Say, you ever drive around with the ‘Check Engine’ light on and think to yourself “Damn. My fine ass needs an oil change…and a sandwich. ” Because if you have (and even if you haven’t) you should check out this place called Java Time over here in Glendale. It’s connected to an EZ Lube.

I’m pretty sure there is no affiliation.

Normally I wouldn’t think twice about this place. Maybe only as an afterthought if I was already on the lot getting my sweet whip checked out. I even live right near the place and the only thought I ever had before I ate there was “How the fuck does this place stay in business?”

But, at the urging of a friend, I tried it out. And got my answer.

It stays in business because the sandwiches are actually pretty tony. (Tony – adj. See also: Decent) They aren’t heaven sent or anything. And in fact, if you go by appearances of the sandwich…it should be pretty awful. I mean, look at it. The bread far outweighs the meat.

But somehow, it works.

Now, I only ever have one sandwich there: The Genoa, which consists of “Sliced Italian Mortadella, Pancetta, and Genoa Salami with provolone layered with bed of hearts of romaine lettuce with tomato and special house sauce.” (Quoting from the menu there.)

Let me repeat that last part: “….special house sauce.” It’s this that puts the guy into four stars instead of the average three. A better reviewer might be able to eat this bitch slow and let their buds inform the mind what this special sauce consists of…but I ain’t that patient.

It isn’t slathered on. It’s just a nice and even spread along the soft bread.

Soft. Everything about this sandwich is soft. You know how in some sandwiches -even the good ones- your jaws sometimes hurt after you’re done eating? Sore, like they got a good workout. I would bet some people would think this is the hallmark of a good sandwich. And maybe it is.

But this one is the exception. It’s so easy to chew. Like biting down into ice cream and cotton but not as cold.

And speaking of cold, Java Time sells the classic old school glass bottle Coke. The way Coke is supposed to be drunken/drank/drinked.

The Coke pairs beautifully with the Genoa and at only a 1.25 for 1L it’s a pretty great deal that makes me wonder where they buy it from to sell it so cheap.

The sandwich rings up at 6.85. Well worth it.

Here is my caveat: If you’re going around lunch time (or really, any time) it’s best to call and order ahead. The service is slow. You wish the guys next door would come over after changing oil to make the sandwiches. I once waited a half hour for a sandwich with only 4 people in the whole place. They said it was because of phone orders or something. Generally, I would have raised hell but I’m in this place all the time.

I think they have about 4 tables inside and the two outside. I’ve never seen it where there isn’t at least a table free…even during lunch rush.

Rating:

As you may have guessed, Pockets in Chatsworth is a Pita-pocket-centric dining establishment. At least that’s what I had guessed and that’s why I hadn’t gone in there looking for sandwiches. I also hadn’t gone in there looking for pita-pockets… Actually, I don’t know that I’ve ever gone somewhere looking for pita-pockets. I like them, I remember eating plenty of them… Never went out and bought one. What I’m saying here is, I was surprised when a client told me that this was a good place to get a sandwich. Never would’ve guessed.

Here’s something else, and I would’ve known this place had sandwiches if I’d seen this, the full name of this shop is “Pockets Sandwich Shops“. That last part about “Sandwich Shops” is very small on the logo… hidden almost. Look: I’m not in the business of reading entire signs. Get off my back. Also, what’s up with “Shops” plural? According to the internet, this is the only “Pockets Sandwich Shops” that ever existed.

So here’s what’s up with the Pockets Sandwich Shops’ Italian. Firstly, it’s enormous. That’s partially my fault, I ordered the large (I always order the large, I have an eating problem). There is also a small available and you can get it in a pocket as well. But seriously, look at this picture. There’s full on pepperoncinis just floating on top of that thing, four of them and for scale purposes I’d describe those pepperoncinis as giant. Not quite bell peppers but they’re in the ballpark. And while we’re talking pepperoncinis, let me take a moment to address the stems still being on them. When I buy a sandwich at a place like this, I’d like it if I could just eat it straightaway, I don’t want to have to bother with sandwich preparation. It’d be different if I went over to a friend’s place and he was like, “Hey, you want a giant Italian sub with pepperoncinis on it?” and then I had to pull stems off the pepperoncinis. That’s different. That’s a free giant Italian sub made with love (Ok, so maybe the friend’s not an expert sandwich maker, maybe he doesn’t have all the right meats) I’m saying in that situation, I don’t mind putting in some work on the pepperoncinis. If I’m paying for the sandwich? Just go ahead and chop those fuckers off ahead of time. How long could it take?

