Syracuse Sandwich: Jake Hafner's Beef on a Wick

Who: Jake Hafner's What: Beef on Wick
Where: West Taft Road, North Syracuse Phone: 458-5108 Website: Jake Hafner's
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No
     With my dad back in town for the weekend and Christine off to her bridal shower, we decided to meet up for lunch on Saturday. I had been outside working in the yard all morning and had built up quite an appetite. The joys of home ownership seem to be endless but that’s another story for another day. It was my choice as to the location to where we would eat. Many places ran through my head including The Clam Bar, Ling Ling, Moe’s, and Hafner’s. These are all places we don’t frequent much because Christine doesn’t really like them. I, as many of you know, am a dump truck, a trash can, a garbage disposal if you will, when it comes to food. I will eat just about anything and enjoy doing it because I love food. I love the different tastes and textures that one can find. I decided on Hafner’s because they have a huge sandwich menu. Between grilled sandwiches, deli-style, chicken sandwiches, and of course burgers there is a great selection to pick from. We both started off with soup, I had the French onion and dad had the lunch special, which was prime rib vegetable. I had narrowed down the many great choices to two, the short fat guy’s sandwich and the beef on a wick. My dad always gets the beef on a wick and I decided that I would too because I haven’t had one in over a decade. It should be called beef on a weck because the roll it is served on is a kummelweck roll. But the alternate spelling of “wick” is used depending on where you are from. Many from Buffalo, where the sandwich originally comes from, go with wick. Hafner’s is also one of the only places around where you can get sweet potato fries which are always served with maple syrup. Naturally I opted for those over the chips that come standard with any sandwich. However, those chips are homemade so you can’t lose when picking a side to go with your meal.

     The second our plates hit the table I knew I was in for a treat. Now I consider this sandwich a real “man” sandwich because it is just bread and meat. No vegetable toppings or condiments to be smeared on. A little bit of horseradish comes on the side for those who like a little kick. The kummelweck roll that the roast beef comes on is crusted with salt and caraway seeds. This is a nice change from the usual deli-style breads or sandwich rolls. A side of au jus comes in a little saucer to dunk the sandwich in. This reminds many people of a French dip but the beef on a wick isn’t a hot sandwich like the French dip. I’m not sure of Hafner’s roasts their beef in house but it is very tender and cooked to a nice medium to medium well. The meaty beef along with the salty roll are a great combination of flavors. The au jus adds the perfect amount of moisture that would normally come from a spread like mayo or mustard. When it comes to the complexity of physically building a great tasting sandwich this one would be near the bottom. But this just goes to show that keeping it simple doesn’t hurt. The sandwich totally hit the spot and wished I had another to take home to eat later. I guess I’ll just have to stop by a little more often.

Rating: Delicious – Hafner’s continues to be one of the best sandwiches spots in Syracuse.

Cajun turkey from home

     I didn’t take my own advice and find a bakery to buy sandwich bread from. I gave Wegmans another shot and bought a loaf of their marble rye which I have had before. The marble rye at Wegmans is as close to deli style bread as you are going to get. It is a real shame because I love Wegmans for just about everything else. I waited until I got to Spera’s to buy the meat and cheese. Spera’s had a new kind of turkey breast but by the time I got there, they had sold out. No problem I said to myself, they carry a few different kinds of turkey so I went with the Cajun turkey breast by Boar’s Head. To compliment the Cajun turkey I bought some Boar’s Head provolone cheese.

     The provolone cheese had a very smooth milky taste that balanced well against the spiciness of the turkey. I’ve had the Cajun turkey before but not with provolone cheese. The two went well together along with a smear of mayo. Some lettuce and a tomato slice or two would have really made this sandwich complete. The bread wasn’t terrible but I still need to find a bakery where I can regularly buy sandwich bread from. Perhaps even some sandwich rolls…

