What is Stanislaus County’s favorite sandwich? Bee reporters share their picks
A bold claim to make, but a sandwich may be the king of all foods.
A simple construction can become a complexity of flavors when unique ingredients are brought together for a mouthwatering handheld meal. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and can range from budget-friendly with basic ingredients to ultra-luxe with the addition of caviar. The options are truly endless.
For us reporters, a sandwich is a go-to choice as we travel around the county from story to story. Here are some of our local favorites. Do you have a locally made favorite? Add your contribution below and let us know what we must try.
Breaking news and crime reporter Dean J. Condoleo is a New York native and knows a thing or two about a great sandwich. His top pick is The Club from The Sandwich Shop on Kansas Avenue. The restaurant has been serving up large sandwiches for over 35 years. The club comes with turkey, bacon, avocado, mayonnaise, mustard, onions, lettuce, and tomato, and is served on triple-stacked white or sourdough toast. “You definitely need to be hungry to tackle that one,” said Condoleo.
Two shops downtown have acquired many fans in the newsroom.
Food Fix Butcher and Baker on 11th Street is a favorite for civics and democracy reporter Kathleen Quinn and photographer Andy Alfaro.
Started by chef Hank Olson and his wife, Ashley, in 2019, the kitchen serves scratch-made favorites with Hank’s recipes and Ashley’s baked goods. Kathleen opts for Food Fix’s version of a French dip, The Swine Dive. This sandwich features porkstrami, horseradish aioli, Havarti cheese on an in-house baked bolillo roll, with beef jus served on the side.
Alfaro’s pick is a bit more controversial, depending on your opinion about a hot dog being a sandwich. His choice is the Slaw Dog, a 100% Angus beef hot dog with mustard, sweet and sour slaw nestled in a fresh bolillo roll. Alfaro said the roll really puts it over the top.
Just a few streets away, Picasso’s Deli and Art is the pick for several reporters. Opened in 2000 on 10th Street, the colorful café draws inspiration from famous artists and co-owner Jordi Camps’ artist background. His wife, Margarita, is the artisan behind the recipes.
Equity reporter Julietta Bisharyan and accountability and enterprise reporter Trevor Morgan name The Renoir as their favorite. The sandwich leans into Thanksgiving flavors with turkey, jack cheese, spring mix greens, mayonnaise, and cranberry sauce on a ciabatta roll.
Agriculture reporter John Holland enjoys the Van Gogh, made with roast beef on ciabatta with mayonnaise, horseradish, tomatoes and sweet roasted red peppers.
Entertainment reporter Pat Clark recommends The Mozart, made with Black Forest Ham and cheddar with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and honey mustard on wheat bread.
Sports reporter Quinton Hamilton is an expert in vegetarian sandwiches. Though he likes the many veggies on a sandwich from O’Brien’s Market, his favorite is from Ike’s Love and Sandwiches on McHenry Avenue. He likes the Pee Wee because it has vegan turkey topped with purple slaw, French dressing and Swiss cheese. He adds lettuce, tomato and sometimes avocado.
Biz beat reporter Dominique Williams finds it hard to choose a favorite given all the sandwiches she has tried around the county. She names the artichoke chicken fontina sandwich from Ferrarese’s Deli in Oakdale as her top choice. Charbroiled chicken is topped with melted fontina cheese and slathered with artichoke pesto and ranch dressing, with lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread. The area favorite has been serving sandwiches, salads and pastas since 1975.
My favorite is a newcomer. Opened earlier this year, Crave Subs offers savory and saucy sandwiches for a variety of specialized diets. As someone with celiac disease, gluten-free sandwiches are hard to find, and often harder to enjoy. Crave offers an amazingly soft artisan roll from Mariposa Baking Co. in the Bay Area that can be substituted on any of its subs. I like the Space Force, a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich with pesto, arugula and the signature Crave Sauce.