And while we’re at it, Dear Thai food restaurateurs, nobody eats the tails on the shrimp.

The bread was bread. Nothing out of the ordiniary unless you count the sesame seeds which I don’t really think are necissary on a sandwich like this but they didn’t in any way detract from my enjoyment. The meat was plentiful and cut thick, all of it pretty delicious. One of the meats, and I’m not sure which one but the smart money’s on the ham was the second smokiest smoked meat I’ve ever encountered. It overpowered almost every other taste in there. Is that a bad thing? Of course not. Smoked ham is delicious. Does it taste like an Italian sub? Not as much as it tastes like a smoked ham sandwich.

Lots of veggies on this thing, I think I’ve already covered the pepperoncinis well enough. In addition to those though, you have your tomatoes, some onions, and lettuce. Lots of lettuce. And on top of the lettuce and tomatoes and onions: a shitload of Italian vinegarette. This was one of the dampest sandwiches I’ve ever been privy to. Tasty but a bit unruly. It was as if they had made a salad in an oblong bread bowl, poured an obscene amount of Italian vinegarette on it and then stood back, looked at it and said, “You know what? Lets sandwich that fucker up! Grab some smoked ham and whatnot!” It was like a pita-pocket in giant sandwich form… which… makes perfect sense.

Pockets also has plenty of options if you’re looking for salads, they’ve got seasoned fries, chips and most importantly, they’ve got fountain soda.

So the score on this thing, I’m giving it a Rating: . If you’re driving through Chatsworth and you’ve already had every sandwich at San Carlo’s Italian Deli… Stop in to Pockets for a good, totally wet, smokey, enormous sandwich.

Large Italian Cold-Cut Sub – $6.75 (small – $5.20)

Pockets Sandwich Shops
9840 Topanga Canyon Blvd
(At Lassen in Chatsworth)

Phone: (818) 718-2380
Fax: (818) 718-0525

Addendum: In the same shopping center (at Topanga Blvd & Lassen) I found an awesome little comic book shop called Flying Dog Comics. Great selection of new comics (indy & mainstream), clean, well organized and the friendliest staff I’ve found North of Burbank. If you stop in at Pockets, swing over to Flying Dog after and grab some books.

Hoagies & Wings happens to be in a prime location. Right next door to the 2nd best record store in Los Angeles, Second Spin. Tony and I had both visited there before the launch of the site, and both had a good time with the sandwiches. When I started looking up some of L.A.’s preferred sandwich shops, it kept coming up, and so we decided to make the long trip out to Sherman Oaks to see whether it was worthy of all the hub bub.

Apparently, there’s some controversy in the restaurant world as they’re planning on expanding beyond their current four locations, and becoming a mini-chain by buying out some other Wings places. I dunno, there’s more of that across the internet, we’re here for the sandwiches. Let’s see what we had to say…

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As I was on a rare trip out of my immediate neighborhood for a meeting with my managers, I decided to find a sandwich shop in Culver City to challenge Lee’s. The most often mentioned on Yelp and the like was Victor Jr.’s. It is directly across the street from Sony Studios which, in turn, is a few blocks from my manager’s office. I’d actually had the place recommended to me a while back from a friend who works at Sony, but seemed to have filed it away in the ‘forgotten information department’ until I pulled up yesterday. The restaurant is known for being completely packed, although, I’m sure the strike has thinned out their business a bit, as it was busy, but not full to bursting, when I showed up at 1pm.

There was a short wait, which, again, is apparently atypical, and the restaurant is clean although cluttered, as there’s not much space for what ends up feeling like a lot of bodies. Their menu is fairly simply on the sandwich side, but they also offer a ton of sides, proper Italian meals, and desserts. Me being me, I went for an Italian Hoagie.

The sandwich was above average, thanks in part to the bizarre combination of Mustard, Mayo, AND Italian Dressing. I could actually hear my arteries hardening as I ate it. It’s also the first sandwich I’ve had in a while that was a chore to finish. Despite not being particularly ‘stacked’ the sandwich is very filling. It has the regular meat combo of Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Capacolla, and Provolone, with a choice for additional cheese. The bread was suprisingly thin italian style bread, but, even with not as much thickness as usual, it had a great texture and an excellent consistency. There’s also a decent stack of veggies plopped on top to give it some extra fiber.

All in all, the sandwich is one of the better ones I’ve had in the city, and it’s certainly one of the most unique. A sandwich from Victor Jr.’s doesn’t taste like any I’ve had anywhere else.

