There is a story that goes back to 18th century England, where John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, asked for meat tucked between two slices of bread. This request started to pick up in popularity and other people started requesting to get the same meal as Montagu. The name caught on and if this story is true, we have what is now known as the modern and delicious sandwich.

While this story may or may not be true, the idea of putting meat between bread is probably one of my favorite food innovations. Whether it’s Dutch crunch or rye bread, lettuce or avocado, salami or pastrami, mustard or mayonnaise, I will eat it up and love it.

For this week’s competition I grabbed some napkins and dived into the world of sandwiches. The three restaurants I chose were on the basis of friend’s referrals, proximity to Sacramento State and their free-parking downtown.

Now on to the competitors!

The Bread Store:

A midtown must, the Bread Store offers freshly baked bread including asiago cheese sourdough, sourdough rye, multi-grain, focaccia and a traditional rustic French as well as delicious sandwiches. There is also some really nice artwork on the outside of the building which makes you feel a bit more hip than when walking into your neighborhood Subway. I love a place that has some soul to it, and the Bread Store did not disappoint.

I ordered the El Cubano, which is grilled ciabatta bread stuffed with pork, ham and Swiss cheese – topped with pickles and a tangy Caribbean aioli sauce. If this sandwich is any indication of what Cuba is like, I’m moving there right away. The grilled ciabatta bread was crunchy and sealed in all the juices of the meat and aioli sauce. For $7.75, this sandwich is about the same price as some of the sandwiches at the aforementioned Subway, but the quality, taste and service is a hundred times better. I will definitely be visiting again, or moving to Cuba.

The Sandwich Spot:

The Sandwich spot is sort of a mini-chain of sandwich restaurants, with six locations in the greater Sacramento area and three in the Bay Area. Though I usually try to stay away from chains, this restaurant gave me a reason to break the habit. In a building that looks like someone’s house, the Sandwich Spot blends in nicely with the rest of the residential 18th and Q area of midtown. This really gives it the feeling of a mom-and-pop-style place and the food is a reflection of that. My sandwich of choice was the un-named signature sandwich of the day. For $6.99 this tasty treat consisted of a Dutch Crunch roll, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, normal tomatoes, provolone cheese and a creamy pesto sauce. The thing I liked most about this sandwich was the mix of the provolone cheese, pesto sauce and sun-dried tomatoes. It was creamy, sweet, and really brought out the flavor of the grilled chicken. I’m going to make it my mission to visit every Sandwich Spot location in Sacramento to try all their different sandwich creations.

Dad’s:

Dad’s sandwiches, sporting a menu of more than 20 awesome sandwiches, is located on 13th and S, also in the midtown area. There is some decent outdoor seating, which on a nice day is a great way to eat your lunch. For my lunch there I ordered the Bad Breath Special. In this $7 sandwich there was roast beef, walnuts, blue cheese, red onion, roasted red bells and mushrooms with garlic spread, brown mustard, pepper plant and horseradish sauce, though I left that off, on organic rye bread. In other words this sandwich offered something for every taste bud, as well as horrible breath. I absolutely loved it. Blue cheese is the quintessential cheese for any sandwich; it has such a distinct taste that lends itself perfectly to almost anything it’s put on. The roast beef was great as well; I even enjoyed the mushrooms which is something I usually avoid like the plague, or like horseradish. I will be back to try the Fat Elvis, which is peanut butter, local honey and a banana on white bread. Long live the king.

And the winner is…

With so many different sandwiches to choose from this was not an easy decision. The point of a competition is to have a winner though, unless you play Little League and everyone gets a trophy, and this isn’t “an everybody wins” competition. So for the best sandwiches in Sacramento, The Bread Store is the place to go.

With the combination of decadent sandwiches and freshly baked breads, the Bread Store offers a salivating experience for any food enthusiast. The staff is very nice, the food is delicious and the bread is the best.

If you don’t agree or want to share your own sandwich adventure with me comment or write me at [email protected].

For next week’s challenge, Sacramento’s best Greek food!

Matt Rascher can be reached at mrascher@statehornet.com