Thursday, November 22, 2007
Toasted subs rule
Larry Bly
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Gone are the days when about the only "hot" fast-food sandwiches were burgers or chicken cutlets. When Quiznos introduced their assembly line system for making toasted subs to order -- choose the ingredients and bread at the beginning of the line and pick up the final product by the time you get to the cash register -- it caught the interest of many chains. The "toasted" sub has become a new profit center for several established names.
Arby's offers four distinct toasted subs: Philly cheese, classic Italian, turkey and bacon, and a beef sub. I recently tried the classic Italian and it's actually a pretty respectable sandwich. I took it home to eat, about five minutes away, and the sub was still quite hot and very crispy-toasty on the outside. It featured several types of deli meats and way too many hot peppers. I raked them off by the bushels. You'd be advised to tell them to go light if you don't like it hot. The meats were perfect, but the sauce was a bit too much on the mayo side for a true Italian sub. All in all, it's a pretty good product that holds up well between the store and your final destination, with a quality mix of deli meats.
Subway's toasted subs include a BLT, a "spicy" Italian and a cheese steak. I ordered the Italian, and though overly toasted and crumbly (perhaps my poor choice of bread in this case) it was quite satisfactory, though I did not think it was spicy in the slightest. It was also very dry. I'm told that I did not order it properly: I should have stipulated Italian dressing or whatever else I may have wanted slathered on it. It was good, despite my lack of instructions to the assembly line.
I have this problem with Subway: They ask too many questions and they continue this down the line and even while you're paying. I almost expected them to chase me down the street and ask a few more questions. I noticed that "the regulars" in front of me fared much better with their sandwiches than I with mine. The people behind the line seemed to anticipate what they wanted, which helps. It's unbelievable how many combinations of items can go on a sub. Add to that the cashier trying to explain my coupon and between all of us, you have a real blab-fest going on.
Oh, and sometimes I misunderstand what people mean; people can put things strangely. For instance, the lady preparing my sandwich yelled down to me, "Do you want to toast this?" To which I replied, "Well, no, I'd like for YOU to do that." Finally, I realized it was simple question of "do you want it toasted?" I did and she did -- no harm done.
I am told by a local Subway business manager that the toasted subs are selling great -- and without slowing the line. Mine, in fact, was done quickly. Those little toasting ovens are quite efficient. He also told me that Subway chose to add personal pan pizzas to their mix with the new toasting ovens and it's been a hit as well. Imagine! Subway in the pizza business.
I tried a personal pan Italian sausage pizza. I was far more impressed with the pizza than with my sub. Though pre-made, except for the toppings and cheese, the pizza dough was slightly sweet, thick and moist, without being pasty. The toppings were ample{ a nice sampling of sweet Italian sausages on top and a fair amount of cheese to bind it all together. And there's the hint of a sweet red sauce in there somewhere as well. I handed out a few pieces to friends -- conducting my own cheap market research -- and without anyone knowing where it came from, got pretty good marks all around. I'd definitely do the personal pizza again. Both the toasted sub and the personal pizza were ready about the same time, and the cheese was gooey melted just right on top. Both stayed hot for a considerable amount of time.
So now the fast-food places are cashing in on what used to be the exclusive domain of deli shops everywhere. They're pretty good and satisfying, but the best ones will always be found at the local deli. No one else has the time to pile it on so high and bake it just right in the oven. None of these will satisfy my craving for the BD Special. That's the Brambleton Deli sub that they sell a zillion of every day. Or the house sub at The New Yorker Deli (enormous and messy). Or the Walnut Street Deli sub, dripping a ton of homemade slaw juice all over you.
One more thing. Your toasted sub will be fast and reasonable at Subway or Arby's. But even real deli subs don't cost very much, so they're a value meal wherever you get 'em ... and are always worth the wait!!
Bly for now.
