Syracuse Sandwich: Brooklyn Pickle's Cajun Turkey

Who: Brooklyn Pickle What: Cajun Turkey
Where: Burnet Ave, Syracuse Phone: 463-1851 Website: Brooklyn Pickle
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     This is the moment many of my regular readers have patiently been waiting for, for over a year now. I finally had the opportunity to visit what I considered to be the “Mecca” of sandwich places here in Syracuse. Now, re-read that last sentence. If you didn’t catch it, I said considered not consider. Yes Brooklyn Pickle is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about sandwiches anywhere in Syracuse but after my latest trip, I feel the times could be a changing, at least for me. Christine and I had a Wednesday off together recently and decided to go to BP after our dentist appointments before we hit up Books and Memories on James Street. Knowing I was going to a review, I had to decide what the best selection would be to give BP a fair shot at a delicious rating. Two sandwiches came to mind, the Brooklyn Pickle Special and Cajun turkey on light rye. I decided to go for the latter and added mayo, lettuce, and onions. The Cajun turkey isn’t on their menu but when you go in, there are signs on every window advertising it. I’ve had it many times in the past and enjoyed it every time. I can remember BP as my favorite place to go when were anywhere near Erie Boulevard. Anyway, I grabbed a bottle of water, some baked Lay’s, and a small macaroni salad then headed to the “new” seating area to find a booth. I say new because it’s only been there a few years now.

     I unwrapped my sandwich and immediately discarded my complimentary homemade pickles because they are disgusting. I have always thought this and don’t know anyone who actually enjoys them. I only ordered a half because even at that size, they are much larger than any whole deli sandwich you will get in Syracuse. My sandwich was sloppily put together by a girl who was to busy gossiping with her coworkers than paying attention to what she was doing. But it doesn't matter how it looks so much as it does how it tastes so here we go. The light rye bread was boldly flavored and usually goes very well with the spiciness from the turkey but the turkey was lacking heat this time. This lead me to wonder if they just got an under seasoned batch or something. The lettuce and onion were fresh and crispy but were hidden amongst the mayo that was haphazardly spread onto the bread. With each bite the sandwich wasn't getting any better but neither was it getting any worse. I really wished the turkey was spicier because regular deli style turkey just doesn't do it for me anymore. For a deli sandwich it was good and it could have been better if it was put together with some care, but that didn't happen. Like I said before the times are a changing, while Brooklyn Pickle still packs a powerful punch in the deli sandwich world, they are starting to lose grip in the overall sandwich world. I hope that in time, I still think of Brooklyn Pickle when I hear somebody talk about sandwiches.

Rating: Tasty – Only because I’ve had it before and I blame the girl who made it for ruining it.

Turkey on Sandwich Thins from home

    In an attempt to start eating healthier, I decided to forgo regular white bread for my turkey sandwiches that I had last week and try something new. Arnold’s brand makes something called Sandwich Thins which are essentially thin sandwich rolls. When I mean thin, I’m talking a third of the thickness of one slice of white bread per piece of bun. So one bun is just under a slice of bread in thickness which really cuts down on the fat, carbs, and calories compared to regular bread. They make a variety of flavors including honey wheat which is what I opted for. I piled Wegman’s brand 98% fat free turkey on to the bottom bun and topped it with a light spread of mayo and a slice on Wegman’s brand muenster cheese. All in all the flavors were good as they reminded me of the sub I will get if I have to go to Subway (something I try not to do because I hate them but that’s another story). I did find that I couldn’t use nearly as much meat as I do on a normal sandwich from home because the bun can barely contain more than just a few slices. I guess that’s another perk of buying these healthier pieces of bread. By the end of the week I decided that while I liked the Sandwich Thins, they just weren’t for me. I like my bread and since we only get so many years on this earth, I’m not wasting it eating “diet” bread.

Syracuse Sandwich: Wendy's Asiago Chicken Club

Who: Wendy's What: Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Where: Circle Drive, Cicero Phone: 458-1722 Website: Wendy's
Parking: Yes Accepts Credit Cards: Yes Take-Out: Yes Delivery: No

     If you read this blog often, you’ll know that we will usually go to McDonald’s if we’re getting fast food. However, I like to switch it up and go to Wendy’s every once in a while because I love their Spicy Chicken Sandwich, which I’ve reviewed. So when Wendy’s came out with the Asiago Chicken Club, I knew I had to try it. Upon arriving at the drive thru, I noticed you can get the sandwich with the grilled, home-style, or spicy chicken. Naturally I went with the Spicy Chicken because as I have argued in the past, it is the only thing to buy from Wendy’s other than the Frosty. Along with a Mr. Pibb Xtra, a rare find in Syracuse, and some of their new sea salt fresh cut fries, I raced home with my sandwich eager to try what could be brilliance on Wendy’s part.

     Served on Wendy’s signature potato bread buns, a spicy chicken fillet is topped with strips of applewood-smoked bacon, a slice of Asiago cheese, ranch dressing, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. I knew before biting into this possibly great sandwich that it was going to be at least a tasty one. My first bite was a big one just to make sure I got a little of everything. As expected, it tasted good but it wasn't wowing me even with all the extras compared to the regular spicy chicken sandwich. Sure, the chicken fillet was juicy and had plenty of heat and all of the ingredients worked together but I felt disappointed. I think it’s because I built it up too much in my head beforehand. The bacon was salty, the ranch was tangy, and the fresh taste of the veggies took the edge off of the saltiness from the chicken and bacon. The cheese was the most puzzling piece of this sandwich puzzle. I love Asiago cheese and it usually packs a full flavored nutty taste but because of the small, thin piece that was on my sandwich, I barely got any of that great flavor. I finished the sandwich in little time so obviously I enjoyed it to some extent but I wished it had been better.

Rating: Tasty – Even with extras, the Spicy Chicken Sandwich tastes great.