Syracuse Sandwich: Tully's Wasabi Chicken Sandwich

Who:Tully's Good Times What: Wasabi Chicken Sandwich
Where: 7th North Street, Liverpool Phone: 452-5656‎ Website: Tully's
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     On the weekend days it is very rare for us to eat three meals because we normally eat a late breakfast and then an early dinner. Yesterday was like the rest, only we ate breakfast earlier than usual which ended up causing us to be hungry earlier. By the time we had done the first part of the grocery shopping and gone to get the tuxes picked out for the wedding, we were famished. But before we could eat we had to get to Spera’s before they closed. The whole time we were there, about 20 minutes, we both said how starving we were to each other. When I am as hungry as I was yesterday, I am in no mood to cook. Christine agreed that we should just go out regardless of the fact we just bought groceries. Christine wanted Tully’s, which was fine only we have one close to us that we don’t like. The one on 7^th North is the one to go to not only because it’s better than the one on Route 11 but also because my friends work there. So we took the extra ten minutes or so to drive out to 7^thNorth Street. Upon arrival we found out Ken was just cut but Len was still on so we sat in his section. A basket of popcorn arrived as we sat down and we demolished it to calm out hunger. Christine went with the Tully’s tenders, which is always a good choice. I knew I would get a sandwich, but what sandwich would I get? I’ve had all the sandwiches that are always on the menu but from time to time there will be a new one that only last a few months before being replaced. This flavor of the month was the Wasabi Chicken Sandwich. Well I like wasabi so…

     A grilled chicken breast covered with shredded lettuce and mushrooms came to the table with the top bun on the side. That top bun was spread with green wasabi mayo. I dipped my finger in the mayo just for a quick taste. If you have ever had wasabi, you know it can clear out your sinuses and this mayo was doing just that. From just that little taste I was very excited about this sandwich. I put the top bun on the rest of the sandwich and dug in. The buns that Tully’s uses for their sandwiches and burgers are great. They are soft and thick, but not too thick so when you take a bite all you get is bread taste. The thickness allows the bun to absorb the juices that may come out of the meat. The chicken breast was nicely cooked, juicy and marked with grill lines. The lettuce added a nice crunch to what would be a soft sandwich. So far this sandwich was headed straight for delicious but it would take a great performance by the mushrooms that were loaded on to get there. Unfortunately, the mushrooms fell flat and the chicken wasabi sandwich would not reach its full potential. It’s not that the mushrooms weren’t cooked or that they were dirty or something. They tasted like they were quickly sautéed in a pan with little to no butter or oil until softened. Had they been cooked in even a ½ a teaspoon of minced garlic or sautéed longer in butter with a pinch of seasoning, they would have been the perfect addition to this sandwich. Overall it was a sandwich I will order again but I wish it was a little bit better and it can be with a little help.

Rating: Tasty – Work on those mushrooms Tully’s…work on those mushrooms.

Syracuse Sandwich: Kim's Cicero Diner's Breakfast Sandwich

Who: Kim’s Cicero Diner What: Breakfast Sandwich
Where: Route 11, Cicero Phone: 698-1805‎ Website: None
Parking: Shared Lots Accepts Credit Cards: No Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     We had never been to Kim’s Cicero Diner before this past Sunday because they are cash only and we don’t carry cash with us very often. There is an ATM inside, but working for a financial institution has taught me it is stupid to pay to take out your money. It seems like everyone should know this but most people will eat the $2-$5 charges. Anyways…we got there a few minutes past 10 and it was pretty busy. There were no open tables but there was plenty of room at the counter so we decided to sit there. If you drive by it looks like it would be small inside but the building is very deep and widens as it goes back. Our waitress gave us our menus and brought drinks as soon as we sat down. Christine got the Mexican omelet special which tasted very good, spicy, but good. I ordered the breakfast sandwich with bacon and cheese.

     Their breakfast sandwiches come on toast or a hard roll; I didn’t specify when I ordered so it came on a large hard roll which was fine. Three slices of crispy bacon topped what seemed to be a three egg omelet with American cheese melted on top. Like I said before in the McDonald’s review I don’t really like the scrambled egg patty type thing but this was different. Fresh eggs made omelet style, folded, and put on a roll is a lot better than what McDonald’s does. As you can see it was quite large but I was able to put it down along with a side of home fries. My only complaint was that I had to add a sprinkle of salt and pepper after a few bites because the egg was kind of plain tasting. Overall, I think Kim’s could be our new breakfast spot; I just need to remember to have cash on me.

