Sandwiches seem easy, right?
The sandwiches of my youth which should be the name of my terrible autobiography were simple affairs: sliced bread, American cheese, a slather of mustard and mayo and a couple of slices of lunch meat from the Oscar Meyer variety pack, in which the cotto salami was so terrible it took me years to find out how good real salami is.
Lettuce? Tomato? Maybe on the weekend. Maybe.
If making a great sandwich was as easy as stacking together a few basic elements, Subway would be the king. The truth is, real sandwich glory requires a little alchemy.
Elemental Coffee Roasters, 815 N. Hudson Ave., has an alchemist named Elena Hughes. When she left The Wedge Pizzeria, she brought a bevy of foods with her to the coffee shop and has transformed what had been a caffeine refueling station into a Midtown breakfast and lunch destination.
Stop in around noon and experience the wizardry of the P.C.P. ($9 with a side). Unlike the narcotic of the same name, this wrap has an all-natural high from a peanut-cilantro pesto paired with chicken, spinach, spicy cheddar and jalapeños.
Theres heat here, but the flavor of the pesto is where the power truly lies.
What if you dont like meat? If youre some kind of flesh-hating freak, you can get your spice from a Smokie Dokie ($8.50) filled with barbecued tofu.
Say what you will about that slab of soy, but it sure soaks up the smoke. This sandwich is Elementals version of the bánh mì; Elemental heaps on pickled daikon radish, slivered carrots, jalapeño and avocado. I still like meat, but I liked this, too.
The Joan Rivers ($9.50) is the mirror image of the Costanza ($9) with sauerkraut, stone-ground mustard and grilled Big Sky German rye except Joan has had some work done, so she has marinated tempeh bacon and vegan cheese instead of the Costanzas delicious turkey pastrami and gruyere.
Do you like cauliflower? Probably not. Cauliflower is the stuff left over when someone brings a veggie tray to the office. (Just kidding. I know its all left, except the ranch dressing. Oklahoma!)
However, when Elemental roasts cauliflower and stacks it on rye bread with mashed sweet potato, tomato, gruyere cheese and a runny fried egg, it is called quite aptly the Sweet Jesus ($9). Its a version of a sandwich Hughes first had during a trip to a farmers market in Santa Barbara, California. The sandwiches were so scrumptious, people stood there eating them as egg yolk ran down their arms.
You dont have to stand when youre eating the Sweet Jesus, but its worth it if you want to.
But the gold (Au) medal winner at Elemental is the one sandwich Elena has never eaten. The Cest La Brie ($9.50) has grilled ham, fig jam and melted Brie cheese on white Big Sky bread with toasted Parmesan cheese on one side.
Hughes does not dig on swine, but oh, she should for this sandwich. Ham and Brie go together like me and money: Its so delightful, and then suddenly, its all gone.
Fig jam is the new bacon, in that I will eat both of them and will not share with you. Also, it makes everything better.
Before leaving, I implore you to get a salted chocolate chip cookie at the counter. Its tremendous.
The whole menu at Elemental is a delight. Now if we could only convince it to stay open for dinner.
Print headline: Elemental, Watson, Discover delightfully simple and delicious new menu items at Elemental Coffee Roasters.