I had never tried an Ike's Place sandwich until this past Friday night. I had, of course, heard about the infamous original location and its long lines of patrons sparking drama in San Francisco -- so much so that the hubbub even made it into the pages of The New York Times. But by the time the dust had settled and they comfortably settled into a new space, then opened other locations, it had fallen off my radar.

But then I heard the good word that an Ike's Lair was coming to the Uptown District of Oakland, right in Franklin Square.

With Plum, Plum Bar and Bakesale Betty's second location as neighbors, and Hawker Fare, Trueburger and Luka's Taproom & Lounge nearby, it's a burgeoning food enclave that's drawing lots of attention. Here was my easy opportunity to finally taste one of Ike's creations for myself.

Ike's Lair opened its doors in late January (its website doesn't reflect its Oakland location yet), a bright space with cartoon renditions of a devilishly grinning Ike at every turn. And there's their slogan writ large on one wall:

Ike's Lair has a smaller menu than its San Francisco counterpart, but it's still daunting. It took my husband (a fellow Ike's newbie) and I a full 10 minutes to study the extensive menu. (It reminded me of the first time I went to Shopsin's in New York City, which probably has the most mind-blowing menu in the world.)

We opted for four half-size sandwiches (all priced at $5.95) to get a good sampling of its offerings: the SF Giants pitcher-inspired Matt Cain (roast beef, turkey, salami, Godfather sauce, Provolone cheese); Paul Reubens (the real name of the actor who portrays "Pee-Wee Herman") with pastrami, homemade poppy seed coleslaw, French dressing, Swiss cheese; The Bakesale (their nod to Bakesale Betty's fried-chicken sandwich with American cheese); and the Meatless Mike with vegan meatballs, marinara sauce and pepper jack cheese. I had originally ordered the (co-founder of Yelp) Jeremy Stoppelman sandwich (breaded eggplant, green pesto, habanero, grilled tomato, Provolone cheese), but alas, they had run out of eggplant.

We went with the standard toppings (lettuce, tomato, and their creamy Dirty Secret Sauce that's like an aioli but more herbaceous) and none of the "extra dirty" options of mozzarella sticks or jalapeño poppers since we didn't want to get too decadent on our first trip to Ike's. Same for the beer-battered onion rings and zucchini. Checking out other people's orders, though, they looked tempting -- as did the Cake Monkey pastries in the case.

There's no indoor seating at Ike's, but there's plenty of room out front. I'm sure it'll be packed in warmer weather.

On our way back to our place, I overheard some folks say, "There's always a huge line at lunchtime that goes down the block." I guess this location shares the same busy crowds as the SF mothership, but as we're in the Bay Area -- Ike's has smartphone apps that you can use to place your orders ahead of time. (I'm sure this will come in handy on Superbowl Sunday; I imagine Ike's will be racking up a lot of business that day to feed hungry football fans at parties.)

By the time we got home, I was starving. I think I wolfed down the delicious The Meatless Mike, which I had ordered on their Dutch crunch roll, in less than a minute.

The Bakesale, however, was a pretty weak homage to its predecessor and won't give it a run for its money anytime soon. Unlike Betty's esteemed sandwich, this had a small slab of limply fried chicken that sorely needed the spicy, vinegary tang of her coleslaw.

My husband had the same reaction to the Matt Cain, which he thought was a pretty average combination of flavors. Good, not great.

The Paul Reubens was quite tasty, though, and the best of the bunch. I'd definitely go back for that.

I wouldn't say that I'm a diehard fan yet -- I'm still partial to Bakesale Betty's and Genova's Delicatessen -- but there's lot more for us to try at Ike's. (Unfortunately this website, which supposedly lists more sandwiches, wasn't working.) Perhaps I'll finally make a pilgrimage to the Castro location now that I've got a basis for comparison.

Ike's Lair
Address: map
2204 Broadway
Oakland, California 94612
Phone: 510-338-6789
Facebook: Ike's Lair
Twitter: @ikeslair
Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 7 pm

If there's one thing Bay Area backyard gardeners can count on at this time of year, it's kale. Our cool, typically damp winter weather is tailor-made for hearty winter greens, ones that can thrive through hard frosts, even snow. And though winter's rains may be passing us by, with a little irrigation, the crinkly kale, dino kale, red or white Russian kale should be growing like crazy in whatever pot, plot, or raised bed you've got planted.

