Shrimp and Bacon, Not Strange! Plus, Local Sandwich Made Good…
Remember when Oprah dedicated part of a show to Favorite Sandwiches in America way back in 2004? People are still talking about Chris Rock’s choice, the Shrimp and Bacon Club from The Cheesecake Factory. Chris said, “"I know it sounds crazy. Shrimp and bacon. Incredible. Whoa."
Apparently, people still feel this way. Just a couple weeks ago, some dude posted an almost-edible photo of this very sandwich on a site dedicated to “strange” things, with the following site description, “Catch up on the world of the weird, random and hard to imagine, by sharing stories that defy convention and categorization. This is the place for news of the most eclectic and unusual kind. Tag your stories, photos and videos with "strange" for them to appear here.”
Does this sandwich really fall into that category? What is so doggone strange about it? Fancy eateries have been serving bacon-wrapped scallops and bacon-wrapped prawns for years. Joanna Pruess's cookbook, Seduced by Bacon, includes bacon-wrapped salmon right on its cover. So what about the addition of condiments, lettuce, and tomatoes makes that sandwich strange?
What about that feller called Mo who put chocolate and bacon together in a candy bar? That sounds far
stranger than CF’s sandwich. Still, I ate a bacon bar and it was good. Perhaps it would be stranger of people could find something not made better with bacon. (If you find it, let Mr. Baconpants know. He thinks everything is better with bacon, and includes links to strange bacon products like Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheddar Cheese burgers.)
Anyway. Since I’m onto sandwiches, here’s the real MEAT of this post: For Seattleites and anybody preparing to visit anytime soon, there is a sandwich for meat-eaters that has to be tried. Don’t waste a minute—go down to De Laurentis at Pike Place Market and get the Italian Grinder. Listen: This ain’t about fancy. There’s no strange or unheard of ingredient here. It’s what Mario Batali talks about when he urges us to use nothing but simple, fresh ingredients. De Laurentis has achieved perfection. Crusty bread, great-tasting oil, unbelievably good cured meats, cheese…just, yum. I can’t say anything except it will all be just as you hope for when you bite in. I have thought about this sandwich no less than once a day every single day for the past three weeks. That’s how perfect it tastes. And it was all just an accident.
I had to pop in, look at the offerings in the case, and decide on something pronto while my sister waited out by the stroller containing my sleeping baby. Then she went in, perused, and placed all our orders. I kept thrusting this sandwich at her even though she’s a vegetarian. Taste fully took over my brain’s command center and prevented all thinking. She kept scowling at me and saying “No! I won’t!”
Oh, but you should.
Corky Boyd on September 22, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Shrimp and bacon just go together. Try wu hip har (Shanghai cooking)at a Chinese restaurant some time. You can make it yourself simply. Wrap some large tailless shrimp with precooked bacon (Hormel from Costco is best). Fry in light oil. Make sauce from oyster sauce spiced with ginger, garlic and a little sesame oil. Slop together. Serve with steamed rice. Mmm-mmm good!
Morgan on September 22, 2008 at 04:57 PM
I love a good sandwich and I would eat that grinder into oblivion, but just a note-- cured meat is definitely not fresh :)
Also shrimp and bacon sounds fantastic. Great, now I'm definitely off my diet. Again.
Kevin on September 22, 2008 at 06:19 PM
Down here in Loooosiana we wrap a quarter of a slice of bacon around a shrimp, batter them, deep-fry them, and then put them on a submarine loaf covered with sauteed onions. It's called a 'devil on a stick po-boy', but I've got no idea why.
It should be called, "you're going to take a long nap after this meal." Shrimp and bacon is a fantastic combination.
jaymaster on September 22, 2008 at 06:24 PM
One minor quibble: there is nothing fresh about cured meats or cheese (a least not most sandwich cheese). In fact, neither food is optimally tasty without some aging. Simple, yes. Good, yes. fresh, not really.
OK, with that out of the way, one of the best sandwiches I ever had was a twist on the bacon/shrimp combo. I found it at a non-descript mom and pop restaurant on Maryland’s Eastern Shore a few years ago, and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since.
It consisted of fresh (yes!) blue crab meat on top of some chopped Virginia Smithfield ham. The crab was topped with melted cheddar (unknown provenance, but it was sharp and grainy), and the mixture was served on a toasted English muffin.
I’ve joked with some Jewish and Muslim friends that if that combination of verboten foods sends me to Hell twice as fast, well, that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
Homer on September 22, 2008 at 06:48 PM
Mmmmm. Bacon.
Is there anything it can't do?
Marilyn Terrell on September 22, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Bacon chocolate bars are the best of all possible worlds:
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/2007/12/biagio-bacon-fo.html
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