The Unqualified Culinary Critics

0:00:00
A quick heads up, this episode contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners, so please be advised that mature audiences are recommended.

0:00:08
Thank you.

0:00:09
Hello, and welcome to the Unqualified Culinary Critics. We are a Vegas-based podcast that celebrates food and culture. Join us as we talk about our food and cultural experiences, and we do hope that these stories connect in some way to each one of you as well. So I thought we'd start things off by talking about national food holidays. This is the first and hopefully not the last time we will be diving into these national food festivities. So let's get this started. This episode we will be talking about national sandwich and panini month as we are on the month of August. Rather I thought I would just share with you that these holidays do exist. So if you were to go on to foodomentary.com or glutodigest.com, if you click on the month of August, it'll straight up show you that there is a national sandwich and a national panini month. And there's also like additional food holidays as well for your viewing pleasure. So I'm not gonna spoil that, but I'll let you do your research at your leisure. So with that, Victoria, let's do the first main question here. What do you think of these national food holidays?

0:01:29
Okay, so first off, I love them because I love food, but I'm very in shock by the sandwich and panini having a whole month. Like when you first told me about this I was like oh like a day yeah that makes sense but a whole month? That is very interesting. But I think it's well deserved for the sandwich you know I feel like a sandwich does a lot. Yeah it does a lot for comfort food I will agree. Yeah so I don't know. I think it makes sense that a sandwich gets its whole like a whole month Especially because you know a sandwich can be so diverse like, you know You can have like a PB&J sandwich or you can have like a ham sandwich Mm-hmm. I mean cheese, I mean, you know, you can put whatever you want on it. Yeah

0:02:20
Yeah, like that Elvis sandwich, you know with the peanut butter and jelly and additional some meat I can't think of the top of my head yeah that yeah yeah

0:02:28
like there's so many things you can do with it um yeah so it's all pretty good it's really interesting though because I feel like they really do do a lot like you said they're a comfort food and you know everybody gets to put whatever they wish on it as well um like like I said well I mean they're gonna hear this in another episode, it's kind of like when people go to Subway and they're like, oh, I don't like Subway, and it's like, you literally made that sandwich, so I don't see how anyone could not like sandwiches, you know, like you make it yourself, you get to choose what you want, you get to choose everything from like the bread even.

0:03:06
Yeah, yeah.

0:03:07
Yeah, it's definitely well deserved. Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. But my, like my main question, if I may ask, is like, what do you think of national food holidays in general like we? Will be discussing a lot about sandwiches and paninis since it's their month, but like what do you think of? Strawberry day or chocolate day or you know that that kind of stuff like what do you think of the general? National food holidays like they each have their that not all but they'll have their days or don't have their months, but like, what do you think of this whole festivities in general?

0:03:41
See, personally, I think, like I said, I think they're fun. I think it's a good way, like, you know, to promote eating like certain foods and stuff. Like, I like, for example, one of the reasons why I like them so much is because when, like, whenever there's like certain things, like, I mean, since we're gonna be talking about sandwiches, like National Sandwich Day or something like that You know places that sell those those types of food will have like discounts or they'll have like promotions going on It's like oh bye, you know, we're giving this out for free while supplies last or whatever, you know something like that So I do like that and then I don't know. I just think it's fun. Yeah, okay. What about you?

0:04:21
I mean part of me and this is like maybe it's just a pessimist in me, it's like okay. And this is going like, this is so ironic given that we're doing a food podcast and I love food. But I'm kinda like, I didn't come up with these holidays and then like, I'm looking at the holidays and I'm like, who comes up with this stuff, you know? But you know what? I'm like, hey, it's supposed to be entertaining, it's supposed to be fun, like, don't be so mean about it, don't be sulky, don't be negative, like, just let it be, like, we all have the chance to eat food, you know, and food is a basic necessity of our lives, so let's just like celebrate these kinds of holidays whether it's on a certain day, on a certain month, so I'm like, yeah, yeah, I totally get that, and I agree. So I'm currently still softening up a little bit to it, but maybe it's just, I'm just so that serious, I'm just that serious maybe, like I'm not gonna get into the nonsense, I don't know, I'm just, I'm willing to give in. You know, I'm I'm for it. I'm going to start getting for it even more. So, you know, you'll hear some more positivity pretty soon. But yeah. So, yeah. So do you have a favorite sandwich that you want to talk about, like your all time favorite or like your top 10 or your top five? Like what's what's your favorite kind of sandwich that you want to give a big shout out to?

