Best Sandwich in the Universe

Ok, it's the best sandwich in the country, but I'm sometimes prone to hyperbole. As a general rule, the food blogging is done by my lovely and talented wife, but this outing deserves a mention in my too infrequent ramblings.

We went to Vesuvio's in South Philly to sample the Cheesesteak BLT, the sandwich that the Today Show dubbed the best in the land. I was expecting the place to be style over substance, full of trendy whiny Gen X and Y types. Man, was I pleasantly surprised.

Although there is a full restaurant there, we hit the bar. The bar is full of local autographed team jerseys (Jon Runyan does a local radio show there on occasion), and has a great neighborhood pub feel. Micros on draft, well appointed bar, good bartenders, it's the kind of bar there really should be more of in the world.

We started with the calamari appetizer. This had to be the biggest, meatiest squid I've seen. The rings were the size of small onion rings, and they were coated with sourdough pretzel crust instead of the everyday breadcrumbs. Meaty, cooked perfectly, little extra salty goodness, drool, drool.

Then the sandwiches came out. Amazing bread, fillet, crisp bacon, sriracha mayo, provolone, lettuce (I don't do raw tomato). I took the first bite, my eyes widened, and I put the sandwich down.

I've never put a sandwich down to savor it between bites. I've set a couple down, but it was to talk, sip a beverage, or just get a better grip before the continuation of a feeding frenzy. This sandwich deserved, and got better. Every bite was savored, and each was sublime. This sandwich was a reminder of what food can be.

In a world of haughty chefs and pretentious food, this was a revelation. Forgive a bad analogy, but the late Bruce Lee once said "...before I studied the art, a punch was just a punch, a kick was just a kick. When I was studying the art, a punch was no longer just a punch. Now that I understand the art, a punch is really just a punch, a kick is just a kick." Too many foodies are stuck in that middle stage. Overanalysis is all they know, and I cannot help but wonder if they can still find the joy in simple things.

I had a cheesesteak. To anyone who can appreciate life's small wonders, I strongly recommend this one. You'll not be disappointed.

Cowboys vs Eagles, and the Aftermath

Wow. That game was physically painful to watch. All I wanted was for it to end. Imagine being assraped, but tightening up and pushing back against your assailant, hoping to end the indignities as quickly as possible. I just wanted to be alone with the pain and shame.

The Cowboys are the class of the NFC. Granted, that is like taking first prize in the Special Olympics, but it's the conference we're in. Since I have been surrounded by cock-a-roaches (pronounced like Tony Montana would in the movie Scarface)and mouth breathing negadelphians, I thought I might vent a bit, and examine this team.

For those not from the area, cockroaches are the term of choice to describe Cowboys fans born and raised in the Philadelphia region. They are soulless little monsters who saw a shiny blue star in their formative years as they ate Thanksgiving dinner from a small card table. Just because some boomer men failed to pull out, I'm surrounded by these idiots. If you've never been to Texas, or farther west than Lancaster, your Dallas fanhood is hereby lawyered.

Anyway, on to a sober analysis of my team. The coach is going through hell in his personal life. That said, only in our celebrity driven culture would a man be expected to quit his job to take care of two twentysomethings. They're men. Next.

The quarterback situation....McNabb will have a ring before he retires. I'm not sure if the fans or management grasp this. He is not a great quarterback, but he is damn good. Some of his mobility has faded, and the playcalling/staffing has not adjusted properly.

To wit-when McNabb has been out with injuries, the Eagles have run the ball 10-15% more. Hmmm....run the ball, shorten the game, help your defense, protect your QB, win games. Next, for an offensive playstyle that is so pass-wacky, management has failed to develop, sign, and/or hold on to viable playmaking receivers. In the short stints where we had targets, 5 led one of the NFL's most prolific offenses. Worth noting.

That brings up a troubling argument from the last offseason. McNabb mentioned in an interview that it was a pain having to develop timing and chemistry with a completely new receiving corp every year. Joe Banner chided the quarterback for making a public statement that didn't sound like Hosannas to the great and powerful Lurie, going so far to insinuate that it didn't matter. Joe Banner is a great accountant, and one of the best salary cap managers in the game. To the best of my knowledge, however, he has yet to throw a pass in the NFL.

Instead of signing Stallworth, or Moss, or Chambers (recently traded from Miami to SD), they signed Curtis. Curtis is smart, fast, and has good hands. But he is a natural slot receiver. He was a 3 for St. Louis. James Thrash was a 3 for the Redskins, and the Eagles tried to make him a 1. I'll never get my head around the philosophy that the system is so good, they can just plug anyone in, experience and logic to the contrary.

Alright then...there is always the draft. Did they get a playmaking tight end, or a receiver to help the team win, and address a need? Hell, no! They traded down, completely out of the first round to get quarterback. Worse, they traded down to the Cowboys. The 'boys grabbed a defensive end from Purdue who now has twice as many tackles as Jevon Kearse. I'm just saying.

McNabb and Westbrook are the only offensive playmakers. Kearse is done, Dawkins is done, Runyan and Thomas have maybe 2 years left a piece, best case. No one is going to admit it, but this team is rebuilding, not competing. Here's to the draft.

Definition of an Argument

Argument- A discussion in which the second party has not yet realized that I am right.