They're also huge; a large is at least two meals. The new shop that just opened in my 'hood boasts a nice collection of hot sauces if you want to spice things up a bit. The Engineer is tasty and satisfying, but it could definitely use a few shots of something.

The Bearcat

The Bearcat at Johnny McGuire's

johnnymcguires.com

B+

How come nobody else is talking about this Johnny McGuire's sandwich shop at the annoying outdoor super mall known as Town Square? It's deliciously consistent. Fine, I'll do it.

It doesn't make sense to call a sandwich The Bearcat, but it sounds awesome. Let's agree on that. This is a wheat roll, soft and fresh, and there are fairly normal toppings on board, but the thing that sets this sandwich off is the purple cabbage coleslaw in a barely creamy, slightly zingy sauce. The menu says there's Thousand Island dressing on The Bearcat, but if that's true it must be blended innocently into this slaw. It's the perfect amount of moisture and a very pleasant taste and texture, a crunchy-drizzly dynamic. Meatwise, you've got plenty of turkey and some crisp bacon, with Swiss cheese, tomatoes, onions and green bell pepper balancing things out. Another fine creation from JM.

Half Pastrami

Half Pastrami at Bagel Cafe

thebagelcafelv.com

A

In the case of the traditional deli stacked-meat sandwich, sometimes a half is all you need. Most times a half is all you need. So I usually pair this bad boy with a cup of Bagel Cafe's matzoh ball soup, which is much more food than I need in one sitting.

Bagel Cafe's pastrami is right up there with the best in town, and unlike most deli-type spots, they actually make it in-house. It's sliced thin, juicy with the right amount of fat, and salty with just a bit of spiciness. A dab of spicy table mustard is all you need on this meaty beast, ordered here on simple (also homemade) rye. This is as good a basic pastrami sandwich as you'll find in Vegas, just as tasty as those imported NY and LA sandwich spots as the Strip. And at the Bagel Cafe, you're not gonna take a hit in the wallet.

BLT Burger

BLT at BLT Burger

bltburger.com

A-

Even though the "BLT" in BLT Burger doesn't stand for what you think it does, it's still made up of what you think it is. BLT is another Vegas fancy burger joint, one of the better ones, and its name comes from Laurent Tourondel, the chef originally behind the BLT family of restaurants. I'm not sure if he's affiliated with this burger shop anymore, but it doesn't matter. The burgers are still good. This one has a seven-ounce patty of grilled angus beef, double smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, BLT burger sauce (which is probably fine but I don't remember tasting) and strong blue cheese. Man, blue cheese and bacon go together.

But the best parts about this burger are the bun, a standard issue, soft-yet-firm sesame seeded roll, and the meat, a custom grind of sirloin, brisket, chuck and shortrib. There's probably a lot more chuck than anything else, but it's a nice, fatty blend, full of beefy flavor with a great texture. And even though this one seems relatively unfancy, it's my favorite burger on the menu.

Sandwich Sundays Presents: The Afterparty

The Afterparty

homemade

A-

On Sunday, my first attempt at smoking a brisket was a rousing success. Compliments galore. It was tender if not juicy, rich with smoky flavor and augmented with a crisp, black, sharp and savory crust. Overall, almost perfect.

But my favorite way to eat brisket is in a sandwich, so I put it together Sunday night. This thing, too, is almost perfect, with the delicious beef providing loads of meaty satisfaction with each bite. It's topped by a blended barbecue sauce, spicy and sweet thanks to hickory, hoisin, honey and chili oil, and a homemade coleslaw of cabbage, carrot, green onion, mustard seed, almond splinters and an apple cider vinaigrette. The almost fruity-sweet notes of the sauce and the apple-ish tang in the slaw engage in a flavorful slugfest, and then the salt balance from the beef kicks in ... it's powerful stuff. The only reason this isn't a top-ranked sandwich is the bread. Regrettably, I only had plain-old Italian white bread, and while it's suited to just about any sandwich, it's too soft for this job.

Footlong Quarter Pound Coney

Footlong Quarter Pound Coney at Sonic

sonicdrivein.com

C+

Wifey thought I was going to die from eating this, but the truth is it went down relatively smooth. At about 65 calories and 25 cents per bite, is the Sonic footlong a deal? Perhaps.

It's been years since I've had a hot dog from Sonic, and the previous weiner was so grotesque (and a nice shade of gray) that I swore off these suckers. But the quality of this frank was much improved. The chili, of course, is bad news bears, and it feels a little wrong when the high school girl at the drive-through passes you an extra-long, warm and greasy package wrapped in shiny paper. But Sonic has its merits, and this might be one of them. It's hard not to agree with a giant chili dog and a chocolate shake.

The Raging Bull

The Raging Bull at Cugino's Italian Deli

Across the street from UNLV on Maryland Parkway

B

If Cugino's isn't the best deli and sandwich shop in the area surrounding UNLV, I will be surprised. They do everything here, pizza to pasta to homemade sausage (like these!), and they even have a quality Italian market section of the shop. But terrific sun sandwiches on fresh baked bread has gotta be pulling the students over here.

The Raging Bull is a simple sausage and peppers sandwich, with grilled bell peppers and sweet onions mounted on a pile of Cugino's own spicy sausage. Of course, you can order the same sandwich with sweet sausage, but why? Actually, this meat tube doesn't pack a lot of heat, but there are strong flavors of fennel and anise in this baby, a well-seasoned treat. The sub roll is crispy and delicious.

Barbecued Brisket

Barbecued Brisket on panini at Whole Foods

wholefoods.com

B-

Grabbing lunch at your neighborhood Whole Foods store is always a good idea. With this sandwich, ordered from the relatively quick-serve deli area, I may have screwed up: a wide, flat, chewy, toasty panini probably isn't the most suitable foundation for a nice pile of smoked, shredded beef. But both elements sure do taste good. If your town has some truly great 'cue restaurants, you might not be impressed with the very respectable stuff getting slow-smoked at Whole Foods. But my town is Vegas, and our 'cue could be a lot better overall, and this is decent brisket. The barbecue sauce slathered about was very standard, which is to say too sweet. The fresh, hearty panini, also baked on site, is probably the best part.

The Soft Elvis

The Soft Elvis

homemade

B+

So we're going to call this peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon on wheat bread creation The Soft Elvis because we are under the impression the King's favorite sandwich is supposed to be deep fried. Not sure if that would have improved or taken away from the wonderful salty-sweet, crunchy-yet-soft balance to be enjoyed in every bite. Perhaps a more formidable bread than this standard, kinda sweet wheat would be an improvement. But what it really needed was more bacon, as the powerful honey, gooey peanut butter and rich, smooth texture of the banana simply overwhelmed the three crispy strips of swine. Next time, the bacon will be thicker and there'll be a double layer of it ... and maybe the deep fryer will get some action. Maybe.