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Would You Eat This Palin Sandwich?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:30:09 -0800

Last week I couldn't stop gushing about Ike's Place, my new favorite sandwich joint in town. Well, this weekend, I made a return trip there and tried one of their new offerings, an election-minded sandwich called The Palin.

Generously sized for its $8.98 price tag, The Palin was jam-packed with shredded chicken breast, deep-fried mozzarella sticks, blue cheese, and Frank's Red Hot Sauce. While I wished there had been a little less hot sauce, I thought the result was one heavenly mess.

'Wich of the Week: The Ex-Boyfriend at Ike's Place

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:41 -0700

I love Ike's Place so much that I could start a 'Wich of the Week spinoff devoted solely to sandwiches from Ike's. I was hesitant to write about my new favorite sandwich place in San Francisco, since the lines are long enough already. But keeping the enormous, palate-entertaining creations to myself wouldn't be in the spirit of sandwich love.

Opened a year ago, Ike's is a tiny storefront in the Castro neighborhood, barely big enough to accommodate its sizable staff - making sandwiches this well is no easy task - and massive menu of 50-plus sandwiches with playful names like Nacho Boy (hot roast beef, mushrooms, avocado, and swiss) and the Paul Reubens (a take on the Reuben with poppy-seed coleslaw). Priced between $7 and $9, these are some of the largest sandwiches I've ever eaten; if I have one for lunch, I'm hardly hungry for dinner. But that's not even a taste of why I like Ike's. To count the ways, read more.

I have sampled several sandwiches from Ike's, all of which come with lettuce, tomato, and onions. My favorite so far is We're Just Friends, which features shredded chicken cooked in a sweet orange glaze, contrasted with avocado and pepperjack. On my most recent trip, I tried the similar but not quite as transcendent That's Too Bad (above), with chicken, spicy lime fajita sauce, mushrooms, and pepperjack, as well as today's featured sandwich, the Ex-Boyfriend, with salami, bacon, avocado, and cheddar. I've whipped up a recipe below, but first, here's are five reasons that Ike's is awesome.

The rolls - your choice of French, sourdough, wheat, or Dutch crunch - aren't baked until you order your sandwich, so they are fresh beyond belief.
Before baking, the rolls are spread with "dirty sauce," a homemade garlic and herb aioli. It's very subtle but adds a perfect little kick.
The ingredients are first-rate. The shredded chicken is so moist, I could eat a plate of it, and the avocados are always perfectly ripe.
The French fries are to die for. They're medium-cut but with a crust like curly fries that tastes vaguely of chipotle.
The staff is super nice. Clearly they care a lot about sandwiches, so they are happy to help you make a decision about which of the sandwiches suits you best.

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For a sandwich lover like myself, Ike's is something of an obsession. But I'll try to refrain from letting it take over 'Wich of the Week. I haven't quite figured out how Ike's makes its sammies (for instance, does it put them back in the oven after assembling them?) but here's an approximation of the Ex-Boyfriend to try at home.

Salami and Bacon on Dutch Crunch
Inspired by Ike's Place

Ingredients

1 Dutch crunch or French roll
2 tablespoons of garlic aioli
2-3 slices of cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced red onion, to taste
1/4 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 avocado, sliced
3 slices of tomato, thinly sliced
8 slices of high-quality salami
6 strips of bacon, cooked

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice Dutch crunch or French roll in half horizontally, and coat the inside of the roll on both sides with garlic aioli.
Lay sliced cheddar on bottom half, and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven. On top of the cheese, arrange onions, lettuce, avocado, tomato, salami, and bacon.
Place the top half of the roll onto the stack of ingredients, cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes one sandwich.

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Become a Mike and Ike Mix Master

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 04:53:18 -0700

Are you a fan of the sweet and chewy Mike and Ike candies? From now until September 14th, you can be the "brand mix masters" by voting for the next flavor mix. You can choose from Smoothies, Lemonade Blends and Fruit Sherbet. In addition to voting, you can also enter promo codes - found in specially marked packages - that could make you eligible for concert tickets for a year, an iPod Nano and other prizes.

Right now Lemonade Blends is in the lead - that's what I'm rooting for - but there's no telling who will win. The winning flavor will join the rest of the Mike and Ike lineup including the latest "Tangy Twister" flavor and the good ol' original lineup.

Which flavor do you want to see in stores?

Source: PR Newswire

Would You Eat This Wise Guy Burger?

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:50:04 -0700

If the world's largest burger wasn't too much for you, maybe you can appreciate the newest addition to the burgerverse. Grub Street reports that casual chain Red Robin has created a breakthrough called the Wise Guy Burger, which consists of a burger patty, marinara sauce, pepperoni slices, peppers, tomatoes, and yes, mozzarella sticks. Although they say it "just seems wrong" to go there, as a lover of The Palin sandwich at Ike's, I must respectfully disagree. Is it something you'd try?

Source

Ike's

nancita — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:21:10 -0700

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Come Party With Me: Oscars Viewing - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:15:45 -0800

Pastry chef extraordinaire Sherry Yard is famous for creating the desserts served at the Governors Ball. Every year she offers the stars chocolate Oscars and buttery shortbread cookies. For my Oscar viewing, I'll take a tip from Yard and serve a bite-sized dessert. Decadent chocolate fudge with (or without) walnuts is rich and delicious. Instead of slicing the fudge into neat squares, use an Oscar cookie cutter to shape the fudge into mini statuettes.

If you don't have time to make dessert, simply fill bowls with movie-theater candy, like Junior Mints, Mike and Ikes, and Milk Duds. To look at the fudge recipe, read more.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Walnut Fudge
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 cups sugar
1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces, toasted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang.
Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl.
Stir sugar and evaporated milk in heavy large deep saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Boil until temperature registers 234°F, stirring constantly and adjusting heat to avoid boiling over, about 10 minutes.
Immediately pour milk mixture over chocolate mixture. Whisk until chocolate and butter melt and fudge is smooth. Mix in nuts and vanilla.
Spread fudge evenly in prepared pan. Refrigerate uncovered until cold and set, about 3 hours.
Using foil as aid, lift fudge from pan. Cut crosswise into 7 strips, then lengthwise into 5 strips. Return to pan, cover, and chill. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Makes 35 pieces.

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