The humble sandwich…read more
It's come a long way.
Who remembers baloney? Those weird little perfectly circular processed meat slices Oscar Meyer tricked a couple of generations of Americans into feeding their children. For much of my childhood, that's what a sandwich was. Processed meat slice, processed cheese slice, mustard or mayo, safely nestled between two slices of perfectly square bread.
Seriously, what was with all those perfectly symmetrical food stuffs? Did we think it was the future? The less food like our food looked, the more amazing and sophisticated it was? Perhaps these sandwiches were a remnant of that 1950's mentality, not a kitschy revival like hoop skirts and gas guzzling automobiles, but a nefarious vestigial element that had been there all along.
I ate those baloney sandwiches, but I'm not quite sure when the sandwiching world got turned upside down. Sure, they had always been those renegade restaurant sandwiches. Your monte cristos, and your clubs. Maybe in some sinful metropolitan areas some deviant homosexual artist types had been experimenting, but I swear one day advanced sandwichery suddenly exploded into the suburbs and other parts of "real America".
What was this thing claiming to be a sandwich? It's bread wasn't square, and it had "texture" and "flavor"! I hear there might actually be nutrients in it! What's an aoili? Who on earth started putting sprouts and avocado on everything?? What is this non circular meat like substance in the middle?
The earliest incarnation of this I can recall was schlotzsky's deli. That was just a premonition; I don't think the thing had fully gained steam yet. I don't really remember when it did, but you can guess it was a couple years before Arby's started selling "market fresh sandwiches", Wendy's started selling "Frescata sandwiches" and I think even McDonald's is in on the act.
My point (if I have one) is that sometime in the past ten years, the common conception of what a sandwich is has changed in this country.
So when I walked into M Deli looking a quick lunch I could grab and eat later, and I had certain expectations. Sure, these were pre-made, wrapped sandwiches. I wasn't looking for a Piccasso, but the sandwiches were located between the sushi and the hummus, forgive me for getting my hopes up! I grabbed a turkey and hoped for the best.
Oh dear.
Little did I know I had just picked up a time warp.
Squishy, perfectly square bread. Four or five slices of compressed turkey like substance. A perfect little square of American cheese, and a flimsy single layer of sickly looking lettuce.
I have bought better sandwiches from GAS STATIONS. M Deli, you have brought shame upon the name "deli" and punctured my delicate fantasy that perhaps we as a nation had collectively made some progress, if only on so minor an issue.