Shop the farmers' markets these days, and while the first, $8/lb sugar-snap peas may be starting to appear, the backbone of the veggie tables are dark-green, iron-rich greens: punchy mustard greens, mellow collards, rainbow-ribbed chard, plus green or burgundy beet tops, the gift of two-veg-in-one that comes free with every bunch of sweet roots.

So: time to love your greens. We served a lot of greens during my time cooking at the Headlands Center for the Arts, yet we were pretty content to do them the same way each time. A handful of minced shallot was flung into sizzling olive oil, chopped greens were added, then the whole was stirred and stirred until just wilted and tender. To finish, we tossed in a quick splash of sherry vinegar or a couple of lemons, sliced into eighths and crushed a little to release the juice and aromatic oils. I do mine at home much the same way, with slivered garlic instead of shallots, and a healthy shake of red pepper flakes for a little burn. Nice with rice and tofu, nice with polenta and sausage, nice leftover cold out of the pan, eaten with your fingers while doing the dishes.

Now, though, during greens' moment in the sun, dinner is not enough. Greens need to find a home at every meal. A lot of farm mornings began with eggs and kale, as we counted down the weeks until the potato harvest. I love green eggs and ham, made from emerald-green minced nettles sauteed and stirred into scrambled eggs with a bit of proscuitto draped on top. And, then, for lunch, there are kale chips, kale Caesar salad, pasta with kale, Portuguese caldo verde with kale, potatoes, and linguica sausage, kale every way.

But have you thought about a kale sandwich? I did, this past weekend, when I was making breakfast and lunch for a staff and board members' retreat, 25 people needing muffins and sandwiches to help them forget that a sunny, beautiful beach was just five minutes' walk away from where they were trapped around a darkened conference table with spreadsheets and PowerPoint. My solution? Quinoa-almond-citrus salad, lentil-beet-mint salad, chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies, apple-cherry cider, turkey sandwiches, and the veggie crowning glory, kale sandwiches. Oh, you may laugh, but they were lively, colorful stacks that turned out to be much more than the sum of their vitamin-packed parts. The elements? Sauteed greens and onions piled on whole-wheat focaccia dabbed with Dijon mustard, layered with thin slices of roasted winter squash, topped with Weirauch Farm and Creamery's Tomme Fraiche or creamy Doubloon cheese, and finished with a smear of tart-tangy plum chutney or punchy arugula pesto.

It takes a while to make a sandwich when you're making everything from bread to pesto from scratch. So, while homemade focaccia is always the best, feel free to substitute any good bread of choice, from Acme's herb slab to the sesame loaf baked by Morell's Bread (pictured here). The chutney, luckily, I'd made earlier in the summer, to rescue a batch of less-than-stellar jam. Boring, slightly-too-sweet stone-fruit jam, it turns out, can make a very successful base for chutney, once it's jazzed up and cooked down with cider vinegar, chopped onions, and plenty of aromatic spices. If you don't have a pantry full of chutney on hand, I'd recommend any of Alison McQuade's excellent, small-batch chutneys, sold under the name McQuade's Celtic Chutney. Or, you can retrieve that slightly shriveled, almost-wilted bunch of arugula from down in the vegetable drawer and buzz it together with a couple tablespoons of walnuts or pine nuts, a couple cloves of garlic, salt to taste, the juice of a lemon, a splash of water and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until smooth, and taste. It will probably taste too tannic from the walnuts, too sharp from the arugula, and leave you wishing for summer's fragrant basil.

No worry, though: a solution is at hand. Crumble in a moist, creamy-mild Doubloon cheese, made by Weirauch Farm and Creamery in Petaluma. Instantly, the spread is tamed, its punch tempered with creaminess. When you're picking up your Doubloons, get another one, this one rolled in herbes de Provence, along with a wedge of their springy, buttery Tomme Fraiche.

