Wendy's Flatbread Goodies: Not Exactly Flatbread. Kind of a Sandwich. A Bit Healthier.

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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If you could take a snapshot of fast food menus from 10-15 years ago and compare them with menus today, it'd be glaringly obvious that on-the-go joints are making a push toward healthier menus. Salads have acquired more real estate. Calorie counts are starting to appear to assist in guilting people into making "better" dietary decisions. Wendy's has now taken another step in the name of clean-ish living with the release of its Chicken Flatbreads line.

For this post, the Asiago Ranch Chicken Flatbread ($3.99, sandwich only) was tasted, but our beloved Scarlet Minx also offers up a Smoky Honey Mustard version as well. The item features a seed-freckled square of flatbread that is slathered with ranch dressing and folded around lettuce, tomato, bacon, Asiago cheese and sliced grilled chicken. It's hard to come up with a classification for the item. Though it's on a flatbread, it's technically not flat. It's not really a wrap or a sandwich by typical standards either. Perhaps a closer approximation would be to call it a "horizontal taco," but that sounds ... unsettling. We'll just leave the name up to your own interpretation, cool?

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Old World Sausage Co.'s Beef and Sausage Sandwich Is a Link to the Past

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Old World Sausage Co.

Sandwich: The Italian Beef and Sausage Sandwich ($6.95)

Bread: Good old hoagie

Toppings: Home-stuffed Italian sausage, thinly sliced Italian beef, bell peppers and onions

The Case: The last time I took a trip to our dear Dallas Farmers Market, I hit it huge with one of the greatest sandwiches things I have ever eaten. Hoping to nail another edible coup, I turned my eye to the Old World Sausage Company, which hangs link in the northeast corner of Shed 2.


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Holy $#@& This is a Long Review of a Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Only for the last few weeks he blew off this very important assignment to attend to way-less-important ones, including getting married. Apparently he was a little excited because he filed about 4,700 words about a chicken sandwich. I was going to edit it down, but then I thought, Screw it, they're pretty decent words and this way I can make fun of him for it, and so can you! -- Joe Tone, editor

Venue: Holy Grail Pub

Sandwich: Balsamic Chicken Sandwich ($10)

Bread: Sourdough, buttered and seared on the surface of a fiery griddle

Toppings: Thoroughly smited chicken breast, balsamic dressing, spinach, sliced strawberries and pecan ricotta

The Case: A while back Reitz put out an APB for a quality grilled chicken sandwich. Tons of folks responded, and it got me thinking of joints that might be able to sate Scott's deep burn for the perfectly pressed poultry. I was scouting out places to try when I found what looked to be a pretty unique take on the sandwich being served up at the Holy Grail Pub in Plano.

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Flip the Double-Bird to Swimsuit Season with Nosh's Croque-Monsieur

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Nosh

Sandwich: The Croque-Monsieur ($11)

Bread: Empire Baking brioche sliced thicker than pre-natal Jessica Simpson

Toppings: Bayonne ham, gruyere and bechamel

The Case: Simplicity is the theme of the week. While sandwiches with creatively delicious ingredients and exotic preparation are great, sometimes it's just good to have a simple sandwich prepared the right way. With that, I headed to the restaurant with the world's fourth shortest name: Nosh.

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Bolsa Mercado Cranks Out a Solid with the Turkey Ciabatta

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments, and he'll check it out.

Venue: Bolsa Mercado
Sandwich: Smoked Turkey Ciabatta ($7)

Bread: Fresh ciabatta from the very familiar Village Baking Co.

Toppings: House-smoked turkey, even smokier bacon, arugula, Swiss, pepper relish, avocado spread

The Case: This week's 'Wich Trials takes us to the fairly new Bolsa Mercado, another Davis Street jam from the Chrises Jeffers and Zielke, owners of Bolsa. They've teamed up with esteemed chefs Jeff Harris and Matt Balke to create a market that splits time as purveyor of finer grocery goods and house-everything deli. The Mercado offshoot sits a Yu Darvish long-toss down the street from the original restaurant, offering the same rehabbed charm that Bolsa provides. Walking inside, the vibe reminds me of a more spread-out Jimmy's Food Store, minus the drive-thru.


