As a girl constantly on the hunt for the perfect sandwich, I was more than a little excited to recently discover in my possession the makings of a new-to me ‘wich that met all of my requirements for sandwicharific perfection.
This particular sandwich came together by pure serendipity. The bread, an airy miniature multigrain loaf from a bakery in Lexington, Va., was a donation from Mother Menu, who was generous enough to share with me after a recent trip. I just so happened to have a chunk of quatrella de bufala, an herbaceous buffalo milk cheese, leftover from some weekend entertaining. I had been recently inspired by a dish of squid, white beans and arugula at Edo’s Squid, and so had made my own rendition, minus the squid, and had plenty of extra reserved. And some walnut pesto made its way into my fridge after serving pesto potato & green bean salad to a crowd of 50.
So, what do you get when you combine white beans, arugula, buffalo cheese & pesto? A magic sandwich, that’s what.
It’s a super-simple sandwich to assemble. While a bit of olive oil heated in a small pan, I sliced the bread and spread it with the pesto, then layered on the buffalo milk cheese, a couple of heaping spoonfuls of white beans and arugula and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella. The sandwich receives just enough time in the hot pan to produce hot and crispy goodness.
Now, when I’m not fortunate enough to just happen to have the makings of the perfect sandwich in my own fridge, there are a few Richmond stand-bys I turn to for my sandwich cravings. Here’s a quick top-three roundup!
Fresh Mozz, Arugula & Prosciutto Gyro, 8 1/2
This sandwich combines the most ethereal fresh mozzarella with salty proscuitto and peppery arugula on crusty bread with loads of olive oil. It’s the definition of swoon-worthy.
Cheese Columbo w/Eggplant, Coppola’s
You know when the cheese oozes out of a sandwich and forms a crispy crust of cheesy goodness on a hot grill? That’s what this sandwich is all about. Well, that and the hot peppers and marinated eggplant. The combo is addictive.
The Dagwood, Chiocca’s
This tribute to the original sandwich master lives up to its name: layers of turkey, roast beef, pastrami, provolone, swiss, Thousand Island and mustard, all piled high on toasted rye.
Beans on a sandwich? How cuisine-forward! Nothing better than making a simple meal out of decadent leftovers. Well maybe the Gyro from 8 1/2.
It’s a beanwich!