0:05:36
Okay, so I'm not really the type of person who's like, oh, you know, like I really like tuna melt or I really like, you know, like Reuben sandwiches or something like that. Like when I approach this, when I approach sandwich, consuming sandwiches, you know, I just make my own thing. So I wouldn't necessarily say that I have a favorite, but I do have like when I go to Subway, I have like, you know, my one order that I always do or like when I make a sandwich at home, I always like put like certain things in it and like, I don't know, just different spaces give me different access to different ingredients, so I always do different types of sandwiches, but the one thing that I always do turkey for sure and then pepper jack cheese. That's just like the basics and then everything else like I like I'll add if I can you know I'll add things like bell peppers or what else do I like some like sometimes I'm not, it depends. But yeah, so yeah, it's just, it's always pepper jack and turkey. Unless I'm gonna do something like peanut butter and jelly, that's completely different.

0:07:20
Yeah, what about you?

0:07:21
So I've had like a lot of sandwiches so far in my life and I also do not have a favorite of my own. So I can just like straight up say, well, I like cheese a lot. So I would say that grilled cheese is in my is in there with me, but please no tomatoes I I won't do that I mean, I'm not gonna be against somebody that will have their grilled cheese and their tomatoes inside like you're it's it's it's all you It's your it's your choice. So I'm fine with that. But what for me? No, no tomatoes, please Like I I have had a corned beef sandwich before and that's still pretty that's pretty good But I will give a little caveat you will get thirsty I'm not going to sugarcoat anything and it's the same thing with a pastrami so um yeah but like I don't know I'm just like so picky with my condiments as well or not as well because you're not really um you're not as picky about it as I am but like in a dressing or like thousand island or like ketchup or mustard I will admit I'm not too fond of those condiments cuz like I don't know just when I look at it it just doesn't seem appealing to me but I mean I've tried thousand island before and it confirms my My not so interested taste buds that I just won't go for it Yeah, but yeah, like I'll eat anything with turkey as well I mean turkey is healthy cuz like I don't eat pork myself Sometimes I'll eat a chicken sandwich as well, but that's kind of a rarely thing, but primarily it would be like a turkey sandwich. Also, any kind of cheese is cool with me. Like I can also do pepper jack as well. I like brie. Brie is, I would say, one of my favorite cheeses. It's like related to Camembert. That kind of, in that family. So it's like really creamy. It also smells, but it smells in a good way. So it's not like the whole who cut the cheese kind of thing like I don't know it's it's more it smells good or maybe smells bad to some but like give it a chance you know give it a chance but yeah I mean I would go for brie or provolone or Swiss sometimes I'm just it's the tasting with me sometimes cheddar as well but yeah I like I'll go for a Philly cheesesteak once in a while or a French dip and I I know some I know a place that does a really good job with making French dips and Some of its here some of its in California, but that can be it's another story I do like tuna melts, but I don't eat it that often myself Sometimes I like fast food if it's like a cheeseburger in and out or I mean yes I have done my research some say that cheeseburgers are sandwiches or burgers or sandwiches and all that kind of stuff Well, we're talking about sandwiches. So let's uh, keep it very open here. So I would say that cheeseburgers, I would go for that. Yeah, yeah, I agree.

0:10:08
Why not?