Rating: Tasty – A fried egg would have been better but I won’t complain.

Syracuse Sandwich: McDonald's Egg McMuffin

Who: McDonald’s What: Egg McMuffin
Where: Route 57, Liverpool Phone: 622-5883‎ Website: McDonalds
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     On the way dropping Christine off to work before I had to work on Saturday, we decided we should grab something on the way. McDonald’s is one of our favorite places to go for breakfast when we don’t have time to sit and order something. I don’t really like the scrambled egg patty type thing they put on the majority of their breakfast sandwiches so I got the Egg McMuffin because that is more of a fried egg. The only problem is the Egg McMuffin comes with sausage and not bacon. Their sausage is okay but no meat can compare to bacon. Every time I get this I wish I got the biscuit sandwich but that comes with the scrambled egg. McDonald’s needs to let people assemble their own sandwiches, but it would slow down the production time so much it wouldn’t be fast food anymore.

     I got two of the Egg McMuffin sandwiches for $3 and just added a drink to make it a meal. Neither of the English muffins was toasted enough to my liking. I like them crunchy and not soft like they came. The egg was just the way I wanted it, they should use this fried type egg for all their sandwiches. If the English muffins were toasted more than I would have enjoyed these more I think.

Rating: Satisfying – I have these before and they were better.

Syracuse Sandwich: Coppertop Tavern’s Los Cabos Chicken Sandwich

Who: Coppertop Tavern What: Los Cabos Chicken Sandwich
Where: Route 11, North Syracuse Phone: 458-1999 Website: Coppertop 
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     My dad got me a gift card to Coppertop Tavern for my birthday which would save me a night of cooking. I had another gift card for Coppertop with $1.82 left on it as well. I thought Friday night would be a good time to use them after a long week at work. We arrived around 5:40 and they said 45 – 50 minutes wait time; we took a menu and scanned it over while we waited. I knew I had to get a sandwich even though Coppertop’s menu has a ton of variety. They make great pizzas and their pasta dishes have impressed us when we’ve had them. They have a ton of appetizers but none that interested us that night. When I read the description for the Los Cabos Chicken Sandwich, I knew this was going to be my dinner. All of their sandwiches are made on hand stretched dough baked daily according to the menu. I love their bread so even if they buy it, I don’t care. Despite the restaurant being packed, our food came out within 15 minutes.

     Did I forget to mention the portions are HUGE? Christine’s shepherd’s pie was the size of a football and my sandwich encompassed the entire plate. In between the crunchy slices of hand stretched bread sat cut up grilled chicken, guacamole, salsa, Santa Fe dressing, black bean spread, and homemade cheese spread. Because of my love of dip-like spreads, I could have eaten this without the chicken and still would have been happy. But with the grilled chicken mixed in, I couldn’t get enough of this sandwich. Only problem was there was so much of it, I couldn’t finish it. After I got through the first half and a good amount of my shoestring fries, I only had room left in my stomach for a few bites of the second half. Christine faced the same problem with her meal so we got boxes and took the rest home. It’s hard for me to dissect the ingredients to comment on each one, due to them being spreads they mixed together. Each on their own may not be great but together they blend for a smoky southwest flavor that is hard to find anywhere in Syracuse.

Rating: Delicious – Coppertop has something good going, keep it up.

Pastrami from home 2.0

     This is the second sandwich I made from home last week and much like the turkey sandwich it was disappointing. I love pastrami on rye with Swiss cheese but when you buy the ingredients from Wegmans, they just don’t compare to getting them at Spera’s.

     Since this was made with the same loaf of bread I made the turkey on I won’t go into it. The Swiss was also the same I used on the turkey so I won’t go into that either. I used mustard instead of mayo but that didn’t help make the sandwich any better. The pastrami was Wegmans brand and I thought it tasted good, not good enough to save the sandwich, but good. It had quite a bit of fat strung through it which kept getting caught in my teeth. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to say the least. Like I said with the turkey, it was okay but I know I can do a lot better.

