Retirement on the Road – Part 3 of 3: Have Food? Will Travel.
Traveling can be even more fun when you get to discover something new along the way, especially if it’s tasty.
Before starting our exploration trip of the Western United States, my brother-in-law, Paul, sent us a list of Food and Wine Magazine’s 2021 Best Sandwiches in every state. We thought it would be fun to try the recommended sandwiches if we were passing through the proprietor’s location.
It happened that we cruised through Boise during lunch time and located Idaho’s entry, Cobby’s Sandwich Shops, in a little strip mall in the ‘burbs with plenty of parking for our RV.
The store’s dark-wood-paneled walls were graced with numerous plaques commemorating the public’s vote for Cobby’s as the No. 1 sandwich shop through the years. The build-your-own sandwich menu was loaded with your choice of Italian meats, various cheeses and toppings. Stepping up to the five-foot-tall counter gave me just two inches to peek over the top and shout my order to the sandwich artisans on the other side of the barrier. The sandwiches were stuffed with flavorful meats and the right proportion of toppings. The bread was soft, chewy, and we could taste why they were popular.
Kansas took us to a two-story grouping of repurposed freight containers in search of Bierock, the sandwich. Prost Biergarten in Wichita is known for the best buns in the state. Inside, one of its walls was lined with German beer steins in locked cases. Patrons can buy a stein for a year. Then, every time you come to the restaurant you can fill it for a discount and enjoy it with brats and Bierock, a heavenly yeast roll filled with meat, cabbage, onions and spices. Delicious. The owner immigrated from Germany years ago and brought the flagship German cuisine with her.
The most unique sandwich was at Crown Burger in Salt Lake City, Utah. This family-owned restaurant serves up the biggest double-patty cheeseburger topped with expertly-seasoned pastrami, all bursting out of the paper wrapping. If the mega-burger is not enough to awaken your taste buds, the french fry condiment will have you licking your fingers clean. Come hungry, as you will leave not wanting to eat for a day or two.
We scoped out Pikes Place Market in Seattle, Washington, and the legendary Market Grill for their Blackened Salmon Sandwich, served on a baguette with herbed aioli and grilled veggies. We sat outside under an umbrella table while a light drizzle fell on the Saturday shoppers and enjoyed the crunchy baguette with the pillow-soft inside containing a large piece of perfectly-cooked salmon topped with lettuce.
Leave it to the locals to steer you toward great food. We struck up a conversation with a guy in Arkansas while at a AAA baseball game. He travels the world for his job and mentioned that we needed to try an onion burger, as it was the best burger he had ever eaten. So, while in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we did just that. We located Society Restaurant and tried their famous Onion Burger. Strings of grilled onions were worked into the patty before grilling the meat, similar to a smash burger with onions. It may not have made Food and Wine’s Best Sandwiches list, but we felt it worthy of an Honorable Mention.
By Faith Jones
Resident Community News
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