PEC Challenge: The Little Sandwich Shop (Hyannis, MA)

This week, I am out of state for the first time in months and the first time in Cape Cod, enjoying the salty New England shores of the Kennedy's, ever heard of them? No seriously, I'm down the street from their famous compound, walking the same beaches of the rich and famous.  Unfortunately, no one has been allowed in the water in several days due to a bacterial outbreak.  Not very posh in my opinion but I digress.  It seems every street I go down has some sort of shrine to a member of the Kennedy family so I guess they're kind of a big deal around here.  I've had exactly two lobster rolls and approximately sixty-nine white claws since arriving so hopefully I'm making JFK proud.  What I did not expect to eat while in Hyannis is a pork roll, egg, and cheese but apparently, there's a rogue New Jersey resident roaming these streets who decided to open a sandwich shop aptly named Little Sandwich Shop. (The spot is actually not that little which confused me).  I suppose they don't get many people ordering "The Trenton" around here because the very friendly woman working the register immediately asked if I was from NJ for ordering four of them.  What they didn't know is that they were in the presence of the premiere pork roll blogger in the world.  Bread Rating: 8.2/10 (A fresh toasted roll, a nice toasted layer but still soft.)

Pork Roll Rating: 8.3/10 (Heaps of pork roll shipped in from NJ, thinking it's Taylor brand.  The sandwich is named the Trenton after all.)

Egg Rating: 7.5/10 (Scrambled egg is a rookie move BUT these eggs were really good.  Mixing in the cheese doesn't hurt.)

Cheese Rating: 8.4/10 (White American both toasted into the roll and mixed into the egg is not a rookie move, however.  Superb.)

Sandwich Composition: 7.7/10 (No SPK but the toasted roll, crispy pork roll, and white American were all veteran moves.)

Overall: 8.02/10 (Every out of state pork roll spot is now put on notice.  It is possible to have a good PEC outside NJ.  The only downside is that this place opens at 11am so they treat the PEC as some sort of lunch sandwich.  But if you're visiting Cape Cod from NJ this is your best bet.  Unsure if oysters and lobster rolls are effective hangover cures.)

Price: $7

The Little Sandwich Shop is located at 428 Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601. 

PEC Challenge: Dee Dee's Kitchen

After a four-month delay, Mets baseball is back! As you all know, I love this team probably (definitely) way more than they deserve.  Opening Day is always huge for me as it signifies the end of winter and the beginning of what I like to call tanning season.  Is it a little awkward to be enjoying Opening Day on a random Friday afternoon at the end of July with an empty stadium full of cardboard cutouts?  Sure, but I'm still going to enjoy the hell out of some Bud Lights and hot dogs while watching inside the safety of home instead of my usual spot in the Pepsi Porch at Citi Field.  Anyway here are the three ways this 60 game sprint will inevitably end in disappointment for me and the Mets.  Option A) The Mets start the season on a tear like they normally do only to follow up month 2 with a terrible record and miss the playoffs since there won't be any time to make up for lost ground.  Option B) They start the season like complete dogshit (think 2-14) and can't climb out of it (although they'll finish the season strong. OR Option C) They win the World Series, no one will say it counts, no parade or celebration, and it's the only time the Mets win in my lifetime.  #LFGM. 

Speaking of grilled pork product, I had an interesting time getting a pork roll today.  Thinking a place called Dee Dee's Kitchen would be a take out restaurant I was shocked when I arrived to find a bodega/convenience store set up.  Nothing wrong with that but interesting name choice for a convenience store.  Well, their card machine and ATM were both broken due to the storms so they gave me the pork roll for free.  (I'm going back tomorrow with cash to give them, I'm not some freeloader.) Pretty nice though considering the guy at the counter didn't start our encounter friendly (he probably knew everything was down).  Anyway, we turned a negative into a positive and found a solid pork roll in a place I didn't expect.  Also, shoutout to my Aunt DD, happy birthday! (This is why I chose to go to this place today.) 

Bread Rating: 6.6/10 (Convenience store roll.  Not the worst thing in the world but not entirely fresh.)

Pork Roll: 7.8/10 (Multiple slices of thin cut pork roll, well done.  This might have been the most well-done pork roll I've had on this quest so far.)

Egg Rating: 7.8/10 (Not going to lie, I was expecting a microwaved egg here.  That wasn't the case! And for that I'm grateful.)

Cheese Rating: 7.2/10 (Cheese was very melted, grilled cheese like melted.  Which is much better than a half-melted Kraft single.)

Sandwich Composition: 7.6/10 (A good composition here, SPK ratio was there, and everything was evenly balanced.  Nice)

Overall: 7.4/10 (Classic "never judge a book by it's cover" case here.  After a semi-cold welcome and a non functioning card reader, I figured I was in for a disaster of a sandwich. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one.)

Price: $4, which is an excellent price.

