Sandwich in Bend.
Are you looking for the best sandwich in Bend? We spend a lot of time eating sandwiches. These are our favorite spots in Bend…the list is intentionally short because we’re big fans of keeping things simple and supporting local families. This list is fueled by some of the best people in Bend, great people serving our community through good food. The common thread…GOOD BREAD! New York City Sub Shop has mastered the art of baking fresh bread daily in-house. A few years ago, we showed up to grab a late afternoon sandwich from NYCSS, it was past 3pm, and when we showed up, there was a sign on the door that said, “out of bread, closed for the day”. I walked in and asked what’s up with running out of bread. Andrew, the owner, politely let me know that they make their bread fresh daily, when its gone, its gone. I respect that, and i’ve been coming back ever since that “we ran out of bread” day. There are a few other spots in Bend that operate that way, and I LOVE IT! Our friends at Valentine’s are laser-focused on top-notch ingredients and have outsourced their bread stuff to one of Bend’s finest bakers, Sparrow Bakery. The Sparrow hogie roll is quite possibly the best on planet earth. We buy them in bags of four from Newport Avenue Market for making sandwiches at home. Look for them next time your at Market of Choice or Newport.
We’d love to know which sandwich spot is your favorite…and here are ours!
#1 Valentine’s Deli - link to site
#2 NYCSS - link to site
#3 Blue Eyes Burgers and Fries - link to site (formerly Neighbor Rotisserie). Yes, we know burgers aren’t sandwiches, but maybe they are. Who are you to say they are not? Life’s too short to not eat burgers, err…a beefy inspired sandwich for lunch. Lol.
#1 Valentine’s Deli - (541) 322-2154 - 555 NW Arizona Ave #25, Bend, OR 97703
My wife is a teacher in Bend and each year we seem to find a gift card stuffed into a thank you note from the owners of Valentine’s. These folks love and support our local educators, and they make a seriously good sandwich.
Our favorite…the only sandwich I ever order, is the hot italian. Friends I eat with order the Alburquerque or Ranch Hand. Every sandwich on the menu is incredible. Valentine’s has mastered the art of keeping things simple, using great meat and veggies on delicious bread from Sparrow Bakery.
Hot Italian 🐖
Toasted pepperoni, salami, hot capicola, ham, and provolone cheese on a Sparrow hoagie, topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and pepperoncini. Juiced up with mayo and house red wine vinaigrette
#2 New York City Sub Shop - (541) 330-0444
Andrew and his team have been in Bend for a long time, since before Bend had more than 10,000 people. Conveniently located off Third Street, next to Ace and Safeway, this spot is a MUST-VISIT when in Bend. My favorite is a Manhatten, light on peppers, no tomato, served hot. When they ask if you’d like the sandwich hot, say yes, they grill everything up on their flat top, then carefully place it onto their soft bread. The process is systematic, everything is consistent, down to how each sandwich is cut, wrapped, and delivered.
If you’re in town and wanna grab lunch, I’m buying. If you live in Bend and wanna catch up over lunch, I’m buying.
Just call or text me “sandwich” and I’m in for a trip to NYCSS. Your sandwich is on me.
Justin
(541) 797 - 9939
Pig Roast.
Roasted pig in our kitchen oven. Delicious!
Have you ever wanted to roast a pig? We roasted a pig last weekend and would love to share all the details and steps with you so you can roast a pig in your kitchen. The taste, smell, and crackle were phenomenal. It’s easy; it just takes some time. We hope you find this helpful and that it leads to you gathering with family and friends to enjoy a whole pig!
A step-by-step guide to roasting a pig in your kitchen:
Step One: Find an occasion to celebrate with family and friends. I turned forty-four, and my friend Hector turned forty in the same week; we decided to roast a pig together.
Step Two: Find a pig. Childres Meat in Bend, Oregon, is our go-to vendor for a small, milkfed pig. Childres is family owned, family operated, and has been around since 1989. They supply many local restaurants in Bend with grass-fed beef. If you are not from Bend, simply ask a chef or restaurant in your town/city who their go-to supplier for grass-fed beef or pork is, call them, and order your pig. We spent less than $200.
Step Three: Brine the pig for forty-eight to seventy-two hours. Pick your favorite brine recipe. We brined our pig in water, salt, honey, fish sauce, a head of garlic, thinly sliced ginger, bay leaves, kafir lime leaf, zest and juice of lime, thai long pepper, star anise. There is room for some creative freedom on the brine. The key is to give it time to sit and soak up all the flavor. We brined our pig for three days.
Step Four: Roast the pig in your oven at 350 degrees. for 90 min back down. Then flip the pig and roast for 60 min back up. We transported the pig to my mother-in-law’s house. About a hour before we ate, we put the pig, back up, in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 min. This allowed the skin to get all crackly and golden.
Step Five: DO NOT CUT WITH A KNIFE! The traditional Spanish method for cutting a whole pig is with a plate. Yes. With a plate! If you can cut with a plate, this shows that the pig has been prepared and cooked properly. Once the pig has been cut to shreds with a plate, dig in, serve up, and enjoy!
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Serve the pig with roasted potatoes, veggies, and anything else you love to eat. Hector prepared a delicious chimichurri sauce (perhaps another post just on chimichurri). The sauce was packed with flavor! Depending on how many people are eating the pig, we had sixteen folks over; there should be plenty of leftovers for tacos the next day! After everyone had gotten their cut and made their way to the table to eat, I stepped up for my slice of heaven. My friend cut the neck off the head and said, “This is the best part.”. The neck was delicious!
We loved every part of preparing, cooking, and sharing this meal with our family and friends. If you would like more details, let’s talk. I’d be happy to chat more and fill in more details.
Give me a call at (541) 797 - 9939
Shoot me an email: Justin@varsityoregon.com