0:10:09
Yeah, but like me, if there's something that I don't want in my sandwiches, I would say no tomatoes, straight no tomatoes. But sometimes I gotta give in and if they have tomatoes in there, I'll give it to somebody else or if it's like chopped up diced then I'm you know going to have to deal with it either way I can't stand ketchup I I just can't I I can go on a whole episode and just straight up say why I don't like ketchup and it's probably going to be disgusting so I'm not gonna do that right now I think we might have

0:10:42
to you know make another episode to just talk about that that's yeah I see I don't

0:10:49
have a lot of friends as a result. Sort of, okay, maybe not. I'm probably kidding, but I'm pretty sure that if we did an episode about that, then I'm not going to have a lot of friends, but it's fine. It's fine.

0:11:02
Well, okay, this is a little off topic, but I know Filipinos, they have the banana ketchup. Do you like that?

0:11:09
No, I don't eat it.

0:11:11
Okay, okay. We will save this discussion for the Ashley hates ketchup episode

0:11:16
Uh, yeah, there's just gonna be more than ketchup in there But I think we can be talking about like odd stuff in the future I would love to do an episode on odd foods that we've tried and yeah And I mean, I want to add mustard in there too, but deli like straight deli. I will give an exception I am i'm ironic as we've heard so far, but i'm not gonna like really go for a Heinz mustard or something I don't know just it's just a look, but I'm just being too judgy right now, but deli I'll take bacon I don't need bacon, but yeah, I have another question sure when you make a sandwich Do you put mayo in it? Oh? Yeah another like big okay? Yeah, I can take mayo. Yeah, maybe No, it's too much. Yeah, exactly. I I am with you on that. Yeah, no, cuz like I don't understand people who are like, oh I hate me Oh, and it's like, okay. What are you putting on your sandwiches? Are you just eating that dry? Well, some you know, sometimes I'll go for it dry But you know, I don't see I used to have like the Hellman's if it's the brand name Mm-hmm I don't even remember right now, but I used to go with that kind of mayo But now I switch to like avocado oil mayo that kind of thing and I I'm happy with it. You can get that at Costco. I'm still with mayo on that. I like ranch too, but like too much is like, mmm, not entirely, you know.

0:12:36
Yeah. No, like when I go to Subway, I usually I'll get ranch on my sandwich. Oh yeah, me too. But like, okay, I mean, since you opened it up to hamburgers too, I don't know if this is weird or not, but like I like to eat my hamburgers with ranch. I don't like I'm fine with no like no mustard, no ketchup, but just give me ranch. Like ranch on the side and like dip it, you know? Yeah, like it's not weird. I see myself doing that. I don't do it too much, but like recently

0:13:01
I haven't done that because I may not have ranch in my fridge at the moment, but no, I don't think it's weird. I like it. It's like this look. I am for the idea of Combinations that will taste good It may not look appealing to other people's eyes But don't like entertain to them on that like if it looks good and you want to mix it It's really the taste at the end, but you see I'm saying that but yet I'm straight up telling you I don't like ketchup I don't like mustard. I don't like what it looks like. I don't like what I look like that that kind of thing You know, so but that's like a personal thing like as long as you're not like judging anybody else for doing that which I mean I know you don't yeah, I'm trying not to but it's like I look at I'll think to myself like that's disgusting I'm not gonna hate the person for it. You know, yeah, no, but yeah, and um with sandwiches and stuff That's another like that's why they're so great. I just personally I feel like a sandwich can heal so much Oh, yeah, like not just bring comfort but like actually heal. Oh yeah yeah and I want to be yeah not to be dramatic or anything but no I mean if it's a good sandwich it just tastes so good and it has packed with flavor and spices then I mean it did its assignment so yeah you gave it an A. Yeah it did what it was supposed to.

0:14:23
Yeah yeah absolutely. I have a question. Is there like any specific place you like to go to get your sandwiches?

