Easily transportable, satisfying, and frequently delicious: sandwiches can fill an important niche when you’re rushing from class to class. Nevertheless, simply gobbling down any assemblage of cold cuts and bread that comes your way can lead to disappointment. Eating a sandwich that relates to your studies can keep you focused on readings or a paper even as you take a break. At very least you’ll eat well. Here are a few highlights not too far from St. George.
1. Patty on Coco Bread
Patty King, 187 Baldwin St.
The patty on coco bread is a confus- ing, beautiful thing. A flaky yet solid turnover pastry filled with sharply spicy ground beef should make for an adequate snack, right? In this case no, as the patty is bolstered by coco bread, a type of sweet Jamaican bun. This stacking of starches is a bit intimidating, but the way the soft coco bread interacts with the patty’s savoury crust and filling has to be tasted to be believed. $1.84
Recommend courses: Looking at Caribbean politics, trade, and more in NEW324Y1 (The Contemporary Caribbean in a Global Context) could provide context for the patterns of migration that have made Jamai- can patties such a popular snack in Toronto. The coco bread sandwich’s impressive structural integrity might also prove thought provoking for a Civil Engineering student enrolled in CIV352H1 (Structural Design 1).
2. Schnitzel Sandwich
The Coffee Mill, 99 Yorkville Ave.
The Schnitzel Sandwich is about what’s inside. The bread is decent but the mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato — it’s all an after- thought. The construction of the sandwich is only an excuse to transport the Coffee Mill’s magnificent schnitzel far away from the Hungarian Yorkville eatery’s salon-like dining room. Grab one from the takeout counter and ferret it away to a quad or common room. The schnitzel will still be a piece of crisp perfec- tion. $8.00
Recommended courses: If you’re taking HUN100Y1 (Elementary Hungarian), you’ve probably already eaten this sandwich. But schnitzel is also associated with Vienna, speaking to Central Europe’s cosmopolitan past. Meet one of the city’s most famous sons, Sigmund Freud, in PSY100H1 (Intro- ductory Psychology).
3. Vegetable Empanada
Jumbo Empanadas, 245 Augusta Ave.
Within this bulging, lightly glazed empanada hides an abundant stuffing of spinach and mushrooms. The Chilean restaurant Jumbo Empanandas does not let its name down. Its empanadas are bigger and heartier than any- where else in town, authenticity be damned. The vegetable empanada tastes wholesome and earthy but is just as filling as any of their meat options (the olive, raisin, and egg-laced beef empanada is delicious too). $5.09
Recommended courses: GGR341H1 (The Changing Geography of Latin America) can give a sense of the enor- mous diversity of South America — and the myriad regional variations of empanadas. At a higher level, there’s POL426H1 (Democ- racy and Dictatorship), which examines the tragic political events that led to the begin- ning of Canada’s small Chilean community in the 1970s.
4. Smoked Meat Sandwich
Caplansky’s Delicatessen, 356 College St.
It’s been a few years since Zane Caplansky’s opened his shrine to the glory years of the North Ameri- can Jewish deli, and he’s still going strong. You’ll probably need a nap after eating one of these sand- wiches — each bite is a piece of salty, artery-clogging history, the disintegrating beef capturing the flavours of the strange journey from its origins somewhere in Romania to early twentieth century Montreal. $9.04
Recommended courses: First off, NFS284H1 (Basic Human Nutri- tion) might be useful to understand the dangers of this sandwich. From there, dive into ENG375H1 (Jewish Literature and Culture) to research Mordecai Richler’s deep connection with smoked meat.
5. Tofu Banh Mi
Banh Mi Ba Le, 538 Dundas St. W.
Spadina has its share of banh mi spots but Banh Mi Ba Le, around the corner on Dun- das, quietly excels. Vegetarian banh mi can be lackluster, but not here; the tofu banh mi packs greaseless fried tofu into a small warm baguette along with a light tomato sauce.
It’s topped with a mixture of pickles carrots, radish, and a few sprigs of coriander for some added crunch and freshness. $2.60
Recommended courses: To understand the dynamics that created the banh mi, you’ll need a grounding in French colonialism. HIS241H1 (Europe in the Nineteenth Century) covers France’s first moves into Indochina, while HIS346H1 (Rice and Spice in Southeast Asia) examines the region through the lens of food and agricultural trade.
