And I don't wanna be
an old man anymore
It's been a year or two
since I was out on the floor
Shaking booty
making sweet love all the night
It's time I got back
to the good life
Another Tuesday... another Taste!
This week we're checking out another west-end Toronto import into the eastern side of town and yes it's another sandwich. Lambo's Deli started out as a tiny little sandwich shop and grocery on Dundas Street West near Trinity Bellwoods, with co-owners Justin Leon and Cristobal Bascunan initially focusing more on the specialty grocer aspect of the small business.
As it turned out, their in-house sub sandwiches became the huge attraction and the little corner shop could not keep up with the demand of hungry customers. The duo needed a larger space to churn out these tasty missiles, and so looked to the corner of Greenwood and Queen East (the same spot the original Mira Mira cafe once was) as the expansion of their operation. In late 2023 they opened this second location, likewise wrapped around a street corner (it really gives a place a distinctive look).
The 'slightly' larger spot (it ain't exactly a warehouse) is much more ably focused on the food prep and sandwich providing over the grocery element... which is indeed still there along the sides. Sparse, but present and memorable: some unusual sodas and and various jars of sauces and... other things (my precision is legendary).
Here's where I come in. I biked there on a cloudy Tuesday about twenty minutes before 4pm when they close (apparently they've since adjusted that to be 7pm everyday now... thanks a lot I blew a flat that day getting there in time, grumble grumble worst episode ever).
Flat tires (%*&@#%*!$%!!) aside, I arrived with a comfortable amount of minutes to spare and ordered the first sandwich option atop their menu: the Italian Trio. Sounds like a mediocre mid 2000s heist movie, sure... but here is what this more intriguing, sandwich version Italian Trio is about: Three sliced meats in soppressata, prosciutto and mortadella; a spicy red chili spread, fresh mozzarella, arugula, roasted red peppers, an olive oil/faint pesto smearing at the bottom, and some thick pickled red onions spread throughout.
Is that upside down? Who knows... does it matter? But you can see all those distinctive ingredients within. Especially notable, and do look closely, are those three meats. The lighter coloured mortadella dominates the picture in the centre, but sandwiching it within a sandwich (whoaaa maan) is that layer of the darker soppressata on top and the wonderfully translucent prosciutto below. That significant ratio of mortadella to the other two dominates the visual sense, but the flavours of all three do shine through.
Which is truly the highest feature of this Lambo's sub sandwich: every ingredient of it has a distinct presence. The three meats sing their harmony, you get a sharp, bitter pepperiness from the arugula (boosted by that pesto-olive oil), a sweet oniony-yet-soft crunch from those thick red pickled bits (truly the hero here), a more loose earthy sweetness from the red peppers, a hint of spice not to be underestimated from the chili spread (at the bottom of the picture below the prosciutto), and last but not least an incredibly soft watery mozzarella that's low on flavour but perfect on gentle light cheesy texture... a middle neutral ground for all these distinct tastes to cross paths and work together.
It's an exceptional sub sandwich. It works so well for all the reasons I just described, but there are two things I want to mention in further detail. First: the bread. Frankly... wasn't blown away. Rather crusty on the outside and while it did a crewman's job of keeping it all together... well...
Keep it wrapped up is my advice. That thing is so compressed via its engineering it might leap out and nibble you for lunch should you unleash it in this way. Anyhow, the bread was merely meh to me (I'd have preferred something softer, although that risks the whole sandwich getting soggy which thankfully this never did... so they probably know what they're doing).
The second thing I want to discuss are the three meats. They are all pork of course, but are very different styles of cold cut pork and that difference really shines through here. Mortadella I am barely familiar with and from my research it is usually a bologna-like slice with fatty cube-like bits spread within... here on this Lambo's sub it fit that description but lacking the cubes of fat (which I appreciate). It tasted like a less sweet, fattier ham.
Soppressata I know very well... often I've bought it in full log form for home made pizzas (which seeing as I do not own a slicer, results in some very thick cuts for this fairly chewy meat). Fortunately, Lamo's does possess a slicer (it'd be rather odd for a deli not to) and their very thinly sliced soppressata really works on this sub. It's a firm texture, much saltier, some slight spice... compared to the straightforward mortadella as a cold cut base it's a fantastic contrast.