0:14:31
Well, I do get my sandwiches at home. So, um, I make them. My mom makes it. Yeah, I usually eat that. I know a place that has like a good French dip, but they call it like, well, this restaurant, I'll give a little shout out. you know if you're going to a restaurant that specializes in like Chicago style cuisine like with deep dish or like Italian beef I like well I call the French dip but they will call it Italian beef or um however they want to call it but they you can have you have a choice you can have it dry or you can have it like with the all juice on the side or you can just have it like dipped in I don't remember exactly the name of how they would call it, but that's pretty good too. For a sandwich, I can go to the Bagel Cafe for a good corned beef sandwich or a good tuna melt because they do a good job with that as well. If I want to grill cheese, it's my house. Even tuna melt too. I would go for a chicken sandwich at a fast food joint like Popeyes or even Jollibee because they do that as well. I don't even do fast food all the time myself but yeah I mean like the local restaurants that I would give my shoutouts to for those sandwiches it's Windy, City Beefs and Pizza and then the Big O Cafe and I wish I have more um restaurants in my mind to give shoutouts to that gives good sandwiches but I mean I I would say like I guess I can give one more and it does they do like corned beef and pastrami as well it's called the Big Deli. It's an M resort. It's pretty much off of St. Rose and the 15. Those are pretty good places. For Windy City, there's two locations. I believe there's one in Lake Mead somewhere. Northwest or north, I don't remember. But I know that the one that I usually frequent, not frequent, but I've tried so far once is off of Eastern and Silverado. That's the main intersections as to where it is. So that's, those are good places. I mean, yeah. What about you?

0:16:29
So, I don't know like like like you if I want a sandwich I just make it at home Like that's the good thing about them is that you know They're so easy to make at home too. Like you don't necessarily have to go out anywhere to get one Yeah, but when I was going to UNLV I did really like Ike's Love and Sandwiches that place was like right in front of UNLV, that place was so good. Like my last semester there I had a 830 a.m. fitness class. So it was like, you know, doing exercise and being there super early. And I, I mean the class itself was fine, but you know, I just hated that I had to be there so early. And then I hated exercising. I still hate exercising.

0:17:15
Oh.

0:17:16
And so I was just like, you know, super tired, really sleepy. Like after class, I'd be like, oh, why am I here? And, you know, I couldn't even leave because I would have like, that class would end at like 9 20 or something like that. It wasn't even a full hour, which, you know, I appreciate. So it wasn't even like a full hour. So I was like, I still had some time in between my classes I, like, I think my class after that would start at like 10 or 10.30 so, you know, I still had time to kill so what I would do is I would go over to, um, to that place to that sandwich shop and there was this one sandwich I don't remember the name of it and I just checked their website a little bit ago and I saw that they don't have it anymore which is a little upsetting or maybe it's just not online on their online website but it was this one sandwich it was number seven i think i remember the number i don't remember the name but like you know every time i would go and i would just get that sandwich and it was like a nice little pick-me-up it had turkey lettuce avocado tomato and it had like this one sauce that they made there um i don't remember the name of it but it was so good and like you know it just made me feel okay like you know I guess I can get through the day yeah yeah and I'm like that's my sandwiches are so so magical to me at least yeah yeah I yeah I agree so I don't know no go ahead oh no yeah it's like love and sandwiches I think that's what it's called it's

0:18:45
right in front of you know me okay I think I've tried one of their sandwiches because I was doing a film and they catered or Somebody I did craft services and they got a sandwich I know it was all vegan because some of the crew some of the crew members were Vegetarian vegan so they they wanted to like even it out for everyone. So I tried it I thought like I remember I freaked out like wait Is this I know there's like a set a sausage or meatball kind of thing in there and I'm like wait there better not be pork in here Right, but then it was like no. No, it's vegan. So everything's vegan in there. You just not just no meat in there You know, so I'm like, okay good good. Like I didn't ask that. I'm just asking that in my mind It's like no, there's there's no meat in there. So, okay good good. Yeah, cuz like yeah, I just don't hear pork But no, I I've tried their food before I wouldn't mind going back in there again to try it? I mean, I would also go for Firehouse Subs and I would get like, I think it's called the Engineer, but they have like a really good turkey sandwich in there as well. And I recommend, I mean, it's not a local restaurant, it's like corporate, but we all know what Firehouse Subs is. But yeah, I mean, I recommend that too. Yeah, no, I definitely,