Dee Dee's Kitchen is located at 12 Merchants Way, Colts Neck, NJ 07722 

PEC Challenge: Old Time Bagels

It has happened.  The rat's nest also known as my "quarantine hair" has been cut and shaped back into what could be considered a "normal functioning adult." length.  Minus the good looks and fame, the transition has been almost like Vinny Chase in season 7 of Entourage.  You know, the season when everyone wondered if the show was still good because Vinny went through an existential crisis after performing his own stunts on a movie, got addicted to drugs, and dated Sasha Grey?  The only portion of that trifecta I've ever experienced in my life is the existential crisis and that's why my friends always affectionately compared me to the character Johnny Drama.  Other than being the oldest, most washed up member of my friend group (with the best calves), I don't see it.  Anyway, I won't bore you with any more details of a show that's been off the air for nearly a decade let's get to Old Time Bagels.  Coincidentally, this spot is right next door to the salon I go to get my haircut.  (Yes we've been through this my mom works at a salon and my girl Helen gives me great haircuts, get over it.) 

Bread Rating: 6.6/10 (The bagels here are just OK, on the smaller side, and not very toasted.)

Pork Roll Rating: 7.8/10 (True pork roll flavor, thin cut, heated to perfection.)

Egg Rating: 7.6/10 (A fried egg with the right seasoning can make all the difference between a 7 and a 6.)

Cheese Rating: 6.6/10 (Standard Kraft single.)

Sandwich Composition: 6.9/10 (Average composition for a bagel sandwich.  Good SPK application.)

Overall: 7.1/10 (With an average bagel and above-average pork roll, this isn't a bad everyday PEC)

Price: $5

Old Time Bagels is located at 3253 NJ-35, Hazlet, NJ 07730

PEC Challenge: Edi's Luncheonette

"The Dog Days of Summer," is that what we still call these times when you have zero motivation to do anything?  I must admit, I haven't been on vacation since my last post 2 and a half weeks ago.  My dumb brain is just conditioned by the American public school system to turn off during the months of December (winter break) and July (summer break), which is a little problematic since I haven't had a winter or summer break in over a decade and this condition prohibits me from thinking creatively or critically for a couple of weeks of the year. (Any psychologists in the crowd, now's your time to shine.  Please, evaluate me.)   Lucky for you, I'm back on my bullshit (after weeks of staring at a blank blog screen with only pictures of food and nothing to write about). I have a couple of new pork rolls from South Jersey and the big finale of our Taliercio's challenge coming up for you guys next week, as well as unveiling a brand new project to hopefully help quell my brain's insatiable appetite for distraction.  

Edi's Luncheonette is a cute little breakfast/lunch (but not BRUNCH) spot right off of Rumson Rd heading towards Sea Bright.  Located in an old farmhouse next to an incredibly old cemetery in Little Silver, Edi's boasts a long diner counter (only used for pickups these days) with a few tables outdoors for you to enjoy your food.  This is going to be more of a diner PEC than a deli or bagelry. (According to spell check bagelry isn't a real word, but guess what? It is now! Welcome to history.) 

Bread Rating: 6.8/10 (You know when a roll has a little too much flour on the top? That's what this one was like.  It might look like a little bit too much bread from the picture but the roll was pillowy and not heavy.) 

Pork Roll Rating: 7.2/10 (Two slices with a seasoned griddle.  Taylor brand for sure.)

Egg Rating: 8.4/10 (Fried egg medium over, was the star of the show.  When you have some run on the egg and it seeps into the bread, you know you're doing something right. This place did just that.  Magnificent.  

Cheese Rating: 7.4/10 (Some real American cheese, when mixed with runny egg yolk; melted into the tasted roll and hot pork roll; will start your morning the right way. 

Sandwich Composition: 7.6/10 (Love when the egg yolk goes into the bread.  Points off for no SPK.)

Overall Rating: 7.4/10 (A very nicely done PEC from a beloved luncheonette on your way to the beach.)

Price: $6.50

Edi's Luncheonette is located at 164 Rumson Rd, Little Silver, NJ 07739

Taliercio's Challenge: Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks just recently (last Sunday), turned 94 (!) years old.  To celebrate, I'm going to bring out the panini in his honor that I ate on March 13th at my friend Mike's house right before coronavirus knocked down our doors.  (We had a bonfire that night in a futile attempt to ward off bad spirits.) While I'd like to say I waited until Mel Brooks' birthday to eat this panini, I didn't want to be a liar.  Also, I have 3 Taliercio's sandwiches to go and they will all be eaten this week so that I could bring you all an exciting new sandwich project next week! Who is Mel Brooks? Remember, way back when this blog just started with "The Blazin' Saddle"? He's the genius behind that and dozens of other classic comedies including The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.  One of only 15 people who have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), winning his first Emmy in 1967 for Outstanding Writing in Variety for the Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special.  His first Academy Award came in 1969 for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers, which also produced his Tony Award wins when The Producers became a Broadway show in 2001 (famously starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick).  His Grammy Award win came in 1999 for Best Spoken Comedy Album for "The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000," a longtime comedy sketch created with his best friend Carl Reiner (who just passed away at age 98, RIP).  Brooks has been long regarded as one of the greatest comedic writers of the century and is still working on bringing more of his written screenplays to Broadway today. 

