use real butter

Now we come to it.

Snarf’s is my favorite sandwich shop in Boulder. In fact, the entire reason I started this sandwich series was because I felt I was making too much of a habit of Snarf’s and thought it in my best interest to branch out. But I still return to Snarf’s time and time again, because I have a sandwich problem – nay, a sandwich addiction.

There are two locations in Boulder to get your Snarf’s fix: downtown Boulder on East Pearl Street and East Boulder on Arapahoe and Conestoga (next door to Ozo Coffee). The shops assault you with brightly painted interiors, eclectic selections of music, and a bunch of hipsters behind the counters building your toasted sandwiches slower than you’d think humanly possible (but they are super nice hipsters). The typical scene at lunch is a line out the door – and that is just to place an order. Popular? Oh yes. It has to be if THAT many people are willing to wait THAT long for a sando.

snarf’s

the colorful menu on the wall

My buddy, Jason, digs on the feta and artichoke sandwich. I highly recommend it. I haven’t tried all of their sandwiches, because I keep coming back to my favorite: the hot pastrami and Swiss. I’m convinced that practically any of their toasted sandwich options will be spectacular because Snarf’s uses amazing bread. In addition to this perfectly crusty-outside-soft-inside bread, every sandwich comes with mayonnaise, mustard, hot peppers (these hot pickled peppers, I love love love), onions (I hold the onions), lettuce, tomato, pickles, seasoning, and oil. Choose Novice (5-inch for $5.50), Snarf’s (7-inch for $7.25), or Pro (12-inch for $10.50) on the regular toasted sandwiches. They only offer Snarf’s or Pro sizes for the specialty sandwiches. You can request fat-free mayonnaise, mushrooms, and sprouts. For $1.50 add your choice of meat, bacon, avocado, portabello, or artichoke. There are sides and salads on the menu too.

snarf’s hot pastrami and swiss

To the sandwich: If I’m alone, I’ll get a Snarf’s size hot pastrami and Swiss. If I’m with Jeremy, we split a Pro. It comes tightly wrapped in paper to hold all of the sandwich goodness together for you to shove into your mouth. Grab several napkins because it’s a juicy experience. It’s the kind of sandwich you can eat with people you don’t even like because no one is talking – they’re all too busy eating their sandwiches. Snarf’s doesn’t skimp on ingredients. There is always a decent helping of pastrami along with the melted cheese, fresh vegetables, pickles, and seasonings. My favorite part of the sandwich has got to be the pickled hot peppers. They sell them in jars at the shop counters and I’ve been tempted to purchase a jar just to deconstruct it and make my own. So so so good. I crave Snarf’s sandwiches. [And for you Thundercats fans, I say “Snarf’s” the way Snarf pronounces his name. Can’t help it.]

I’m realizing from Facebook comments and other discussions that everyone seems to have their own Snarf’s favorite sandwich. I would love to hear what yours is!

Pro tip: After waiting 30+ minutes for a sandwich the first few times, I’ve got both locations’ phone numbers in my smartphone. Call ahead and walk straight to the pick up window, bypassing the 2 dozen patrons waiting in line at lunchtime. Non-lunch times seem to take only 10 minutes.

Where: Snarf’s is at two locations in Boulder: 5340 Arapahoe Avenue (Boulder, Colorado 80303) and 2128 Pearl Street (Boulder, Colorado 80302). There are plenty of locations outside of Boulder too, so check to see if you are lucky enough to have a local Snarf’s of your own!

When: Order any of the fantastic sandwiches from both Snarf’s in Boulder: Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Contact: Call Snarf’s on Arapahoe at 303.444.3404 or Snarf’s on Pearl at 303.444.7766. Visit their Facebook page or follow Snarf’s (Pearl) on Twitter @SnarfsOnPearl.

Full Disclosure: The opinions expressed here are my own. No comps for the chomps.