0:19:58
yeah, you know, let's do a review. No, but it's so funny right now You know that we're talking about sandwiches and stuff and all I can think about is I don't know if you've ever watched Queer Eye No, but it's so it's this show on on Netflix and like so just so you get like an idea of the premise Um, so it's like, you know These it's this group of queer men who are they go out and like, you know help change people's lives Like, you know, they teach them how to dress better, they teach they like fix their house, they teach them personal like growth tools type of things like that, they get their hair and grooming under control, and then um they also teach them how to cook like it's literally just like one meal but it's like whatever their favorite meal is or whatever they really want to learn and um in one of the episodes the the chef like the one who's in charge of teaching the person getting the makeover how to cook his name is Anthony Anthony and it was so funny because like everybody was roasting him online because on one of the episodes he's like Oh, yeah, like a grilled cheese can be something that is so personal and like, you know I still that's how I feel right now talking about this. Mm-hmm And yeah, like that's just like, you know, he was getting roasted online about that, but he was so right. But yeah, that's that's just like what I'm imagining this whole episode is Anthony just going like a grilled cheese can be something that's so personal. I mean, it's fine.

0:21:23
I mean, I, I liked the idea that like, here's the thing about cooking in general, whether you're making a sandwich or you're making a panini and I do want to ask a little bit about paninis in just a bit, but like when you're cooking, you're adding a bit of a feel that you have inside. Like it depends like, oh, maybe you're putting in like, you want to put in a certain amount of spice or like salt or pepper or whatever to whatever you're cooking. Like when you're cooking yourself, to me, it sounds very personal because it's you cooking it compared to like being in a fast food restaurant. I know, I know like other restaurants, I know that the chefs, depending on how they feel, sometimes it'll be like a, I want to do this as a personal thing from my message to the customer who ordered this meal or whatever. Like some are like that, some aren't. But I think that, like I said, when you're cooking, it's a personal thing. But like, you know, it's open to interpretation. Like I'm paraphrasing as to what one of my friends who came on said. So it's just something that I feel I mean, I'm not gonna say I agree with this person I'm just kind of giving my own Opinion in a sense, but I mean and again my opinion is just an opinion. It doesn't really matter to everyone. So, you know But yeah, so we've been we've been talking a lot about sandwiches But now I want to talk a little bit about paninis. Have you had a panini before? Yes

0:22:46
What do you think? I like them, I like them too. I mean anything with bread and meat is a sure way to win me over.

0:22:57
Yeah, yeah.

0:22:59
I'm very simple. Oh good, good, that's nice. Is there a particular panini that you've had before?

0:23:05
So, um, the places where I've had paninis have been at like Crepe Station and I know that place is gonna come up in a future episode but yeah just mentioning it again or yeah I'm mentioning it and so I've had them there and like they're pretty simple you know just basic like you know here is the meat the cheese and the bread but they do like this pesto chicken one that I really like and like it's simple it's nice and simple but it tastes so good and like they have these like you know they give Jalapenos like the pickled jalapenos with them and it tastes so good like oh It's perfect and I usually get like if I end up getting that I'll get it with like you know some soup so I can Just like dip it in and I'm like this is the perfect combination. Why would anybody want to eat anything else? So yeah, so that's my experiences my experience with paninis. What about you? What are your thoughts on them?