Now, onto your squash. Butternut, kabocha, pumpkin, whatever hard-shelled winter squash you've had languishing on the counter since your last CSA box. Not acorn, though; too pasty and stringy. You want dense, sweet and nutty for this. Peel and seed your squash, and slice the flesh into thin half-moons. Oil lightly, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roast at 400F until tender.

While the squash is roasting, slice up an onion, red or yellow. In a wide pan, saute it in olive oil until tangled and translucent. You can let it go farther and get browned here and there, halfway to caramelization. Keep some texture, though; you want recognizable loops, not onion jam. Wash but don't dry your greens, which don't have to be kale but should be some mixture of sturdy greens, rather than something weepingly delicate like spinach. I used a mixture of collards, mustard, and beet tops, but any tough-ish greens will do. Shred your greens and toss them into the hot pan full of onions. Stir and season with salt and pepper until greens are wilted and just tender. Take a bite; you shouldn't feel like you're chewing on a raincoat, but they shouldn't be boiled to mush, either. Pull off the stove and let cool.

Now, the assemblage. Slice your focaccia horizontally, if using; otherwise, slice your bread. Spread chutney or pesto on the inside of one piece. Add a few pieces of Tomme Fraiche, or crumble on a tablespoon or so of Doubloon. On the second slice of bread, spread a dab of Dijon mustard. Pile on some greens and onions. Layer on some slices of roasted squash, as if you're laying out a row of cards in solitaire. Put the halves together with a firm but gentle squish. Enjoy!

You may have already read a review of Southie, the new Oakland sandwich shop by the folks at Wood Tavern. Perhaps in East Bay Express, Tasting Table, or in one of our great local food blogs. So I don't plan on writing a formal review here on Bay Area Bites about the specifics of the restaurant--others have done it well. Instead, I'm going to tell you about how I brought my mom out to lunch and she fell in love. With a sandwich. And this is a woman who is a bit of a sandwich skeptic, sticking to the tuna salad she makes at home or a simple turkey and jack cheese creation. Sometimes, if she's feeling crazy, the jar of sweet pickles will make its way onto the counter.

I decided to take her to Southie to see if I could get her excited about a whole new kind of sandwich. From what I'd heard, these were no run-of-the mill deli sandwiches; they were creative and thoughtfully executed meals. We walked in around 1 p.m. in the middle of the week and nabbed a seat right away. The small restaurant is light and airy with a semi-open kitchen (you can watch them make the sandwiches but there's a large prep kitchen in the back where much of the actual cooking occurs), shiny red espresso machine, pretty flowers, and gracious service. It just feels good in there. So when the menus came, I watched my mom study it. Charming in its simplicity, there are 5 or 6 daily sandwiches, a few salads, a soup and a couple of dessert options. It's the kind of menu you can scan quickly, get a gut feeling on, and order right away. No hemming and hawing here. Knowing that my mom loves crab, I had a good guess about what she'd choose. She ordered the Dungeness Crab Roll, I chose the "Pulled Piggy," and we decided on the Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad to share.

Preparing Sandwiches Behind the Counter at Southie

After the sandwiches arrived (and they arrived quickly!) we opted to split both so we could try a little of everything. The Pulled Piggy was my favorite, with Niman Ranch pork and very little else to get in the way of the uber-juicy meat and buttery roll with the exception of a few jalapenos and a lightly dressed slaw. After one bite, I was already sold. I waited to hear from the other side of the table.

Pulled Piggy Sandwich at Southie

My mom fell hard for the Dungeness Crab Roll as I anticipated she might. It's not the mayonnaise-laden crab roll you may be familiar with. Instead, it's a light, literal celebration of sweet crab prepared with a little citrus oil, celery, and just a smidge of aioli. Let's just say there wasn't a whole lot of conversation during lunch. I tried talking about living in Oakland, how things were going at work -- you know, that kind of stuff. But once the crab sandwich was done, she'd moved onto the pork. And even more silence. She was a happy camper. See:

Mom enjoying Southie

And while I really loved each of the sandwiches, I fell hard for that Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad. It's, I kid you not, one of the best salads I've ever had in my young (ish) adult life and I can't wait to try and emulate it at home. The salad is prepared with frisee, couscous, radishes, and a truffle vinaigrette with a perfectly poached egg on top. You've got your little bit salty, little bit crunchy yet amazingly light thing going on here and it works really beautifully.

Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad

After lunch, we were both too full for dessert but I was dying to try one of Sarah Ballard's creations, particularly that whoopie pie I'd heard so much about. So we took one home and it proved to be the perfect late night snack. This whoopie pie is nothing like the traditional ones you may be used to. It consists of two extremely soft little rounds of carrot cake sandwiching a light, tart cream cheese ice cream. It's surprising, fresh, and special.

Sarah Ballard's whoopie pie

So two things have come out of this experience: my mom's a converted sandwich believer and I've discovered some very unexpected favorite dishes that have nothing to do with the celebrated sandwich at Southie. I will be back for the Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad. And if I lived in that neighborhood, I'd have my way with Sarah's whoopie pies far more frequently than would be good. Or healthy. For anyone.

It should be noted that, at the time of printing, the Dungeness Crab Sandwich is no longer available as crab season is coming to a close. I spoke with head chef Maximilian DiMare about what would replace it and he enthusiastically detailed a seared ahi tuna sandwich on foccaccia with anchovy aioli, sliced eggs, and a shredded green bean salad tossed with Calabrian chili vinaigrette. We'll be back.

Southie
Address: Map
6311 College Ave (at 63rd St)
Oakland, CA 94618
Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11-9; Sunday 11-3
Phone: 510.654-0100

To say that the grilled cheese sandwich is one of my favorite things in the world would be an understatement. And you know what? I'm not alone in that. I come from a generation that grew up on the beloved grilled cheese. The dish I came to love was simple and comforting: a layer of warm, melty American cheese embraced by two fluffy slices of toasted white sandwich bread, so crispy and buttery that it crackled like the top of a creme brulee at every bite.

Ok, so maybe I'm romanticizing a bit. I grew up on Kraft singles and Wonder Bread, and if I ate those things today, I doubt they'd taste as good as I remember. I grew up, and dammit, I wanted my beloved grilled cheese sandwich to grow up with me.

After years wandering in a grilled cheese arctic wasteland, someone stepped in to save me: Nate Pollak and Heidi Gibson, the "Big Cheeses" at a hot new South Park lunch eatery, the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Nate and Heidi matured the dish, taking it to a level of adult grilled cheese perfection that will completely overshadow any trace memories you have of thin Denny's cheese sammies that linger in your subconscious. Think gourmet cheeses, local produce, and a levain bread that would make Baby Jesus cry.

To give credit where credit is due, I was introduced to this place by my good friend Kirstin Jackson, the goddess of all things dairy. Whenever Kirstin tells me to jump at a new cheese dish, I listen. Kirstin and I met for lunch at the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen a few weeks ago, and I ordered something called the Butternut Buster. I had no idea what I was ordering, though I knew that I love butternut squash and cheese, so why wouldn't they go together?

A few minutes later my lunch showed up, and before me sat a sandwich that must have measured 4-inches thick. Between the thick, moist slices of toasted levain bread were layer upon layer of fresh sage butter, caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, tender prosciutto, and some of the most gooshy, melty gruyere and fontina cheese I've ever eaten. I dove into the sandwich like a dinosaur eating a caveman, and before long I was covered in cheese, meat, and breadcrumbs. I swear, I don't think I took a breath through the first half of my lunch. For that two minutes, my life was nothing but a lambada of flavor, texture, and aroma.

The menu at the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen changes frequently, peppered with a series of tantalizing daily specials on top of their hometown heros. Here's a sample of their current lunch offerings:

• Piglet -- Tillamook sharp cheddar, artisan cured ham, apple mustard, rosemary butter
• Mushroom Gruyère -- fontina, gruyère, roasted wild mushrooms + gold potatoes, melted leeks, caramelized onions, thyme butter
• Jalapeño Popper -- chèvre, monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, apricot-jalapeño relish
• Club Turkey -- Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Willie Bird smoked turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, Sierra Nevada stout mustard, roasted tomatos, arugula
• Mousetrap -- Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, monterey jack, on artisan sourdough (extra add-ons: applewood-smoked bacon, artisan cured ham, roasted tomato, and/or bread n'butter pickles)
• Moscone -- fresh mozzarella, fontina, roasted tomatoes, basil-lavender pesto, kalamata olive tapenade
• Smoky Tomato Soup -- house made with crème fraîche, croutons
• Stella's Cobb Salad -- chèvre, organic mixed greens, egg, organic cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, smoked turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, buttermilk dressing
• Tilly's Veggie Salad -- fresh mozzarella, organic mixed greens, egg, organic cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, croutons, champagne vinaigrette

Nate and Heidi even offer breakfast sandwiches:

• Classic Breakfast -- sharp cheddar, jack, cage-free egg
• Veggie Breakfast -- sharp cheddar, jack, egg, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, bell peppers
• Breakfast Piglet -- sharp cheddar, ham, egg, apple mustard, rosemary butter
• Farmer's Breakfast -- sharp cheddar, roasted potatoes, applewood-smoked bacon, cage-free egg, chive butter

Food allergy note: Guess what? The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen makes their own gluten-free bread, and all sandwiches on the menu can be served on this amazing bread for only fifty cents more. They even sell their bread by the loaf, and I guarantee you'll want to pick some up for reconstructing your own grilled cheese dreams at home.

What's my overall opinion? Get thee to the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen as soon as possible. Only open for breakfast and lunch, this place does mid-day meals right, and I can guarantee that the memory of your perfectly savory, perfectly grown-up grilled cheese sandwich will linger in your mind long after lunch if over. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you headed back the next day.

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
1 South Park Ave. Map
Suite 103A
San Francisco, 94107
Hours:
Mon-Fri 8am-3pm
Sat & Sun 9am-4pm

You can also follow the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen on Facebook and Twitter.

Butternut Buster
Butternut Squash Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onion and Sage Butter
By Nate Pollak and Heidi Gibson

Makes: 1 sandwich

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons sage butter (see recipe below)
2 slices of country bread
3 tablespoons caramelized onions (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons gruyere cheese
6 thin slices prosciutto
3 slices of roasted butternut squash (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons fontina cheese (preferably a stinky Italian fontina)

Preparation:

Sandwich Assembly and Cooking
Preheat oven to 500°.
1. Spread a thin layer of sage butter on the outer side of each of the slices of bread. Lay the bread butter-side down on a cookie surface.
2. Spread a thin layer of caramelized onions on the inside of one of the slices of bread. Follow with a layer of gruyere, a thin layer of prosciutto, 3 slices of roasted squash slices, and a layer of fontina cheese.
3. Place the other piece of buttered bread (butter-side out) on top of the layer of fontina.
4. Place the sandwich on a baking sheet and slide into oven. Cook for 1 minute, until top slice of bread is toasted and golden-brown. Remove the sandwich from the oven, flip it over, and bake again until the new top slice of bread is also golden-brown and all cheese is fully melted.
5. Remove from oven. Eat and Enjoy!

To Make Sage Butter

Ingredients:
1 pound salted butter
2 large sprigs of fresh sage leaves

Preparation:
1. Cream the salted butter with a stand mixer or electric hand beater.
2. Pluck leaves off sage sprigs and chop them coarsely.
3. Add chopped leaves to butter and mix until evenly distributed.

To Make Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:
1. Coat a skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil, add the diced onions and salt, and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, until onions are fully caramelized (dark brown color, sweet smell/taste, no more liquid in the pan).
2. Remove onions from heat and set aside.

To Make Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Peel the skin off the squash and slice the squash into thin rounds (so you get thin squash "disks").
3. Spread the squash slices onto a baking sheet with a sheet liner coated in a non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle oil over the squash and sprinkle a few pinches of salt.
4. Bake the squash for about 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. Bake until the slices are soft and darken in color to a rich orange.
5. Remove from oven and set aside.

Which came first: the chicken salad or the egg salad? It's a question I'd never bothered to ask myself before this year.

Until recently, I don't think I've ever much cared, since I've never considered myself much of a creamy, protein-based salad person: egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, you-name-it salad. Boring stuff, all of them.