The service, staff, and parking were all acceptable. There’s no on location parking, but, there’s plenty of fairly empty side streets, and I managed to park less than a half block away.

I’d highly recommend Victor Jr.’s if ever you find yourself in Culver City.

Rating:

Is it better than Lee’s? No. But it’s a wholly unique experience.

Victor Jr.’s
10113 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-559-8900
www.victorjrs.com

I think, at this point, the San Carlo Special is my favorite Italian sub in town. Or it’s my favorite Italian sub OUT of town, depending on how you look at it. Chatsworth might be a bit of a hike for a your average Angeleno just to grab a bite but I think this particular bite is totally worth the drive.

San Carlo Italian Deli & Bakery is a nice family owned deli/bakery/Italian grocery. The shop is small, it’s in a strip mall (The Von’s Shopping Center, if you want specifics), the staff is extra friendly and engaging. It’s got your average shelf and a half of Groceries, freezers with pre-made meals, cold salads (pasta, potato, etc.), cold drinks (your juices, your teas, sodas and whatnot) and they’ve a rack of these Kettle chips that are so popular in your finer delis these days. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, with enough tables to seat their heavy lunch rush. The one real drawback is, there’s no fountain soda, (I usually hit up a gas station for a Diet Coke on the way). San Carlo has a great sausage sub (home made sausage) and a really goof meatball, but the crown jewel of the award winning San Carlo Italian Deli is the San Carlo Special.

San Carlo Special is an Italian sub- all of the usual rules apply: prosciutto, capoccolo, provolone, etc. It comes with lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard and is available on a soft or crispy roll (I go with the crispy because my teeth are super strong, like 32 tiny stone pharmacist’s pestles banging against each other in my mouth. They just rip rolls to shreds…SHREDS!).

The ingredients are high quality, the lettuce is crisp and fresh and the meats are perfectly mixed together, no one meat overpowering anything else. It’s actually a pretty vanilla sub… which is odd for a sandwich that I like so much. Usually when I have a really great Italian, one or two of the meats is going to stand out in a big way; one of them is spicy or one is tart. This one, it seems like some meat scientist figured out a meat formula where you can put 4 or 5 meats together and have them merge perfectly. It’s like 5 part meat harmony. I’ll tell you what taste does stand out though, the provolone… it’s perfectly sharpened. In every bite, the cheese is throwing it’s sharp, provolonie flavor all over everything else. It’s extraordinary.

Obviously I’m a big fan of this sandwich, it’s the one that sets the bar for all others as far as I’m concerned. Next time you’re in Chatsworth or Northridge, swing by Mason Ave. & Devonshire for what I think is the best Italian out there.

Not surprisingly I give this one Rating:

San Carlo Special (Italian Sub): $5.99 (Small), $6.99 (Large)

San Carlo Italian Deli & Bakery
10178 Mason Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(Corner of Mason & Devonshire in the Von’s Shopping Center)
Phone: (818) 727-0890
Fax: (818) 727-1804

I’ve driven past the non-descript store front dozens of times, and never really gave it a second thought. It came up in conversation elsewhere, though, so I thought we could give a try. The first thing you notice upon entering is the waft of pastries… it’s… amazing. The front half of the store is filled with a mid array of italian pastries, inlcuding some really beautiful eclairs. The deli is a smaller counter in back that offer a modest selection of sandwiche of the sort you’d expect from an Italian Deli. The prices are great, with the small sandwiches (probably a 4 incher) coming in at 4 bucks, and the large (an 8 incher) coming in at 5.50. Unfortunately, they have a limited selection of drinks and chips.

There’s no actual seating in the place, as the far wall is packed with various Italian groceries. It’s cozy, but not particularly comfortable, so, I suppose you probably wouldn’t really want to eat there anyways. The staff was friendly enough, although there wasn’t much in the way of conversation. There’s on street parking, and it’s far enough from Eagle Rock Blvd. that parking shouldn’t be an issue most days, and there’s plenty of side streets if you can’t find something out front.

As for the sandwich, you’d expect at a bakery the real draw would be the bread, but, in fact, it’s the meat. Really a great quality of cold meat is used, that neither too lean nor too fat, and sliced to perfection. The bread is a bit too crunchy for my taste (I like my bread crisp on the outside and filled with air on the inside). The Italian Combo is filled with the traditional meats and slathered in mustard with what I’d guess was a touch of mayo. The lettuce and tomatoes included were fresh and crisp.

