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HOT STUFF When it comes to sandwiches , some are a delicate affair — think crustless nibbles at tea time — while others offer a hearty helping that fills you up like a plated meal . For example , Orange Inn serves a Holiday Turkey rendition with Thanksgiving fixings like turkey and cranberry sauce , finished with mayo , red onions and lettuce , and a hot-off-the-grill corned beef and Swiss on rye with pickles and onions .
Over at Rye Goods , spring diners will find The Alpine , a hot pressed sandwich on a fresh-baked sourdough baguette with Alpine cheese ( similar to Gruyere ), sauteed alliums ( leeks and spring onions ), house-made creamy pepper bechamel and hot honey . “ This is an amazing sandwich and sold out so fast on launch day ,” Lezama says .
Reunion Kitchen & Drink in north Laguna features quite a few savory sandos , from pulled pork to the Cafe Patty Melt and Prime Rib Dip , which sometimes sells out . The patty melt is based on a recipe that originated at Tiny Naylor ’ s on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood around 1958 . Triple-thick cheddar is served with grilled onions on a special grilled marbled rye ( without caraway seeds ), a side of Thousand Island dressing and a pickle . “ A great sandwich is all in the details ,” says Scott McIntosh , co-owner of Reunion Kitchen & Drink . “ From oven-roasted prime rib to fresh grilled chicken or USDA Prime hamburgers , the protein must be prepared
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properly . Fresh baked bread is a must — we receive it daily from OC Baking Co . All sauces should be spread completely to ensure maximum flavor in every bite .”
The Prime Rib Dip piles on meat that ’ s roasted daily . “ It ’ s wildly popular because we really care about doing it right ,” McIntosh explains . “ It ’ s USDA Prime beef , thinly sliced , rich au jus and then we spread it with horseradish aioli . All served up on a beautiful OC Baking Co . baguette .”
And Reunion ’ s grilled meatloaf sandwich takes this classic up a notch — without the typical addition of ketchup . Warm meatloaf is nestled on Parmesan sourdough with roasted garlic mayo , smoked bacon , American cheese , tomato and shredded lettuce ; grilled onions are optional . “ It ’ s basically like if Krispy Kreme made a meatloaf sandwich — that ’ s what it would taste like ,” McIntosh says .
A grilled tuna melt is another dineresque sandwich at Reunion . The tuna salad comes together with cheddar and sliced tomato on grilled Parmesan sourdough ; avocado and bacon can be added upon request and a hand-cut dill pickle ( the same one used at Disneyland ) is served on the side . Wigz also has a tuna melt with white cheddar , havarti , tomato , mustard and spread on marble rye . But one of Cornwell ’ s favorites at Wigz is the spicy tuna , which ups the ante with pepperjack cheese and a bit of heat ; he prefers this panini grilled on Dutch Crunch bread . Penguin Cafe ,
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opened in the 1940s as a malt shop , also offers a tuna melt while another tuna sandwich variety — with a fun name to boot — is the Lagoona Tuna at Orange Inn , which comes toasted with white albacore and pico de gallo .
And Wigz recently introduced the Rumari ’ s Meatball Sub made with meatballs from Rumari , the Italian and Greek restaurant next door . “ It has been a hit ,” Cornwell says . “ It is first come , first served , so if it ’ s on your mind , you might want to call us ahead to make sure we haven ’ t sold out . [ And ] there will be some
Banh mi sandwiches at Saigon Beach
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LEFT : EMILY J . DAVIS ; TOP RIGHT : CHRISTINA VOGT |
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