Ample meat, roasted
On Ottawa's Bank Street just up from Laurier there sits Blue Gardenia, a diner-type lunch place. I must have passed it a hundred times before even noticing it. But that's my problem, and a whole other blog topic.
Recently it came into focus, like a 3-D puzzle. Probably a trick of light, or my hunger instinct told my eyes to find me a sandwich place worthy of my appetite. Maybe I blinked at the right time.
The place was packed. I ordered the roast beef sandwich. Fries. Had to wait a little while, standing crowdedly near the till. The staff was nice, unobtrusively friendly. I couldn't really tell who was working and who was just searching for mustard.
The sandwich was solid. Not exceptional, but definitely satisfying. Meaty and warm. Salty, but not puckeringly so. Plus, my Pepsi was ice cold, and the fries were crispy and hot. The peripherals cannot be disregarded.
It wasn't the best sandwich in the galaxy, but I will return to the Blue Gardenia. If I can find it.
2 comments:
Another good, but often overlooked, Ottawa spot for a solid sandwich is Budapest in the ByWard Market. Part Euro-grocery store, part deli, they make big, meaty, custom sammies at a bargoon price.
One of my favourite moves there is to get a smoked meat sandwich with swiss cheese, have them add some sauerkraut and stuff, then get the whole mess heated up - it ends up being more-or-less a Reuben, but at a fraction of the typically inflated "specialty" sandwich price.
I'll have to check that place out. I have to admit, the ByWard Market is an unlocked treasure chest of sandwiches for me. I rarely eat lunch there.
But your recomendation sounds good. I like the loophole of essentially getting a Reuben, but not paying Rueben prices. At Burger King you used to be able to order a cheeseburger with bacon for 60 cents less than if you had ordered the bacon cheeseburger.
60 cents!
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