So maybe I was wrong.

Thanks to my friends, the Rosas, I have suddenly and quite firmly changed my mind. I developed a mad crush on Coronation chicken salad, thanks to my friend Shannon's mother when she made them for a egg-and-chicken salad, Creationism, eggs salad, evolution, Henri Bergson, recipecharity tea party. More recently, my disdain for egg salad melted away amid the hungry cries of three members of the 10-and-under set. When their father, Craig, asked me if I could whip up some egg salad for the kids, I didn't bat an eye, though I realized that I had never before in my life thought to make such a thing.

It was a simple affair: hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Uncomplicated, unfussy, and just the thing for three sometimes-fussy and anything-but-uncomplicated kids. And it was good-- it left me wanting more.

A Moral Pickle

As my mind turned to thoughts of lunch for the week, I couldn't make up my mind as to whether I should make a batch of chicken salad or egg salad. The annoying old chestnut "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" came to mind? Frankly, I had no idea. It's a frustrating scientific/philosophic question that has no business complicating my luncheon plans. But I thought about it some more.

"Now who are the people that believe that chickens came first?" I thought. Creationists, of course. But then, I wondered, did the chickens of Eden actually lay eggs? What would be the purpose of that, apart from providing the occasional treat for Adam and Eve? Did the necessity of egg-laying or, at least, egg fertilization occur after The Fall? Were these chickens tainted with the mark of Original Sin along with the humans who caused all the trouble in the first place? These were questions I refused to answer on an empty stomach.

"And who falls into the egg-first camp?" I wondered. I figured it must be the Evolutionists or, if one wants to be less 19th Century about it, Scientists. If I were to make a sandwich to please those who believe that all life on earth began with single-celled organisms which gradually evolved into more complex organisms like, oh, chickens, it seemed to me that I might want to start with a simpler, earlier version of the animal. In other words, eggs.

I was a little overwhelmed by now and uncertain as to whether or not I should even bother with lunch at all-- I was losing my appetite. "To hell with it," I thought, "I'll just make a salad with chicken and egg and make everybody happy." I thought I might couch it as a Creative Evolution sort of thing. Of course, people have been trying to reconcile the two camps ever since Darwin came out with that book of his more than a century and a half ago. Some people are still trying. I'd like to think that, should the great minds belonging to each camp ever sit down together to try and hash things out, they might like to have this sandwich for lunch.

The Henri Bergson
Makes about 6 sandwiches

Of course, Bergson's theory of Creative Evolution doesn't really cut the mustard with scientists anymore. And it certainly doesn't give much in the way of time-of-day to the Creationists. But he coined the term which I borrowed, so he gets the sandwich. Besides, there was a certain élan vital-- a natural creative impulse (in this case, the need to please myself by the avoidance of inner conflict)-- that caused the evolution of this here sandwich.

When making this salad, I discovered, much to my own mayo-loving horror, that I had only about two tablespoons left of the stuff in my refrigerator. Hmm. And then it dawned on me: why on earth does one need to add mayonnaise to an egg salad, when it's already, well, so eggy? What is mayonnaise anyhow but egg yolk, oil, acid, and a few other things? Necessity or, at least, an unwillingness to make an extra trip to the grocery store is the mother of culinary invention. And it's excellent for its purpose, in case you were wondering. I might never add mayo again.

Oh, and the apple? Totally works, too. Though the apple isn't specifically mentioned in Genesis Garden of Eden story, neither is celery, with is more traditionally used for crunch in egg and/or chicken salads. And, well, I'm just not a huge fan of celery. In terms of Western mythologies, the apple is the traditional trouble maker. Think Adam and Eve, think Judgement of Paris. It's sexier and much, much tastier.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs, hard boiled

2 breasts of chicken or whatever other parts you prefer/have on hand, diced. I poached the bird pieces for this recipe, but bits of roasted chicken would work well, too. Just make sure to yield 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

1 apple finely diced, your preference. Something sweet and tart, like a Pink Lady will do nicely.

