Condiment Rants

On another thread, GWiv wrote:...lettuce of any kind on corned beef is one step removed from mayo on a corned beef sandwich.

And yet... cole slaw would be perfectly acceptable, right? And what is that but mayo-laced greens.

So what works, and what doesn't? Some other random thoughts:
* I'd like to see the tradition of putting a slice of tomato on sandwiches cold and hot to just die, except in August and September. If you can't be proud of the tomato, don't use it.
* If you're going to call a sauce "Sriracha" it had better have sriracha as a significant percentage. I'm calling you out, Wendy's, for calling Sriracha Sauce what ought to be called Mayo with an Acquaintance of Sriracha.

I thought I had more here, I guess not.

On another thread, GWiv wrote:...lettuce of any kind on corned beef is one step removed from mayo on a corned beef sandwich.

JoelF wrote:And yet... cole slaw would be perfectly acceptable, right? And what is that but mayo-laced greens.

Cole slaw on corned beef? Are you kidding, not in my world. If you plan on ascribing poor choices to me on the internet please choose something slightly more benign.

What about coleslaw on pastrami? Because I'm not living in a world where I can't have a Langer's #19.

gnarchief wrote:What about coleslaw on pastrami? Because I'm not living in a world where I can't have a Langer's #19.

No judgement on my part* but the few times I've been fortunate enough to have Langer's pastrami its rye bread, mustard, pastrami and a pickle. While slaw and fries come with the sandwich I view those same as fries & white bread with a tip/link combo at Uncle John's (R.I.P)

*OK, maybe a wee bit

G Wiv wrote:

gnarchief wrote:What about coleslaw on pastrami? Because I'm not living in a world where I can't have a Langer's #19.

No judgement on my part* but the few times I've been fortunate enough to have Langer's pastrami its rye bread, mustard, pastrami and a pickle. While slaw and fries come with the sandwich I view those same as fries & white bread with a tip/link combo at Uncle John's (R.I.P)

LangersSlice6.jpg

*OK, maybe a wee bit

You can take it a step further and go to Primantis, where on top of White Bread, they throw not just Fries and Coleslaw on the sandwich, but cheese too. Count me as not really a fan.

Ah, Primanti's. Years ago I had a technical conference in downtown Pitt. Times were scattered so one day I walked a fair distance to see the city first hand. Got hungry and after peaking in some windows, I happened upon Primanti's (at the time, they had not been on tv, etc...) and walked in thinking I will have a beer and scope out the food that passes me before I try to order. It looked good. I did not like the idea of stacking all of that on the sandwich, so I had them bring the fries and coleslaw separately. Fries only needed some salt and were great, the slaw was my favorite as it used vinegar and oil, and the more simplistic sandwich worked well. I was happy.

Puckjam wrote:Ah, Primanti's. Years ago I had a technical conference in downtown Pitt. Times were scattered so one day I walked a fair distance to see the city first hand. Got hungry and after peaking in some windows, I happened upon Primanti's (at the time, they had not been on tv, etc...) and walked in thinking I will have a beer and scope out the food that passes me before I try to order. It looked good. I did not like the idea of stacking all of that on the sandwich, so I had them bring the fries and coleslaw separately. Fries only needed some salt and were great, the slaw was my favorite as it used vinegar and oil, and the more simplistic sandwich worked well. I was happy.

A "de-constructed" Primantis .

As a whole I don't mind their sandwiches, I don't even mind coleslaw on certain sandwiches. I am not a fan of fries on a sandwich (nor on my Hot Dog, ala Gene and Judes)

The Tatsrami sandwich at Tat's Deli in Seattle is a fabulous sandwich made with home made pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, and garnished with home made slaw and Russian dressing. This is my go to deli when I'm in Seattle.
https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/09/tat ... iches.html
CSD

thetrob wrote:You can take it a step further and go to Primantis, where on top of White Bread, they throw not just Fries and Coleslaw on the sandwich, but cheese too. Count me as not really a fan.

My wife and I drove to Harrisburg and Binghamton on a road trip this past summer. On the way down to Harrisburg, we stopped by the original Primanti's in the Strip District. On the way back to Chicago from Binghamton, we stopped to get a Polish Boy in Cleveland. We all agreed that french fries on a sandwich is just not a good idea. Both were reasonable sandwiches (especially the Polish Boy) that would have been greatly improved with having the fries on the side.

I'd recommend both to get a sense of the local food, but I'm not sure I'd want either again in their traditional, fully-dressed form.

As for Gene and Judes (and other places that wrap the fries with the hot dog), I never got the sense you were supposed to eat the hot dog with the fries on it. At least my friends and I never did. With the Polish boy, they're definitely eaten as one.

Oh, I should explain: the Polish boy is a Polish sausage (grilled and/or deep fried) topped with fries, coleslaw, and barbecue and/or hot sauce. They're most commonly found at the local barbecue joints, but there's also Seti's Polish boy food truck which is locally popular. I actually thought the coleslaw went really well with the Polish and the barbecue sauce (why have I never thought of doing that? It's so obvious in retrospect), but those fries just killed it and overcarbed it for me.

My favorite 'Que Joint in Cleveland (and there aren't many to speak of to begin with) is Mt. Pleasant BBQ. They serve a Polish Boy Deluxe consisting of an all-beef Polish sausage (yep, some places serve a pork based Polish) topped with fries, slaw, barbecue sauce and...Pulled Pork! It is an unholy mess and utter delight, all at once.

For those familiar with the Cleveland Cheap Eats Scene, Mt. Pleasant BBQ is owned and operated by the same family who owns Whitmore's, the local Hot Wings chain. At some point in the past, part of the family went off in the Wings direction, while the patriarch and his son, Wayne Whitmore, stayed in their own little corner of the world smoking up some fine 'Que.

It's a spartan little shop. A counter, a kitchen (fitted out with Wayne's very unique custom made Smokers), and an ordering/waiting area with a single two-seater table. The bathroom is for special guests only. Yep, I've had the pleasure. Several times.

Buddy

Mt. Pleasant BBQ
12725 Kinsman Rd.
Cleveland, OH 44120
(216) 561-8722
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mt-Pleasant-Barbecue/113143795375229

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:My favorite 'Que Joint in Cleveland (and there aren't many to speak of to begin with) is Mt. Pleasant BBQ. They serve a Polish Boy Deluxe consisting of an all-beef Polish sausage (yep, some places serve a pork based Polish) topped with fries, slaw, barbecue sauce and...Pulled Pork! It is an unholy mess and utter delight, all at once.

I've heard those are called "Polish girls" at some places. Not that I have great experience with Polish boys in Cleveland, but I remember when I was doing my research, the Polish girl was mentioned, and it was a Polish boy with pulled pork on it in addition to the standard ingredients. (And, for me, a Polish should be pork or beef and pork. Never was a fan of all-beef Polishes.)