0:24:05
I mean a panini is also a sandwich in my opinion, so I mean I want to give them some credit as well. I like them too, but I will admit I eat sandwiches more than paninis. But I mean I remember I was waiting for a flight, I believe I was coming back here from Seattle. I was at a restaurant and this is what introduced me to pesto in the beginning. And I believe I had a panini there, but that panini was really good. Like I know, like I said, there was pesto. I don't remember if it was turkey or chicken that I had, but that, like I said, like there's just, they had a way to make that panini taste good. Like, I don't even remember the vegetables. I don't even remember the spices on there. I'm guessing this was, this sounds like 10 years ago to me as well. Cause I just like got off of a cruise, but this stuff was like, that panini was good. Like, I wish I could eat more paninis to tell you that that deserves more credit as well. Because I think that sandwiches are a lot more on top of the, I guess they're more on top of a lot of people's tier lists than with paninis. But like I said, paninis, we're also celebrating panini month. So I, you know, they need their credit too.

0:25:11
worth mentioning. Yeah, no, I agree. I like them. They count as sandwiches, so they're all good. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like, you know, sandwiches and paninis, they've done their work, they've done what they need to, they deserve their month, not just a day.

0:25:31
Yeah, yeah. I agree, because like, well, sometimes I go to school, I bring a sandwich with me when I I know it's mostly a sandwich but I can say that people would bring sandwiches or leftovers from their home or even Take out from a restaurant for like their break So it is a good idea that they are, you know, getting the credit that they deserve but yeah, I mean Everything is just it. I'm not I'm not getting hungry yet because I just ate before we recorded But I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna be craving a panini anytime soon. I don't know about you.

0:26:06
Same, no, sandwiches, it's always a good time to eat a sandwich or a panini.

0:26:10
Oh yeah, oh yeah. I mean, okay, I'm looking it up and it says that paninis, it's a sandwich made with Italian bread so...

0:26:21
Oh, that's the big difference then.

0:26:23
The origin is in Italy. I'm looking this up on a wiki, cause I just like looked it up right now. So, I mean, yes, we do. We gotta like have more paninis too, you know?

0:26:33
Yeah. I agree.

0:26:35
I agree.

0:26:36
Yeah.

0:26:37
I have a feeling that I'm gonna be going to a restaurant in the future and I'm gonna be ordering a panini and I'll be like sharing, not just my, the sandwiches, my go-to sandwiches. It'll be more of like my go-to paninis next so I would love to do maybe an episode about that in the future.

0:26:54
Let's see about that. Yeah, you know what else I think would be pretty cool? You know, our listeners telling us about how their favorite sandwich, you know, and like I want to hear what other people put in their sandwiches too because there's some things where I'm just like, oh I would not put that in there and then there's some things that I've put in my sandwiches where people are like what's wrong with you like my mom would put um pickled carrots in my sandwich like when I was in high school and I remember people like my friends being like what the hell you know or like what is that I'm just like it's a pickled carrot fine yeah I

0:27:30
mean I see I don't know if I would put it in my sandwich but I've heard of

0:27:33
pickled carrots though mm-hmm yeah no my mom would do that to like mess with me like she would literally put like one one in the middle

0:27:42
oh okay yeah like you know i okay i i have like a little memory of when i would eat a sandwich like i have a friend i'm not gonna give her name she likes what i would bring to class or what bring to lunch and we would just share each other's um meal like she likes what my mom would make yeah it's really cool like i i don't know if i'll ever i don't think i'll do that again in the future just because of COVID and stuff but like you know that memory that nostalgia it's just it's really cool that we were able to do that but yeah so I don't have much else to say so alrighty well that case me too so yeah alright so yeah like our question to you everyone who are listening what are your favorite kinds of sandwiches? Do let us know in the comment section. We're not trying to be hateful or biased towards one or the other here. We're just trying to be clean and give our opinions in a, I would say, more of a cordial manner. But yeah, we want to know what kind of sandwiches or paninis that you like and please let us know. Maybe we can go and try it at a restaurant or you can even give us the recipe if you want, but that's up to you. But anyway so with that our socials are for Instagram it's at unqualified culinary critics and for Twitter it's unqclucrit so yeah that's pretty much it so thank you Twitter it's unqclucrit so yeah that's pretty much it so thank you everyone for listening and please do take care have a good day

Transcribed with Cockatoo