Mel Brooks: Corned Beef and Pastrami Brisket, Swiss, Coleslaw, Russian Dressing

This was a little similar to the "Reuben," grilled cheese known as The Big Apple in that you have the corned beef and swiss, except on this panini you are adding in coleslaw and Russian Dressing.  I consider this added value!  Who wouldn't want to add more flavor to their paninis?  Juicy, thin slices of corned beef and pastrami mixed with swiss.  Delicious. Coleslaw is pretty far down the list of BBQ sides for me, but still, this mayo-based veggie side mixed with the Russian Dressing gave this panini the extra kick to get it higher than the Big Apple.

Overall: 7.8/10 

PEC Challenge: Shore Deli & Grill

Life is finally returning slowly to the Jersey Shore.  This weekend was the first to allow outdoor dining and outdoor bars to return, and I'd say the experiment was wildly successful, at least in Red Bank.  Dining plazas and string lights took over Broad Street as everyone wondered why we didn't always do it this way.  Hopefully, this practice will continue because it's pretty awesome.  Anyway, I took a ride to Bradley Beach this morning to check out Shore Deli & Grill.  It's right on Main Street about 5 blocks from the beach in a little plaza with a convenience store.  Some may say it looked a little "run down," I'd call it "seasoned." There's a great bar across the street, D'Arcy's Tavern, and what appears to be new condos going up on the corner so a renovation might be coming for this convenience plaza.  The pork roll sandwich wasn't terrible though and with its proximity to the beach could be a good stop before braving the shore parking nightmare in Bradley Beach. 

Bread Rating: 6.2/10 (A hard roll that was kind of soggy from the ketchup, seemed kind of like a convenience store roll, you know the type. 

Pork Roll Rating: 7.4/10 (Three slices, all cut towards the thin side, with the perfect amount of heat on them.)

Egg Rating: 7.1/10 (A very cheesy egg situation here but in a good way.  The salt and pepper application to this one was superb.)

Cheese Rating: 7.3/10 (Very liberal application of cheese on this sandwich and that's not necessarily a bad thing!)

Sandwich Composition: 6.3/10 (The salt and pepper ratio was right on but with all that ketchup and cheese there comes a price, and the price is sliding meats.)

Overall: 6.9/10 (This was not a bad PEC and you can only do what you can with what you have.  But I'd say if you're in Bradley Beach and are stopping for a pork roll before miserably looking for parking, check this place out.)

Price: $4.50

Shore Deli & Grill is located at 123 Main St, Bradley Beach, NJ 07720

Taliercio's Challenge: Yogi Berra

Born Lorenzo Berra in 1925, Yogi (his teammate said his flexibility behind the plate resembled a yogi from India after seeing a newsreel at the time) Berra is the only baseball player to have the distinction of having a Taliercio's sandwich named after him.  Oh, what other accomplishments does he have? How about a 19-season MLB career (all with the, ugh, New York Yankees, except the final two seasons with the Mets) of which he was a 16-time All-Star and 10-time World Series winner, more than any other player in MLB history.  All of that AFTER serving in the US Navy during WW2, where he earned a Purple Heart during the Normandy landings, at age 19.  A three-time AL MVP, and 1972 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Berra appeared as a player, coach or manager in every one of the 13 World Series that New York baseball teams won from 1947 through 1978.  Following his playing retirement in 1963, he joined the New York Mets as a coach, ultimately managing the team from 1972 until 1975, when he returned to coach the Yankees until 1985.  And though his coaching career ended in 1989, his "Yogi-isms" are still well-known, famously saying "It ain't over till it's over" to reporters when the Mets trailed the Cubs by 9 1/2 games in July.  The Mets rallied to clinch the division title and went on to win the NL Pennant, losing to Oakland in the World Series.  Other "Yogi-isms" you may have heard include: "90 percent of baseball is mental; the other half is physical." "Always go to other people's funerals; otherwise they won't go to yours." and "I really didn't say everything I said."  

Yogi Berra: Mesquite Turkey, Swiss, Lettuce, Tomato, Mustard

Like Yogi, this sandwich is a classic.  Not a ton of frills here but it gets the job done, just how Yogi would lead the Yankees in RBIs year in and year out despite playing with guys like Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.  Well, neither of those guys ever won a World Series with the Mets (Yogi was a bench coach for the 1969 Mets and managed the 1973 team that went to the World Series), or have had a sandwich named after them at Taliercio's.  While we're here. let's talk about the inclusion of spicy brown mustard.  It is the superior hot dog dressing, and there is nothing much better than sitting down in the afternoon on a hot summer day with a day game dog.  I miss baseball.    

Overall: 7.2