Christina had a small turkey sub, and also really enjoyed it. She thought the bread was too crunchy, but that the meat was fantastic.

Overall, I’d definitely go again, even if it’s just to sample some of those amazing pastries for desert.

Rating:

Eagle Rock Italian Bakery and Deli
1726 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
323-255-8224 FAX: 323-255-8224

The Philly Steak Depot is in a good spot for me. It’s in between my apartment and my comic shop. Often times I’ll go out on a Wednesday and pick up new comics and swing by the Depot on the way home for a cheese steak so greasy that I won’t be able to touch the comics for an hour after I’ve finished the sandwich. No amount of hand washing will speed this along. The grease is gone when it’s gone.

The cheese steaks at the Philly Steak Depot are pretty decent. They’re big (7″ for the ladies, 14″ for the gents), the steak is bountiful and the grease, as I mentioned above, is in effect (following the Fresh Prince of Bel Air rule of thumb, ‘It ain’t a Philly unless the grease has made the bag see through!’) But I’m not here to tell you about a cheese steak, my friends… What I’m here to tell you about is the most decadent, perverse, excessive, wonderful sandwich you’ll ever see…

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: THE SHRIMP & STEAK! Holy shit!

I don’t know where an an idea like this comes from. On the menu there are two other “double steaks”; the Steak & Chicken (not interested) and the Bacon & Steak (I can’t even begin to imagine). The bacon & chicken make sense to me in a way, these are all farm animals. They live in the same ecosystem. I can see a farmer in Philadelphia, sitting on his porch, he sees a hog and a cow or a chicken and a cow… That makes sense. This thing though… I can’t fathom it. Who ever thought to put a shrimp and beef together in the same bite before? It’s groundbreaking. It’s not surf n’ turf, it’s surf IN turf. This little shop on Santa Monica has made a culinary breakthrough and somehow nobody thought to call the media.

Here’s what great about it: You’re eating your giant Philly cheese steak, right? Obviously you’ve got the meat: good, the bun is decent, oh here’s a pepper, there’s an onion and a mushroom and… what the fuck is this?! A SHRIMP?! It’s unmistakable, no other meat feels like shrimp. Nothing tastes like a shrimp. And let me tell you, friends, nothing tastes like a shrimp in the same bite as beef and cheese and peppers. And these shrimp aren’t the sea-monkeys you get in your Cup-o-Noodle, oh no! They are full on shrimp (not quite jumbo/bigger than cocktail).

It’s like you’re watching a car chase in a movie. And in your mind you’re like, “this is so rad! But you know what would be even radder? If there were boobs. But they’ll never bring out some boobs in the middle of this car chase, it wouldn’t make any sense. There’s not even a girl in this scene.” and then a girl walks down the side of the road next to the car chase with her boobs out. And the cars slow down and Martin Lawrence says something hilarious and it goes from slow motion back to fast motion. This is a sandwich, if Michael Bay directed sandwiches, this is what he’d make. (For those not following, in this parable the car chase is the cheese steak, the boobs are the shrimp).

When you are done eating this sandwich, you will feel guilty. Not in a, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” way. In a, “I got drunk and called my friend’s girl the c-word to her face. And the next day he was like ‘baby, he was drunk!’ and she said, ‘that’s when you say what you REALLY mean!’ and she never again has a conversation with me in which we’re both not thinking about it in the back of our minds” kind of way. And it’s totally worth it.

Aside from the sandwiches, The Philly Steak Depot has a full menu of fried side orders (if you dare). Their Cheese Sticks ($3.45) are excellent, though not recommended with something so depraved as the Shrimp & Steak, according to the menu they are made with a “special homemade recipe.” They also have fountain soda, bottled soda, salads and deserts. As far as I can tell, the people who run it are not originally from Philadelphia. I’m basing this on the fact that there are no photos of downtown Philly on the wall. Also there are no Philadelphia sports team pendants and no signed 8×10 glossies of ?uestlove from the Roots.

In any case, I’m giving the Philly Steak Depot Shrimp & Steak a rating of:

Rating: for sheer audacity. Try one for yourself if you’re feeling immoral.

14″ Shrimp & Steak (Bell Pepper, Mushroom & Onion): $11.59
7″ Shrimp & Steak (Bell Pepper, Mushroom & Onion): $7.89 (Sally).

Philly Steak Depot
6254 Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90038
(The corner of Santa Monica & Vine)
(323) 467-1215

Every once in a while, we’re hoping to have a review from all three of us on a place we find particularly remarkable (or, y’know, happens to be where we all meet up.) We’re still working on the format so please, forgive the work in progress.

