use real butter

I bet you thought the sandwich chronicles were over, huh? No, I’ve just been busy. Admittedly, I took a short break from sandwiches for a few weeks and there were also a couple duds (I’m not recommending those here). But we’re back at it this week with Deli Zone, known for their famous Brooklyn heroes. I had never heard of it, despite seeing it next door to the Homebrew shop where I buy bottles for my vodka infusions on a regular basis. My friend, Daniel (@boinzy on Twitter), recommended it to me when he learned of my sandwich research.

prepare to enter the deli zone

There are three locations in Boulder and several more around Colorado (Denver, Broomfield, Longmont). I went to the one on Valmont (next door to Hop To It Homebrew), tucked away in a generic strip mall. There is a handful of seating inside and two tables outside. It didn’t look busy when I walked in, but during the short time I perused the menu and placed my order a steady stream of people came in to pick up sandwiches or place their own orders.

menu boards sorted by filling

Deli Zone serves breakfast all day, which is good news for brekkie lovers. The rest of the menu is dedicated mostly to the sandwiches, which are broken down by their main filling. Sandwiches come in two generous sizes: medium is 8-inches and large is 14-inches. That’s alotta sandwich! You have a choice in bread from their signature French bread, white or wheat, sourdough, marble rye, poppy seed kaiser roll, or a low-carb wrap. There are vegetarian options too. I stood at the counter debating until I grabbed one of the employees and asked what their best sandwiches are. He squinted back at the board and thought for a second, The Reuben and the New Yorker were two of the most popular. I kinda had my heart set on 42nd Street or Yankee, but okay… I went for the New Yorker.

the new yorker: corned beef and pastrami

To the sandwich: I honestly didn’t think there could be a sandwich to rival Snarf’s, but this is good sandwich. They are different sandwiches, but they are both excellent. The French bread is beautifully crusty on the outside and pillow soft on the inside. It is stuffed full of thinly sliced corned beef and pastrami with the coleslaw, dijonaisse, and Swiss cheese crammed in there for good measure. It’s the kind of sandwich that drips down your hand and wrist – juicy. And it’s hot which makes it extra delectable as you scarf it down. Fantastic! I highly recommend a Deli Zone sandwich.

Info: Find Deli Zone at three Boulder locations:

1) Baseline: 4800 Baseline Rd., Suite D-104, 7:30am-8:00pm daily, 303.499.9213
2) The Hill: 1322 College Ave., 7:30am-8:00pm Monday-Saturday, 9:00am – 8:00pm Sunday, 303.449.6952
3) Valmont: 2900 Valmont Rd., Suite D1, 7:30am-8:00pm Monday-Friday, 8:00am-6:00pm Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday, 303.447.9349

Full Disclosure: My opinions. 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
4) Snarf’s pastrami and Swiss sandwich
5) Cured’s Spicy Frenchman sandwich
6) Dish Gourmet’s Reuben sandwich

Recipe: blackened salmon sandwich

My head bobbled about fighting sleep as the car raced through the desert night. I jolted awake with each giant bug that appeared as a flash in the headlights before smearing across the windshield with a loud thwack. It had been a long day of driving (western states are big), then waiting, then shooting the eclipse, then driving some more. Jeremy was equally tired, but he knew the road to Socorro like the back of his hand. I remembered what Jeremy had asked me when we first started dating back in the day, “Are you a mountain goat or a desert rat?” I was a mountain goat. I didn’t actually know because I had spent little, if any, time in either. But I liked goats more than I liked rats. Turns out, I *am* a mountain goat – a happy happy mountain goat. Desert rat, I am not. I’m reminded of that every time I go to the desert.

cactus in bloom

In the morning, Jeremy left for his meeting and asked me to please be careful. I’m always careful. I’m a firm believer in self-preservation. I wear my big girl pants all the time. All of my visits to New Mexico have been spent hanging out with Jeremy’s family, my aunt’s family, and noodling about the northern part of the state. We have visited Carlsbad Caverns (caves and bats – AWESOME!!) and the Bosque del Apache (birds like you wouldn’t believe), but that was pretty much it for the southern half. The desert is not a destination of choice for me, but since I was practically there, I thought it was high time I went to see White Sands National Monument.

sprawling thunderheads on the drive south

White Sands is nestled in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, at the northern tip of the sprawling Chihuahuan Desert. It is the largest white sand dunefield in the world – white because the sand is derived from gypsum. This is the first park I’ve ever visited where I had to check for missile testing schedules (which close certain roads). It was stifling hot (mid 90s), humid, and windy when I arrived. Afternoon thunderheads boomed above me and sunshowers rained down periodically. I thought it best to retreat from the dunes. Sitting in the shade of a small picnic shelter, I watched half of my lunch (salad) blow away before it could reach my mouth. The clouds had made way for the blazing sun and sand pelted me from the southwest. I walked the dunes, scoping out the best places to shoot, hoping the winds would go away by sundown.

