It's back-to-school time, which for me brings back memories of my mom's sack lunches. One option: bologna and American cheese, with a little bit of mayo. The other: PB&J. By the time I ate them for lunch, both would be lukewarm and a tad soggy. Suffice it to say, they weren't my favorite.
But there are classic sandwiches I still enjoy from that era: grilled cheese, BLT and, best of all, a cold turkey sandwich comprised of Thanksgiving leftovers.
These days, sandwiches have gone to another stratosphere. Homemade bread and condiments. House cured meats. Piles of creative fillings.
For the past month or so, I've tasted my way through sandwiches in Rochester. Many selections were recommendations from readers of my RocFlavors newsletter.
I've come to the conclusion that a good sandwich is as much about engineering as it is about flavors and textures. You should be able to pick it up and eat it with two hands. For that to be possible, the bread needs to be sturdy enough to support the fillings. At the same time, the bread shouldn't overwhelm.
My exploration didn't encompass burgers − we did those in May. Nor did it cover hot dogs, which we covered in July. I also stayed away from breakfast sandwiches, wraps and subs, which are categories of their own and likely will surface in the future.
See our photo gallery above for more tasty sandwich options in Rochester.
Fare Game Food Co., owned by Barry Kucker, has been selling meats at the Rochester Public Market for almost 25 years. For the past decade or so, he's been serving hot pastrami sandwiches only on Saturdays. They are perfection in their simplicity: uber tender pastrami piled on soft rye bread, accented with just a smear of Golden's deli mustard, served alongside a couple of dill pickle chips. Find the sandwiches in the B shed (the indoor shed) on Saturdays beginning at 9 a.m. He sells them until 1 p.m. unless he runs out sooner.
I love meatball subs but they are awkward and messy to eat. Wildflour, at 620 North Winton Road, has solved the unwieldy factor and also added a cheffy spin to the classic. It forms its meatball mix into a patty and then gives it the cutlet treatment − breading it and frying it until crispy. It's served on their naturally leavened sourdough focaccia and topped with pancetta, agrodolce (a reduced sweet-and-sour Italian condiment), arugula and lemon mayo.
JensArtisan, at 686 North Winton Road, specializes in naturally leavened breads. Sandwiches are a more recent addition, and it makes a different lineup each week. A toothsome baguette spread with herbed chevre from Lively Run Goat Dairy and topped with neat rows of thinly sliced local cucumbers reminded me of something you'd eat while sitting along the banks of the Seine River in Paris. Not that I've actually done that, but isn't it cool that a sandwich could take you there?
Jordan River, a newish Middle Eastern café at 680 Monroe Ave., serves open-faced sourdough sandwiches that are beautifully presented on oblong wooden plates. You can order a single or double open-face. I enjoyed the labneh (thick strained yogurt) and zaatar (Middle Eastern spice blend) sandwich, which was topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and arugula and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Know that this is not the place to go for a quick lunch; the food takes longer to arrive than at other sandwich spots. But while you're waiting, you could nibble on one of their amazing warm chocolate chip cookies.
Is it possible to improve on the classic BLT? I'm not sure you can, but the spicy fried egg BLT at Melo Coffee and Kitchen is delicious in its own right. To the usual trio it adds a fried egg (not runny), spicy tomato jam and jalapeño mayo. It's more flavorful than spicy. Bonus: you can enjoy it at one of Rochester's quintessential outdoor dining locations at 696 University Ave., at the triangular intersection with Atlantic.
Several readers mentioned Chick Magnet as their favorite sandwich spot, but there wasn't a consensus favorite as to which fried chicken sandwich is best. I lean toward The Chick Mi, a spin on the Vietnamese sandwich bánh mì. A fried chicken cutlet is piled with pickled vegetables, lettuce, Sriracha mayo, cucumber and cilantro. My quibble in general is that generous fillings make their sandwiches hard to handle, but that's preferable to a sandwich with skimpy fillings. Locations are at 2747 West Henrietta Road in Brighton (near Henrietta) and 1794 Penfield Road in Penfield.
Leo's Bakery and Deli is a popular destination at 101 Despatch Dr. in East Rochester; its bustling cafe serves a large assortment of sandwiches. My personal favorite is the ham turkey club panino, a pressed sandwich made with turkey, ham, bacon, Cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, banana peppers and mayo. It's not a looker but it sure is tasty. Bonus: its panini come with a large cookie.
Mama Lor's Cafe, a popular restaurant with two locations in Webster, smokes its own pastrami. Thick slices are surrounded by melted Swiss cheese and Carolina-style coleslaw on grilled rye bread to comprise The Untraditional Pastrami sandwich. Locations are at 1891 Ridge Road and 1319 Lake Road, both in Webster.
Fox's Deli has a storied history that dates back to 1929 in New York City; it moved to Rochester in 1943. It is well known for its Reuben, made with the classic combo of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on grilled rye bread. What's differrent about theirs is that it comes in 1/2-pound, 1-pound and 2-pound versions. Fox's Deli is at 3450 Winton Place in Brighton.
When Chick-fil-A came to town, I did a taste test of fast-food chicken sandwiches and found them all unremarkable. But that changed with the arrival of Dave's Hot Chicken. Their sliders are the perfect conglomeration − a soft, slightly sweet toasted bun, a chicken tender made with your requested amount of heat (err on the side of caution), a fresh kale slaw, a thick pickle chip or two, and creamy Dave's sauce. Yeah, the long shape of the tender doesn't really fit the bun but that's a quibble. Locations of this national chain can be found at 942 Jefferson Road in Henrietta and 1267 East Ridge Road in Irondequoit.
I've covered as much ground as I can but I still have a list of sandwiches I'd like to try. Among them:
The Southern Pig Steak Sandwich at The Peppered Pig, a French restaurant at 1759 Empire Blvd. in Penfield. It has grilled teres major steak along with arugula, peppadew cheese spread, champagne onions and chipotle bacon on a salted hoagie.
The porchetta sandwich at Rocco, 165 Monroe Ave. It's a legendary special on some Fridays at lunchtime; I just can't seem to get there when it's offered.
The Pot Roast Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Shamrock Jack's Irish Pub, 4554 Culver Road in Irondequoit. This was recommended by a reader. Pot roast and grilled cheese - what could be bad about that combo?
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the past 11 years. Have a sandwich to recommend? Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Where to get 10 of Rochester's best sandwiches | Exclusive