Turkey from home

     One of my homemade sandwiches from home this week is a turkey sandwich on light rye bread with mayo and Swiss cheese. If you read my last homemade sandwich post, you’ll remember me saying I don’t like Wegmans brand deli items as much as I do Boar’s Head. Well I decided to give Wegmans another try thinking it may all be in my head. I went with Wegmans brand 98% fat free turkey and their Swiss cheese. The light rye bread is from the bakery section and I think this was the worst part of the sandwich. I have purchased rye from them before and it was drier than the loaf I have this time. Normally bread shouldn’t be dry but the loaf I have now is as soft as regular sandwich bread. If I wanted white bread I would have bought some. Like I said before, I need to find a bakery to buy my sandwich bread from.

     Back to the turkey and Swiss, these weren’t much better. I mean they aren’t horrible and I used to eat them as a kid but since finding better quality meats and cheeses, it is hard to go back. The turkey is packed with water which makes it quite wet. If it were not for the mayo, the turkey would ‘”sog” up the bread. The Swiss has almost no bite to it as most swiss cheese does. It is very bland and doesn’t have any holes like one would expect. This sandwich was okay but I know I could do a lot better.

Syracuse Sandwich: Pappas Bakery Haddock Sandwich

Who: Pappas Bakery What: Haddock Sandwich
Where: Route 57, Liverpool Phone: 457-4039 Website: None
Parking: Shared Lots Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     The last Friday of Lent was also the first full day of being on our new computer system at work. Needless to say it was one hell of a day. Luckily for me Christine’s parents had picked up haddock sandwiches for dinner and were saving one for me for when I finally got out. I found out they were from Pappas Bakery in Liverpool, and that was probably the only good news I had gotten all day. Every Friday last year for Lent,  when I was living in Liverpool, I hit up Pappas for a haddock sandwich and coleslaw. But when I got to Christine's parents' house,not only was there coleslaw, but there was also French fries, onion rings, and macaroni salad. Along with some tartar sauce this sandwich is best for the money when it comes to haddock in Syracuse.

     A large golden piece of still crispy fish, even after sitting in the bag for over an hour, was just what I needed on Friday. Pappas gets their fish delivered fresh every Friday morning and only serves their fish on Fridays. I’m not sure what they use for a breading but they don’t use a lot of it, just enough to cover the fish and crisp it up. I appreciate not eating all breading like you would at a fast food place. The fish was light and flavorful and had no greasy after taste. Since they are a bakery as well, as expected they bake their own rolls. The rolls are airy yet chewy and go really well with the crunch of the fish. They aren’t very thick so you get a lot of fish with each bite. The only thing I wished they served with the fish was a lemon wedge but that’s more of a personal preference than the way it should be done.

Rating: Tasty - I wish Pappas was closer to my house,

Syracuse Sandwich: Subway's Turkey on Honey Nut Oat

Who: Subway What: Turkey on Honey Nut Oat
Where: Route 31, Cicero Phone: 69-6700 Website: Subway
Parking: Shared Lot Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     After a long and busy day with our system conversion at work, I knew I wasn’t going to cook so I gave in and picked up Subway on the way home because it is quick and one of the only businesses directly on my way home. I don’t really care for Subway because they use sub par ingredients. Even though they don't use the best ingredients, it is fast food after all so one can't expect much. When I entered there was a line of about 4 people but 2 of them had kids with them so they were getting multiple orders. The two people working moved pretty quickly and I was out in about 15 minutes. I decided to go with a basic turkey sub on their honey nut oat bread. I got shredded lettuce, onions, pickles and mayo to top it off.

     As I expected it wasn't an all time great sandwich but it did kill my hunger for a while. Like I said before they use sub par ingredients and you can tell with every bite. But in the situation I was in and being as tired as I was, I didn’t really care how it tasted. For a Subway sub I guess it was good but I think next time I’ll be stopping at Spera’s.

Rating: Edible - My fault for going there when Spera's is right down the street.