Hot Pastrami Deli-Style

Hot Pastrami Deli-Style at the Peppermill

peppermilllasvegas.com

A-

So obviously I haven't been to all the delis in the world, or even all the big famous delis, or even all the delis in Vegas. But I've never been to a deli that puts an extra slice of bread in a hot pastrami sandwich. The Peppermill does it. I didn't think it was a good idea, but it worked. It took away from the meat-mountain effect that often occurs in piled-high deli sandwich construction, providing a nice crispy texture in every bite. The downside: the meat in this sandwich was stuffed into the middle, of course, making for an overabundance of bread in your face when you're eating around the outsides. Not a big problem, though, considering this toasty rye was grilled with lots of butter for guilty-pleasure, greasy goodness. The pastrami was sliced thin, lean, and tasty, and there was melty Swiss cheese and a few dabs of mustard-mayo sauce adding moisture and flavor. The Peppermill is fantastic place to eat a sandwich in Las Vegas; you should go and eat this one.

Spicy Asiago Ranch Chicken Club

Spicy Asiago Ranch Chicken Club at Wendy's

wendys.com

C+

Did you ever notice that fast food joints have long-ass names for their food, whereas nice little neighborhood hole-in-the-wall restaurants and cafes have short names for their food like "chicken sandwich?" Just thinking. Of course, I added one word to this title by ordering this promotional birdwich with Wendy's spicy chicken filet, which is pretty good. Not sure if the red peppery seasoning on the chicken goes well with the asiago cheese and creamy ranch sauce, but the bacon is a nice complement. Of course, there's lettuce and tomatoes on here, too. Overall, pretty good for fast food, no matter what they're calling it.

Vegas Club

Vegas Club at Simpo Sandwich

simposandwich.com

B-

Mayonnaise! (That's supposed to be in your best Louis Gossett Jr. voice.) Yeah, that's a lot of mayo on there, and you know we're not big fans. But check it: that's a lot of turkey on there, too ... thick sliced, smoky turkey, making for a very respectable take on the traditional club. Also, there's crispy bacon, American cheese slices, plenty of crisp lettuce and tomatoes on whole wheat bread. Pretty straight-ahead stuff, and we'll take it. Simpo is a pretty straight-ahead sandwich shop, and you need to have one of those in your neighborhood. Hopefully downtown Vegas will patronize this joint enough to keep it around.