La Sandwicherie: A Return to Bliss

Tragically, only a couple of weeks before moving back to Kansas City after our short stay (one year) on South Beach - Miami, FL, we discovered the best sandwich I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. It was served to us at a little French walk-up sandwich spot we had passed every weekend going to and from the beach, but just never had the wherewithal to stop and enjoy.

All along, I had thought La Sandwicherie was a little Cuban joint. Something about the bright paint job, the fans blowing mist on the customers sitting at the counter and the distinction that these were SoBe locals taking it in, not tourists, gave me that impression, I guess. But oh no - La Sandwicherie's specialties are not cuban sandwiches or cafe Cubano, but delicious baguettes and French espresso... and boy is it good.

The sandwiches thrive due to the incomparable freshness of their ingredients. Get one with everything and your meat and cheese of choice come piled high with romaine, cucumbers, tomato, cornichon and pearl onion and sweet-but-spicy peppadew peppers. OH! And their famously classic vinaigrette, too, which is the ultimate compliment to this salad-in-a-sandwich.

My first-ever sandwich at La Sandwicherie is still the only one I've had. It's so good I'm content never to stray to another selection - the deliciously rich, salty salami and smoky provolone cheese create a scrumptious, filling base for the fresh veggie toppings. The bread is classic French bread. A hard crust on the outside protects hands from ingredient seepage, but its inside is the perfect soft fluff. Still, it takes a strong jaw and some neck muscle to tear off a huge hunk of all that goodness, but doing so is an immensely satisfying pursuit.

Though a simple corner sandwich stand, La Sandwicherie is Zagat-rated and has been voted best sandwich on Miami Beach countless times. The bottle of vinaigrette we brought home with us mentions that it has been rated "best sandwich in the world" by Zagat for 2004-2009!

The owner, with whom we became familiar while residents of South Beach, was still running the stand when we returned last weekend, hence, none of its fantastic qualities had diminished in the least. Our friends Andrew and Jenny seemed to enjoy their turkey sandwich just as much as we and our salami. Elizabeth and I always split a sandwich due to their size but Andrew took down a whole one of his own and then most of another half that Jenny couldn't finish, so I'm pretty confident he was, indeed, a fan.

Kansas City could use more places like La Sandwicherie - no parking lot, no oversized dining room. Just a counter, a busy staff and a prep area filled with delicious ingredients that make up their small but perfect menu offering. The closest thing to La Sandwicherie I can think of in KC is D'Bronx, which is quite good and I recommend checking out, specifically for their deli sandwiches. I'll have to go there again, soon, with La Sandwicherie fresh in my mind, to see how it compares and give it a Napkin rating.
...Until then, I'll continue dreaming of the best sandwich I've ever eaten.

Rating: three napkins