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Off-Site Kitchen's Brough Ham Fleetwood Sandwich Goes Its Own Way

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Off-Site Kitchen

Sandwich: Brough Ham Fleetwood ($5.95)

Bread: Toasted bun imported from Village Baking Co. less than a mile away

Toppings: Tavern ham, slow-roasted pork shoulder, Swiss cheese, jalapeño bacon relish, 57 Thousand slaw

The Case: Upscale comfort food is a trend that has washed over Dallas like a mid-August heat wave, but what about the downscale folk? There is a massive shortage of places that push the envelope of the everyman cuisine, infusing life into things as simple as a bologna sandwich while still offering said bologna at a reasonable price point. Nick Badovinus' new joint, Off-Site Kitchen, fits that bill perfectly and hopefully brings about a sea change in the Dallas ultra-casual dining scene.

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I Survived Tha' Nooner at Jonathon's

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Jonathon's Oak Cliff

Sandwich: Tha' Nooner ($11)

Bread: Impeccably blistered bun

Toppings: Half pound beef patty, handful of ham, swiss, thick-cut bacon, american cheese, tomato, mayo and a fried egg PLUS a huge side of fries

The Case: A couple weeks ago, you'll no doubt remember ol' Reitzy lobbed this tiny grenade onto my lap (or rather my gut) on our little blog. Charged with the task of covering the giant burger pictured just above, I made a stone-faced vow to Scott and my other fellow bloggers to not only try this piece, but to take it down -- or die trying.

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Po' Melvin's Po' Boy: A Sando for Mardis Gras

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Po' Melvin's

Sandwich: Fried Oyster Po' Boy ($9.99)

Bread: Giant, soft baguette

Toppings: Cornmeal battered and fried oysters, lettuce, tomato (mayo standard but nixed on this one)

The Case: Grab your beads, folks, Mardi Gras is nigh upon us. In preparation for every smartphone's favorite holiday, 'Wich Trials headed to Po' Melvin's in Irving to partake in some Cajun grub.

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Captain Nemo's Sizzling Steak Sandwich is a Big Boat of Deliciousness

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Captain Nemo's

Sandwich: The Sizzling Steak ($5.49)

Bread: Newborn hoagie straight from the depths of the on-site oven

Toppings: Chopped steak, provolone, lettuce, tomato, oil, vinegar, special seasoning salt

The Case: Just down Grauwyler off Loop 12, about a mile southwest of dirt pile that used to be Texas Stadium, sits a tiny, understated strip center that houses one of the better sub slingers in Dallas. Captain Nemo's, a name that used to boast several outposts across town, now exists only in its singular, original location. A spot next door used to be a pizza joint carrying the same Nemo's brand, but that's long since closed as well. As I approached, the mirrored glass covering the façade of the building gave off a slightly imposing, exclusive vibe. I was tempted to rap on the glass with some sort of covert, rhythmic knock, but instead just opened the door and stepped inside.

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If Jews and Muslims Ate Milk and Honey's Falafel Pita, They'd Be Too Happy to Fight

Categories: 'Wich Trials

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Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out.

Venue: Milk and Honey

Sandwich: The Falafel Pita ($5.99)

Bread: Fresh pita pulled straight from the oven

Toppings: Falafel balls, Israeli salad, pickles, sauerkraut, hummus and tahini

The Case: Milk and Honey, the fully Kosher market located a Frisbee's throw off Coit in Richardson, has been in the broad 'Wich Trials rotation for a couple years now. At first pass, one might mistake the purveyor of blessed wares for simply a peddler of dairy and bumblebee products. In a way, that's the greatness of finding hidden gems such as this. They're that low-profile type place that doesn't attract a ton of hype but always manages to put out inexpensive, quality food.


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