LEFT : ASHLEY RYAN ; TOP RIGHT : COURTESY OF ZINC CAFE ; BOTTOM RIGHT : LINDSAY JONES |
DELI DELIGHTS Wigz , which opened over the summer in a former wig shop on South Coast Highway , is solely dedicated to “ sandos .” Cornwell , a former financial planner who grew up in town and managed several Gelato Paradiso shops during college , missed working in the food service industry . And he felt the community was missing something , so Cornwell and his fiancee , Kelly Skvarna , opened Wigz .
“ We have needed a proper sandwich shop in Laguna my entire life ,” Cornwell says . “ Some of the older generation can remember Stottlemyers , but that was way before my time .”
Wigz deli offers combinations like pesto grilled cheese packed with veggies and balsamic , the spicy tuna on Dutch Crunch bread and a hot pastrami , among others . Cornwell believes a good sandwich comes down to “ fresh ingredients [ and ] really good bread .” For the record , Wigz uses bread from Bread Artisan Bakery , whose owner lives in Laguna .
“ The bread is everything ,” Cornwell says about selecting the base for a sandwich . “ It ’ s been a challenge because all of our bread is so good . The main thing I am looking for is how the bread complements the ingredients . When I remake menu items — most recently , October of last year — I really struggle to choose the bread for each sandwich . … A lot of sandwiches will take on a whole new life depending on which bread they come on . The veggie , for example , comes on squaw , but it ’ s also amazing on Dutch Crunch .”
Wigz customers can choose their own
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bread or go with the standard option for each menu item . Or they can select a “ sub in a tub ” to skip the bread completely . Cornwell says another key to a good sandwich is assembling it so that no one element overwhelms the others . “ It can be tricky to balance a sandwich , but I think we ’ ve gotten it down ,” he says .
When asked which items are the shop ’ s most popular , Cornwell has a three-part answer because “ it ’ s not really a fair fight for the top .” First is the Turkey Bacon Avo , “ a California classic … on the ever-popular Dutch Crunch .” No . 2 is the Laguna Italian , a filling combination of meats and veggies topped with housemade Italian dressing —“ It ’ s savory with a hint of sweet ,” he says . No . 3 is the Sir Melvin , “ a local go-to sandwich ” created by one of his friends , Brennen Mulvaney ( nicknamed Melvin ), who helped open the shop . It brings together turkey , avocado , shredded lettuce , tomato , red onion , peperoncinis , mayo , Dijon mustard and Italian dressing on squaw bread . “ Brennen … whipped up a sandwich he remembered from his childhood and made me try it . I think I drooled after my first bite and , thus , the Sir Melvin was born ,” Cornwell says .
Some sandwiches , like the Wigz Grinder , include a house-made spicy cream cheese , which is a flavor bomb that simply must be tried . “ Cream cheese is an underrated sandwich ‘ sauce ,’ in my opinion ,” Cornwell says .
Aioli is also among the oft-used spreads . When it comes to classics , head to Sapphire , Cellar-Craft-Cook for the BLT , which incorporates herb-and-pepper aioli ,
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applewood-smoked bacon , sweet gem lettuce and tomato on artisan multigrain bread .
Meanwhile , Rye Goods downtown offers an Italian Market sandwich with house-made mustard , mayo and pickles , Swiss cheese , shredded gem lettuce , radicchio , heirloom tomatoes , capers , red onion and Italian vinaigrette on sourdough . “ We … will be releasing more and more flavors as the weather warms up and more produce hits the market ,” says Rye Goods owner Sara Lezama .
Additionally , the cafe has a breakfast sandwich that starts with a sesame bagel smeared with chive cream cheese , then layers on crispy smashed potato , an over-medium egg , chives , house-made chile crunch oil and lemon drizzle , proving sandwiches aren ’ t just for lunch .
A breakfast sandwich can also be found at Zinc Cafe with two fried eggs , cucumber , tomato , arugula and pickled onions on a bagel with herb cream cheese . For lunch at Zinc , consider the egg salad , with Tabasco , Dijon , butter lettuce and tomato on whole wheat , or the Zinc Reubenesque with roasted beets , sauerkraut , Gruyere cheese , Zinc sauce and coriander on toasted rye .
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LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE 37 |