About 5 tablespoons of olive oil

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

The juice and zest of one lemon (Meyer, in my case)

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (or more to taste)

A heavy pinch of salt (or two)

Capers (as many as you like)

Chopped chives and dill for garnish

Freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel and slice your hardboiled eggs lengthwise. If you haven't the faintest idea as to how you might properly hard boil an egg, you are not alone. To hard boil eggs for this recipe, place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a pan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat and let sit for seven minutes. Run cold water over the eggs to cool down the hot water, then add ice to the pot to stop the cooking process entirely. Congratulations, you now hopefully have six hard boiled eggs.

2. Remove yolks from the whites of your eggs and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Chop egg whites and add to another, larger bowl.

3. Mash yolks with a fork and to them add olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt. No need to worry about emulsifying-- everything will blend together. And there's no need to worry about lumps-- it's an egg salad, for God's sake.

4. Add diced chicken, apples, capers, and lemon zest to the chopped egg whites and toss together. Now add the egg yolk dressing, chives, dill, and ground pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. If you are not currently feeling rushed by the cries of cranky, hungry small children, you might want to let the salad sit in your refrigerator overnight. The results will charm the pants right off of you.

6. For best eating results, let salad warm for several minutes to shake the chill of refrigeration off its shoulder. So to speak, since it should be (hopefully) obvious to you that chopped salads do not, as a rule, have shoulders unless they have been molded to into the likeness of something with shoulders, in which case, it still wouldn't have shoulders, but merely looks as though it might have them. I think you know what I mean.

7. Serve over lightly-dressed greens or between two slices of toasted, hearty bread, like pumpernickel (as shown above).

Shokolaat Lobster Salad Sandwich. Photo courtesy Kitchen Gadget Girl

The first thing you see when you walk into this self-described modern bistro are the sparkling cases stuffed with rich piles of handmade chocolates and pastries. That decadent display alone would be enough to draw one back to Shokolaat, but I was after quite another attraction: a meatloaf sandwich.

I've been to Shokolaat only for lunch (truth be told, I find their lunch menu far more interesting than their dinner offerings) and I have yet to be disappointed. Last spring, I had a mushroom soup drizzled with mint oil that was incredibly satisfying without being overly rich. That soup was good, very good, wonderfully good, but the salad I paired with it was great.

There's was nothing particularly interesting about the salad in question -- if I recall correctly, it was just greens and herbs -- but the greens were fresh and springy and the vinaigrette was neither too heavy nor too sweet. Fresh salad greens seem so simple, but I've met way too many salads that are ruined by limp lettuces and bad vinaigrette and, for me, there's nothing so disappointing as a bad salad. It's surprising how many restaurants can get it wrong.

But oy, that meatloaf sandwich! I'm a meatloaf lover. I love it hot and fresh with a steaming baked potato that has the perfect salt: butter: sour cream: minced scallion ratio. I love it cold the next morning, noon, or night. However, until Shokolaat showed me the way, I never loved it on a sandwich.

Served open-faced on two pieces of hearty bread coated with thin slices of oven-melted cheese, the spicy meat mixture has a tender, succulent crumb, full of flavor and comfort. Sigh. I get a big silly smile on my face just thinking about it.

Oh, and a word on that cheese addition, because of course I have decided cheese opinions. I don't add cheese to the meatloaf sandwiches I now make at home, but Shokolaat's sandwich has just the right amount to give flavor and texture but not so much that it puts this fairly elegant sandwich in grinder territory. I loathe it when cheese takes over any dish except fondue, but Shokolaat strikes the perfect balance.

Unfortunately, I found out that the meatloaf sandwich rotates out with other sandwiches they like to offer. "We have a really good hamburger right now!" the Shokolaat guy insisted when I called to ask about the meatloaf sandwich. Hey, I'll try it, but there are bunches of places in Palo Alto and Menlo Park to get good hamburgers. The same can hardly be said of an awesome meatloaf sandwich.

Shokolaat Pizzetta. Photo courtesy Kitchen Gadget Girl

Other highlights I discovered are two tasty pizzettas with pretty good crusts, macaroni and cheese topped with brioche crumbs and served in an impossibly adorable, personal-sized Le Creuset Dutch oven, and a lobster salad sandwich with avocado and Meyer lemon vinaigrette on a fresh, buttery croissant. The menu calls the lobster sandwich the "Neighborhood Favorite" and notes that they tried to take this particular item off but people, like, rioted or something, so they learned their lesson and there it stays.