Previous sandwich research:

1) The Pinyon’s fried chicken sandwich (sadly, now closed)
2) Cafe Blue’s blackened tuna sandwich
3) Frasca Caffè’s Italiano panini caldi

We’re back on Pearl Street for this week’s sandwich – a panini caldi (hot sandwich) from Frasca’s Caffè. Caffè is an unassuming little space wedged between Pizzeria Locale (also part of Frasca’s dominion) and The Pinyon just east of the Pearl Street pedestrian mall. It’s easy to miss as you walk past, but I’m here to tell you it would be a mistake to miss it. Caffè serves up Italian pastries, breakfasts, cookies, caffeine, beverages, soups, and of course, sandwiches.

frasca’s caffè on east pearl street

menu on the wall

I went straight for the hot paninis, trying a few different offerings. It was a tough call picking just one sandwich to showcase because they’re all pretty amazing. Jeremy and I narrowed it down to three favorites: the Polpetta (meatball – Jeremy’s favorite), the Manzo (roast beef – just incredible), and the Italiano (prosciutto and salami). Ultimately, I had to make the hard decision.

the italiano panini caldi

To the sandwich: For $8.95 you get a hot-pressed sandwich layered with savory prosciutto, salami, mortadella, melted provolone, crispy shredded lettuce, and tangy, crunchy pickled vegetables. Your sandwich comes with a bag of potato chips and for $.30 more, you can add a pickle spear to that. The Italiano panini combines all of the things I love about sandwiches: hot melty stuff, flavorful meat, crisp and cold vegetables, tang, spice, creaminess, crunch. Did I mention the bread? I can’t get that bread out of my head. I don’t know if it is focaccia or some other bread that I have woefully little knowledge of (maybe one of you fellow Caffè patrons can enlighten me?), but it is flat, soft in the middle, hard and crunchy on the outside, and it doesn’t sog up like normal bread. In fact, I’ve had their sandwiches to go and eaten them an hour later to find the panini’s best characteristics well-preserved.

Pro tip: There is enough space for a dozen patrons to squeeze in and dine, but it can be busy during lunch. I prefer to call ahead for take-out orders. Grab a pastry and some caffè while you’re there to pick up your sandwich.

Where: Frasca Caffè at 1720 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

When: Have yourself the Italiano panini caldi or anything else from the menu Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm or Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Contact: Call Frasca Caffè at 303.442.9464. Visit their Facebook page.

Full Disclosure: My opinions. No comps for the chomps.

Previous sandwich research:

1) The Pinyon’s fried chicken sandwich
2) Cafe Blue’s blackened tuna sandwich

For the second stop on my sandwich chronicles, we hoof it across town to Gunbarrel. I used to work in Gunbarrel when we first moved to Colorado, so I got to know the area a bit. A popular lunch stop with my co-workers was Cafe Blue. It’s a nondescript restaurant in a nondescript strip mall in a nondescript part of Boulder. The service is consistently friendly despite how wildly the quality of service varies. I poked around on the menu for the first few visits, trying out sandwich options. Nothing really spoke to me until I honed in on the big kahuna. There is one sandwich that pretty much has a lock on my order: the blackened tuna sandwich.

cafe blue in gunbarrel

cafe blue’s blackened tuna sandwich with a side of mac and cheese

What you get for $11.25 is a nice ahi tuna filet, crusted in seasonings, blackened to your requested doneness, served on a toasted onion roll with basil aioli. On the side you get lettuce, tomato, and onion. Want cheese with that? Your choice of: provolone, American, Swiss, blue cheese, feta, cheddar, or pepper jack. Pick one of their side dish offerings: mac and cheese, shoestring french fries, mashed potatoes, house salad, cup of soup, or cottage cheese. There are extras on offer as well for $.75 each: mushrooms, onions, bacon, jalapeños, artichokes, peppers.

from a different visit: sandwich cross-section

To the sandwich: Rare. I order this sandwich rare. I’ve never had it any other way, so if you order it well-done and complain to me that it isn’t juicy, I’m going to ask you to please refrain from ruining good food. It’s a lovely combination of a lightly toasted onion roll that cradles a hunk of beautiful blackened ahi tuna with basil aioli dripping down the side. The tuna drips juices when you take a bite. The tender interior of the ahi tuna contrasts with the delicately crisp blackened exterior without being overpowered by the herbs and spices (although I do love to get my spice on). You can skip the vegetables, but I like to stack my sandwich with the lettuce and tomato on offer. It rounds out the textures and temperatures nicely.

Where: Cafe Blue at 5280 Spine Road in Gunbarrel – Boulder, Colorado.

When: You can order the blackened tuna sandwich at lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Contact: Call Cafe Blue at 303.530.4345. Visit their Facebook page.

Full Disclosure: The opinions expressed here are my own (duh). No comps for the chomps.

Previous sandwich research:

1) The Pinyon’s fried chicken sandwich