you know what i am talking about. im talking about that void that can only be filled with meats, cheeses, veggies, and bread all stacked together in different combinations and in different shapes and sizes to form the beloved entity that we all call sandwiches. well i am happy to report that as of know winter break is over and the sandwich quest is back on!
so to start the new year off sandwich quest style i found myself at a loss for where to go. this insecurity and indecision lead to even more procrastination, but then i remembered a couple of wyld childs who are often referred to as 'the colonel' & 'shorty' explaining to me on a fall night at the orioles game that i was insane for not trying the taneytown deli. now im not going to lie, but the name really didnt do it for me. i mean places like grilled cheese & co, or dipasquales, or atwaters just seem to have a little more flare, a little more flash, a little more je ne sais quoi. but alas i found myself at the top of york road near hunt valley, and thats when this sandwich-ian hero decided it was time to again embark on this quest of sandwich enlightenment.
upon waling into the deli ones attention is immediately drawn to the fact that there are no more than 8 tables, the kitchen counter takes up 75% of the floor plan, the menu board is easy 3 feet by 3 feet, and it is littered with more sandwich combinations than any other destination that weve discussed. there is breakfast, platters, combos, clubs, submarines, reubens, toasted sandwiches, and their classic overstuffed sandwiches. wow talk about a torrential down pouring of sandwich options!
im not going to lie, the overwhelming amount of options put me on tilt, and not to mention the holiday sandwich inactivity coupled with the fact that i had zippy companions only made things worse. i was in a near panic. there were people behind me and people calling in carry out orders; i knew i needed to act fast, but could i make a good decision or was i seriously not in good form?
the wait wasnt long, and i decided to eat on premise. the sandwich was a little on the small side, but that could of been expected since it carrys a $4.95 price tag. the roll was toasted on the flat top without any butter, so it was a little dry, but boy was it overstuffed. the meat to bread ratio was seriously out of proportion ... in the diners favor. the roast beef had been shaved thin, thrown on the flat top, and chopped. there was a lot of this chopped beef in my sandwich, but it caught me off guard. i was really hoping that the thinly slice beef would of just kissed the grill ever so slightly then piled together with fresh slices of tomato and meunster cheese that would just start to loosen up and melt once it was introduced to the warm roast beef. my preconceived notion was not to be a reality.
i think that because i had high expectations, because i was out of sandwich shape, because i was overwhelmed with options, and because i was flying solo (instead of getting either 'shorty' or 'the colonel' to come with) i didnt have the best experience at the tawneytown deli. with all of that being said my sandwich was not expensive nor was it terrible. it just didnt meet the hype & expectations of being the first sandwich out of the gate for 2011. but fear not this is why we are on a quest!