Gary was the first of us to hear of Lee’s, and a day of searching high and low finally brought this joy into our lives. Lee’s is about as close to an East Coast style sandwich I’ve had out here. All three of us have agreed that their Super Italian Hoagie is THE BEST of its kind in all of the city. In fact, I like it so much, it’s what I use to judge all other sandwiches. So, on this, our inaugural three-fer, we have three different sandwiches from three different reviewers. Quite suprisingly, we actually have a negative review for what up until now has been the undefeated champion of L.A. Sandwich shops.

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My first review is for a place very close to home. Mario’s Italian Deli is less than a mile from my house, and as I don’t drive, it’s fast becoming my usual joint. Mario’s is just off of Glendale Blvd. on Broadway, right in the heart of Glendale. It’s been around forever and a day, and has been voted the Best Deli in L.A. quite a few times. As the name implies it’s more than your typical deli, as it’s also has a full Italian style marke, complete with fresh and frozen dinners, basic and specialty groceries, and a great selection of Italian Deserts.

Mario’s is known for being overly busy for the three or fours around the midday. They have a pull number system to help make things go a bit more smoothly. That being said, I’ve never been in there and not waited twenty or thirty minutes. So, I recommend calling ahead. Most of the time it speeds things up. Today, even with the call ahead, I still waited around ten minutes to be helped, and this was at about 1:15 in the afternoon. The ambiance leaves a bit to be desired… The in room eating area is plastic tables and chairs that aren’t particularly comfortable, and it can get pretty full, meaning there’s not a table to be had.

But we’re not here for that.

THE SANDWICH
I had the Italian Submarine Combo, which is approximately an eight inch long sub with assorted cold cuts (mortadella, salami, etc.) slathered in Mayo and Mustard on a white roll. Normally, the sandwich (and I believe many of the others) comes with a middle piece of bread to give it some extra heft. I personally can’t stand the middle bread as it makes everything slosh around too much, so I had it without.

The bread is definitely the highlight of this (and all of their sandwiches), it has the taste of fresh baked, and is just the right mix of doughy and crunchy. The meats are of a good quality, and, it’s holds together pretty good. It’s got a stack of lettuce and tomato on it, but, unfortunately, no onions or pepper relish, which is the cornerstone of a great sandwich. The mustard and mayo is slathered on a bit too thick, but, they’re pretty good about going easy when asked.

They have a great selection of sides both in the form of salads and a wide selection of chips. They have a great little soda selection that includes my beloved Diet Stewart’s Orange soda.

The Sub costs $6.25, which could best be described as ‘about right.’ It’s not a huge value, but it’s worth the price.

I like Mario’s. If I’d never had Lee’s (review forthcoming) it would probably be a bit higher up my list of favorites. That being said, I probably also prefer Galco’s (review forthcoming) just for their awesome selection of sodas and equal quality (and better priced) sandwiches.

Rating:

Is It Better Than Lee’s Hoagies? Nope. But it’s an acceptable substitute.

Mario’s Italian Deli and Market
740 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205
818-242-4114 Fax: 818-242-2301
www.mariosdeli.com

Quick addendum: The wife and I just had one of their lasagna dinners. It was pretty amazing, and the garlic bread (three for a buck!) is highly recommended.

It all started a few months ago.  Tony, Gary, and I are all East Coast kids transplanted out west.  You don’t notice it at first but slowly, over time, it becomes clear, there’s a distinct lack of fantastic sandwich shops on every corner.  From my time in Pittsburgh and Boston I don’t know that I ever lived more than a mile away from a world class hoagie.  Add to that the culinary profundity of the Primanti Brothers Sandwich (we’ll get into it, I promise) and the deliciousness of a Boston Steak Bomb, and you can see there was a whole section of my life missing.

So, as we discussed the sandwich situation, we turned to the internet.  It turns out there’s a TON of shops scattered across Los Angeles.  While we managed to find some decent blog reviews here an there (we’ll all be forever grateful to Colorado Chow and their introduction of Lee’s Hoagies, the Holy Grail of L.A. sandwich shops).  That being said, there wasn’t any definitive site for sandwich shops in L.A.

And so, we’ve decided to rectify that.  We want to  help introduce you to some of the very best in subs in Los Angeles, and, if all things go as planned, across the country, and who knows… maybe even beyond.

We are the Sandwich Kings.