RegionAle Sandwich Shop (Ellicott City, MD)

After a nice walk around town and some early Xmas shopping in Ellicott City, my wife mentioned she wanted me to try a sandwich shop she’d been to with a friend. We drove back towards Columbia and ended up at RegionAle in a shopping center just off Snowden River Parkway. The mini-chain—which boasts three locations in the MD/DC area—has a great concept: the founders wanted to “bring a fresh spin to classic American sandwiches” by featuring regional favorites crafted with a modern twist. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good sandwich, whether it’s the cheesesteaks and hoagies I grew up on as a Delaware Valley native, the massive crab cake sandwiches I’ve been devouring for the past twenty-plus years outside Baltimore, or everything from pulled pork and fried chicken to Cuban and tuna sandwiches that I’ve sampled in our travels. The menu offers about a dozen sandwiches that represent both coasts (California, Oregon, Florida, NY and Philly feature prominently) plus places in between. 

I almost never eat a cheesesteak outside PA/NJ/DE (and the ciabatta roll screamed “foul”) and my crabcake allegiance lies elsewhere, so I settled on the Kentucky (?) Smashburger, featuring an Angus patty cooked to perfection and nestled in a potato bun with the works (Havarti, arugula, tomato, red onion, dill pickle, house sauce). Personally, I’d never thought of Kentucky as home of the smashburger, but it turns out they were invented at a Dairy Cheer burger stand in Ashland, KY (where my wife’s grandparents lived) more than 50 years ago! After considering the cheesesteak, my wife pulled the trigger on the Nashville Hot Chicken (shown) stacked with two juicy, breaded chicken patties, Nashville Hot Sauce, garlic aioli, arugula, and pickle slices on a potato bun. We split a side of homemade Old Bay potato chips, and I was able to order a Cryomancer IPA on tap from Baltimore’s own Nepenthe Brewery. 

Sandwich prices range from $10 to $15 and there’s a selection of soups, vegetarian sandwiches, salads and desserts. Service was friendly and quick (though I did have to wait a bit for my beer), and the location we visited had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely recommended! — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet, which is seeking contributions for its upcoming thirteenth issue. Check out our website for more details or email editor@hungovergourmet.com.

Bananas in Salads from A Study of the Banana (1942)

I know it's getting late, but there's still time for me to wish you a Happy National Banana Lover's Day! For the first half of my life I was not what you would call a "banana lover". Oh sure, I loved the flavor of a banana bubble gum cigar but a REAL banana? No thanks. Maybe my mom tried to serve me Banana Cabbage Salad or Banana Peanut Fan Salad (from A Study of the Banana: Its Every-Day Use and Food Value [Student's Manual], 1942) and I blocked out the memory but internalized the horror. Either way, I finally grew to love the banana and its "bacteria-proof wrapper". I hope your holiday was merry. (Click image for full-size picture.) – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. There's still time to submit your contribution for our next issue. See the THG website for more details.

#banana #bananasalad #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #vintagecooking

The Hungover Gourmet Meets The Food Enthusiast!

Had a blast spending some time this afternoon chatting with longtime friend Dara Bunjon on her podcast, The Food Enthusiast. We talked about zines, cheesesteaks and pork roll, grocery stores, pop culture, and much more. 

If you missed the live stream you can check out the archived video here.

 

WIENER WEDNESDAY: Microwave Hot Dogs (Date Unknown)

WIENER WEDNESDAY: Microwave Week rolls on into everybody’s favorite day, Wiener Wednesday. But I must admit. Microwave cookbooks lack imagination in two areas: titles and wiener recipes. The three books sitting on my desk are ‘Microwave Magic’, ‘More Microwave Magic’, and the source of today’s “recipe”, ‘Magic of Microwave Cookbook,’ which appears to have accompanied an MCD microwave (whatever that is). It’s literally not magic, people—the food is cooked by high frequency radio waves, like an AM/FM radio or CB. And when it comes to hot dogs, franks, and wieners, there’s a similar dearth of imagination. Oh sure, you can tell me how to whip up Turkey Italienne or $5,000 Fiesta Chicken Kiev, but the extent of their hot dog “magic” is pretty much summed up by today’s instructions: wrap your wiener in a paper towel and cook for 30 seconds. Click picture for full-size image.

#wienerwednesday #microwaveweek #vintagerecipes #microwaverecipes #vintagecookbooks #microwaves #kitsch

TACO TUESDAY: Nutty Taco Salad (Date Unknown)

TACO TUESDAY: Microwave Week Continues! Are you one of the “many people” who bought a microwave oven just to have an “expensive toy”? For shame! The microwave is an “asset” to your kitchen! In fact, the fine folks at the Oklahoma Peanut Commission thought so highly of the marvelous microwave that they produced ‘Microwave Magic’ (date unknown), a 32-page recipe booklet of nothing but microwave recipes featuring—you guessed it—peanuts. From Chicken Peanut Casserole and Peanut Tea Ring to Peanut Surprise and Aunt Jean’s Poppycock, if it has peanuts in it and you can microwave it, well, it’s probably in here. But since today is Taco Tuesday, I figured I’d share Nutty Taco Salad, which features microwaved ground beef and taco seasoning mixed with peanut butter and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Click picture for full-size image.

#tacotuesday #microwaveweek #microwaverecipes #recipes #peanutrecipes #tacosalad #vintagecookbooks #vintagerecipes #peanuts #peanutbutter

MICROWAVE MONDAY: English Reubens (1990)

MICROWAVE MONDAY: As methods for warming up sandwiches go, the microwave is right up there with setting it on the hood of a warm car. This recipe from 'More Microwave Magic' (Modern Publishing, 1990, edited by Wendy Lazor) turns a plain old Reuben into a trip to the United Kingdom by swapping in (checks notes) English Muffins. Once can only imagine the soggy mess that results from nuking untoasted English Muffin halves, dressing and kraut. Click picture for full-size image.

#reubensandwich #reuben #microwavemonday #microwaveweek #sandwiches #sandwichrecipes #vintage #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #kitsch

Welcome to Microwave Week!

Welcome to Microwave Week! Though the microwave oven was invented in 1946, they weren’t readily available in American households until the late 1960s. Besides, who had room for a 6-foot, 750-pound oven that cost $5,000? By the late 1960s, countertop units were available for about $500, and the advent of cheaper parts and technological advances meant that many homes in the 1970s were able to afford this miracle of modern cooking (and leftover reheating). This week, we’ll celebrate with microwave-friendly recipes for everything from sandwiches to drinks. Whether you like it or not.

FISH FRIDAY: Molded Tuna Salad (1940)

FISH FRIDAY: "Conjure this molded tuna salad out of your refrigerator when guests are hungry," suggests Frances Troy Northcross in '250 Fish And Sea Food Recipes' (Culinary Arts Institute, 1940). Click picture for full-size image. 

#tuna #tunarecipes #molded #vintage #vintagerecipes #vintagecookbooks #kitsch #culinaryarts