dark skies

the winds let up a little

heavy haze in the basin

A half hour before sunset, the character of the place changed. A no longer oppressive sun bathed the white dunes in soft gold light and blue shadows. It was still windy (that makes photography hard due to the blowing sand – if you care at all about your gear), but less ferocious. In the distance, I could see a handful of other visitors dotting the crests of high dunes, all witnessing the same magic.

the haze in the basin began to glow

crepuscular rays

I debated whether or not to shoot in the morning at all since the park doesn’t allow entry until an hour after sunrise. But this wasn’t vacation, this was work. I watched the sun rise in my rear view mirror on my drive over, spectacularly red and glowing as it rose above the Sacramento Mountains. Even an hour or more after sunrise, the sand felt nice and cool. The winds had not yet picked up and erased the tracks of the resident wildlife. It didn’t last long, but it was appreciated.

scamper scamper

you could pretend that it is snow

a sea of white

Time spent in the desert always brings a new level of respect for this harsh environment, for the massive views, for the weather, the light, and how they play. I’m still a mountain goat. Imagine the delight when I woke up at home this morning to see our valley dusted in snow – a good half inch on my deck.

As promised, there is a recipe – a good and easy recipe for summer! When I received that comped shipment of wild Alaskan seafood from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, there were some lovely frozen sockeye salmon filets in the box. My typical lazy way to grill salmon is with olive oil, lemon slices, fresh dill, and salt and pepper. I wanted another recipe that was equally delicious and equally lazy.

salmon, butter, paprika, thyme, creole seasoning

arugula, aioli, sandwich bread

**Jump for more butter**

For this week’s sandwich pick, I’m still hanging about on East Pearl Street (that is, east of the Pearl Street pedestrian mall). Walk a few blocks east from Cured and you’ll find Dish Gourmet on the south side of the street. It’s a cute little deli (and catering business), bright with natural light, tucked in among the leafy trees this time of year.

dish gourmet

Step inside and you’re greeted with a handful of high tables for patrons to enjoy their orders. There is also patio seating outside which people take advantage of during the glorious weather months in Boulder. A large menu board hangs up high above the counter where you order, listing all of the tempting sandwiches that Dish can handcraft for you. You also have the option for a half sandwich in case you want to have some soup or salad and don’t want to explode. They have breakfast options too, but I haven’t tried those. Gluten-free? You can request any sandwich on their house-baked gluten-free bread. Vegetarian? Plenty of vegetarian sandwiches on offer. And there are many enticing homemade salads and sides in the display case next to the order counter.

it can be difficult to choose

I worked my way around the menu a few times trying sandwiches like the Mapleton (roast beef, white cheddar, vegetables on ciabatta), the Boulder bbq brisket (beef brisket, caramelized onions, white cheddar, coleslaw on ciabatta), the Kenai (house-cured Norwegian salmon, dill cream cheese, vegetables on baguette). My buddy Jason tried the Cuban. In the end, I had to go with their Reuben. Classic, right? It also happens to be one of their most popular sandwiches.

the reuben

To the sandwich: While the other sandwiches I had tried were solid, the Reuben was a step above. The corned beef was meaty and fresh. You know how corned beef can look like it was pressed and sliced and sold in a grocery store deli? This was not that. A generous amount was topped with a slightly sweet coleslaw, French Emmental, and a little Russian dresing. All of this was crammed between two slices of their heavenly pumpernickel. I don’t always go for pumpernickel, but theirs had golden raisins dotting the bread which for some reason knocked my socks clear off when devoured with everything else. Fantastically juicy and substantial as sandwiches go.

All of their sandwiches come with potato chips and a pickle (upon request) or you can substitute the chips with potato salad, pasta salad, or a green salad for an additional $1.25. I’m not a fan of their pickles. I love pickles, but these were brined and not especially vinegary or spicy, and the vinegar is what I love most about any pickle. Despite the lackluster pickle, I think there is a sandwich for everyone here. And if you aren’t a sandwich person (I can’t even imagine) then consider their soups or salads and most definitely have a gander at the sides in the display case.

hours of operation

Where: You can find Dish Gourmet at 1918 Pearl Street (Boulder, Colorado 80302) a few blocks east of the Pearl Street pedestrian mall.

When: Dish is open 9am – 6pm Monday – Friday, 11am – 4pm Saturday. DISH IS CLOSED SUNDAYS.

Contact: Call Dish Gourmet at 720.565.5933. Visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter @dishgourmet.

Full Disclosure: My opinions. 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
4) Snarf’s pastrami and Swiss sandwich
5) Cured’s Spicy Frenchman sandwich