Maybe I need to start a riot to bring the meatloaf sandwich back sooner...

Shokolaat
516 University Ave (at Cowper)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650.289.0719

Hours:
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:00pm
Brunch: Saturday-Sunday 11:30am-2:00pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5:30pm-9:00pm; Sunday 5:30pm-8:30pm

Tangy barbecue sauce dripping over slow-cooked pork on a bun. Yum. I freely admit that I am a fan of all things pork. I love pork chops, bacon, and roast loin, not to mention all those sausages. But there's something astonishing about taking one of the least expensive cuts of pork you can buy and turning it into one of the tenderest and juiciest sandwiches you can eat. Ah -- the miracle of pork.

When you're having a large group of people over, pulled pork sandwiches are a great menu option. In addition to the dish being pretty cost effective, it takes very little prep time and even less hands-on cooking time to make. But forget the pragmatic reasons. The real rationale behind making pulled pork is its crowd appeal -- it’s just one of those dishes that people get excited about eating. Although it’s not something most of us have on a regular basis, pork sandwiches laden with tasty barbecue sauce is a treat few would turn down.

Although traditional pulled pork is often cooked in a smoker or slowly barbecued with wood chips, I like to let mine roast at a leisurely pace in a covered pan in the oven. I don’t own a smoker and am more comfortable using my oven than the barbecue, so this works well for me. I also love the way the house smells while the meat cooks. I realize this method of preparing pulled pork would be sacrilege to anyone who grew up in the South, but I’m not a Southerner, so I am a peace with my technique.

There are a few essentials to making a great pulled pork sandwich that should not be overlooked.

1. The meat should sit overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours, with a rub on it before you cook it. This both flavors and tenderizes the meat.

2. You need to make a nice cider vinegar sauce to pour over the pork. Although some recipes say you can use store-bought barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar gives the dish its tangy signature flavor. It’s also easy and fast to make, so please whip it up yourself.

3. Serving the pork on fluffy white bread rolls is key to the final result. White hamburger buns will suffice, but anything made from whole wheat or with a crunchy crust should be avoided. The pork just tastes better when nestled into doughy white rolls soaked with sauce.

So if you're up for some porky goodness, here's a recipe you might try.

Pulled Pork

Makes enough meat for 12 -14 sandwiches

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs pork butt
1 Tbsp salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp chili Powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried celery seed
1 tsp dried ground mustard seed
1 tsp Black pepper

Note: I sometimes use 1 Tbsp chili powder and 1 Tbsp chipotle powder

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients except the pork butt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Set pork butt on a baking dish or plate and cover with the rub on all side. Gently massage the rub into the meat.
3. Cover the meat and set it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 3-4 hours.
4. When you're ready to start cooking, place your pork in a large Le Creuset dutch oven with the top on, or cover your baking dish tightly with foil.
5. Set the dish into the oven, which should be preheated to 350 degrees (325 if using a convection oven).
6. Bake for at least 3 hours without disturbing. Try to avoid taking the cover off the pan to check the meat as you’ll release steam each time you do this, and you need the steam to help keep the roast moist and juicy while it cooks.
7. After your three hours are up, take the meat out of the oven and set it on a dish to rest for 5-10 minutes.
8. Then, start breaking the meat up into small pieces. If your pork butt was tied with butcher string, be sure to remove the string before you start doing this step. I use two forks to break the meat up. Just place the tines into the meat and pull (yes, it really is pulled pork). The meat should easily separate.
9. Heat your buns in the already warmed oven for about five minutes.
10. Place a healthy scoop of pork on each bun and top with the sauce. Serve.

Pulled Pork Cider Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 tsp dried yellow mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or as much as you’d like)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and mix thoroughly.
2. Heat until the sauce starts to bubble and then simmer for at least ten minutes on low.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may also wish to add more cayenne pepper.
4. Serve with pulled pork sandwiches.