Then, the prosciutto. Compared with soppressata, prosciutto is a likewise salty sliced meat but the key difference is texture: one makes itself known on the tongue and lingers in the mouth while the other (prosciutto) almost melts upon contact. Good prosciutto is one of my very favourite things: perfect upon an already freshly cooked pizza, or stacked in a cold sandwich, or layered within a salad (now that's how you win friends with salad) or as an all-star accompaniment with cheese and crackers. What a treat it is, and you do get a good taste of it in this sub. You have to seek it somewhat amidst the other very powerful flavours, but it is there. Interestingly, on this particular sub it was layered adjacent to the chili pepper spread... salty delicate thinly sliced fatty pork with a robust earthy spice. which was frankly a delicious combination.
----
Overall! Lambo's Leslieville was great! I would've preferred a different type of bread for the sub, but I'm really damn picky with bread and as it was the bun was serviceable. Everything else was damn fantastic. Not only a great combination of ingredients, mixing so many flavourful elements... but the layering in which they chose to construct this needs to be acknowledged. They didn't just throw a bunch of stuff together... there's genuine thought and skill involved here. The spreads top and bottom, the layered meats in perfect order (the least punchy one in the middle), sweet onions with sweet peppers for crunch and softness, and arugula because apparently they can read my mind (I goddamn love arugula).
Part of me suspects this is easily their most complex sandwich, which indeed they pulled off with exception but I do wonder how the simpler options hold up. Whether few flavours results in a more basic product, or that those fewer flavours shine brighter with more of the spotlight. If they resemble this particular entry, I imagine I'll enjoy them just fine. Slightly fresher bread is all I hope for, but the rest tasted like delicious dynamite.
Vizzy Vreview
With warmer weather washing away wicked Winter worries (word), the season for being outside and enjoying a sparkling beverage or two is nearly upon us.
Don't worry, this is not a paid advert. They haven't gotten to me! (yet). Actually, we sell these two Vizzy drinks at the gig that does pay me (money and everything, none of those fun bucks). Even in the colder months these Vizzys were incredibly popular, especially concerts with younger crowds (like, "geez you were born the year I graduated high school" young when you check their IDs). As a reviewer of many things, naturally I was curious why these were so popular... and so I nabbed a couple cans of the same flavours we sell at the arena and gave them a try. Here are my brief notes:
- Strawberry Orange Mimosa: smells very champagney/prosecco-like... taste more strawberry than anything else... thinner and way less citrusy than your classic mimosa but I see the appeal.
- Blueberry Pomegranate: some berry taste and tartness, though very initial and the sweetness fades fast.
No wonder these are popular... the taste never lingers. And since they are so light in texture, you want more and could probably finish one in three minutes if so determined. Because they are malt-alcohol based (like White Claw), you get that type of aftertaste in the back of your mouth that has gradually made me mostly avoid those type of seltzers. I never much cared for Diet Coke/Pepsi either and the lingering sensation is similar.
Still, if I had to pick one it would definitely be the Mimosa. Good combination of flavours and I could see myself trying another sometime in the future.
Mac and Cheese Cheese Off
An article comparing the various store bought mac n' cheeses on the market, both frozen and packaged? Sure why not.
The 2024 Toronto Blue Jays
Dark Side of The Moon
Since it's all anyone was talking about yesterday...
Tuesday Tune
I'm rather surprised that throughout the eighty or so of these Tuesday reviews I've done, not once have I featured this particular band for the weekly tune. Like many, I find their discography absurdly uneven... ranging from iconic and excellent to awkward Top 40 chasing dreck. Well, this song is off an album that was so notoriously panned at the time, it sent Rivers Cuomo out of the music industry completely and to Harvard for a significant period. Thankfully, general consensus came around.
That's all for this week! Until next time... stay cool, hopefully that eclipse didn't blind you (with all those damn clouds I doubt that was possible) and most important of all! Don't spill that mustard.
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