Grab a Bite: National Sandwich Month in the D

By: Toni Cunningham | August 1, 2014
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If there’s one food everyone loves, it’s the sandwich. There are so many varieties, it really doesn’t matter whether you’re a vegetarian or carnivore, prefer white or rye, or like American instead of Swiss. Now is the time to celebrate the joy that a simple sandwich can bring, because the month of August is National Sandwich Month!

We’ve featured plenty of sandwich articles on “In the D,” covering everything from wrap sandwiches to submarines. Go ahead and pick your favorite type of sandwich from the list and you’ll find somewhere to grab one locally. No fork or knife necessary!

Sub sandwich 

Dagwood’s Deli, 33179 Grand River Ave., Farmington, has a menu full of “Grub on a Sub,” which is an original moniker for a foot long submarine sandwich. Your choices include a Southwest Sub (smoked turkey with havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper rings, guacamole and horsey sauce on a grilled roll), Steak & Cheese Sub and Vegetarian Sub (havarti and Colby cheese with lettuce, tomato, olives, mushrooms, sprouts, onions and Italian oil on a grilled roll).

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There are plenty of other choices at Dagwood’s besides sub sandwiches, like pita wraps, roll ups, bagel “samiches” and specialty sandwiches on various types of bread. Even if you stray from the sub options, you won’t be hungry or disappointed.

Philly cheesesteak

Troy Deli, 3293 Rochester Rd., Troy, has been slapping together sandwiches for over 20 years, including the famed hot Philly cheesesteak sandwich. There are five different options, including Joe’s Original Cheesesteak (thinly sliced steak with grilled onions, melted mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and dressing), Pizza Cheesesteak (with pizza sauce, grilled onions, melted mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and dressing) and Chicken Cheesesteak (strips of grilled chicken with grilled onions, melted mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and special dressing).

Sandwiches come in whole and half sizes, but if you ask me, what’s wrong with having half of a Philly Cheesesteak leftover for later?

Grilled cheese

One Eyed Betty’s, 175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale, is open for dinner only during the week, so keep that in mind when you’re craving a grilled cheese. The Ridiculously Good Grilled Cheese (that’s what it’s actually called, not my nickname for it) can be found under the Handwiches section of the menu. It’s made with fresh Italian bread, plenty of cheese, and is served with a side of French fries and tomato jam. After trying out this tomato jam, you’ll turn your nose up at plain ol’ Ketchup for the rest of your days.

Chicken salad sandwich

Zingerman’s Deli, 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor, seems like it produces more sandwiches than humanly possible. The chicken sandwich selection includes Mary’s Commute, a chicken salad made with Amish chicken, mayo, onion and celery, served atop challah bread with strips of applewood smoked bacon, lettuce and more mayo.

You can order your sandwich Nosher Yiddish (for the “small eater”) or Fresser Yiddish (for the “big eater”). The former is served on slightly smaller slices of bread with just a touch less meat and filling inside.

Corned beef sandwich

Louie’s Ham & Corned Beef, 3570 Riopelle, Detroit, is located in Eastern Market. Louie’s famous options include the traditional Reuben sandwich grilled on rye bread and topped with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. The Combo Delight is a jazzed up version of a Reuben, and it’s stacked with pastrami, corned beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Thousand Island, served on grilled rye bread.

Louie’s Delight is pretty similar, consisting of corned beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing. Make it a deluxe with two choices including fries, coleslaw, soup or salad.

Pretzel sandwich

CK Diggs, 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills, promises that it’s “not your average bar and grill,” and I am here to attest to that fact. If I were only allowed to eat one kind of sandwich for the rest of my days, it would most likely be a pretzel sandwich—and CK Diggs has a good one.

The Chipotle Turkey sandwich includes smoked turkey, applewood bacon, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, shredded lettuce and chipotle mayo on a pretzel bun. The sandwich is sky high and doesn’t skimp on any of the ingredients. It’s served with a side of pasta salad, or you can upgrade to fries, onion rings or sweet potato fries for an additional charge.

Vegetarian sandwich

Russell Street Deli, 2465 Russell St., Detroit, has plenty of signature sandwiches, including a ton of vegetarian selections. Seriously, if you don’t eat meat, you’ll find plenty to choose from here. While there are tons of options, definitely try the Avocado sandwich, which includes sunflower sprouts, Swiss cheese, fresh veggie mix, lettuce, tomato, homemade ranch and, of course, avocado, on whole wheat bread.

The deli has tons of other choices, including a Meatless Reuben, Egg Salad and TLT (made with tofu).

National Sandwich Month is a great opportunity to sample some of the greatest sandwiches in the Metro Detroit area—not that you ever need an excuse to do so. Don’t forget the side of chips!    

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