Happy National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day!
Seems like every day is another observance of one thing or another. Or a dozen others. Today, in fact, is not only National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day, it is also the Feast of the Ass, among other things (I choose pastrami, thanks). It would be crazy to try to keep up with all of these observances, even just all the sandwich-related ones. (The Brookston Almanac does a pretty good, beer-focused job of announcing them daily)
But National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day has a certain significance for the Tribunal. I had thought that this day last year was the first time my friends Josh and Thom and I came up with the idea of a Sandwich Tribunal, but as it turns out, I was wrong. We first came up with it on January 1st of 2014.
@El_Josharino @dodecaphonix we are the Sandwich Tribunal. I like it.
— Sandwich Death Panel Czar (@JimBehymer) January 1, 2014
However, our next use of the term was on National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day 2014, when I sent a taunting photo of my hot pastrami sandwich from Manny’s Deli to them over twitter.
Sandwich Tribunal, please take note: no judgement required, just gaze in awe @El_Josharino @dodecaphonix pic.twitter.com/zWAzd5g0ZR
— Sandwich Death Panel Czar (@JimBehymer) January 14, 2014
Maybe I should have gone somewhere else for my hot pastrami sandwich this year, but I can’t really think of another place in Chicago where you can find one as ridiculous as this. So I hopped on a Divvy bike and headed toward the south loop
Manny’s, a Chicago institution
Manny’s is a cafeteria more than anything. You grab a tray, slide it along, and order whatever as you go through the line. I was there a bit early and there wasn’t much of a line so I had time to chat with Gino a bit about biking/running in the winter and the resultant beardcicles as he was putting together my sandwich.
Gino liked me so I got an extra pickle wedge
This is not a cheap sandwich, but it is a lot of food. That’s a substantial potato pancake in the back there, which by itself is plenty to eat. I piled horseradish mustard (and some extra horseradish) on the sandwich and dug in.
I can put away some pretty huge sandwiches but about 3/4 of the way through this one I hit the wall. I had to pause, meatsweat breaking out on my forehead, and take a couple of long drinks of Coke before I could continue. I managed to finish the sandwich but for about 10 minutes after, I sat motionless in my chair, daydreaming about naps. My return ride to the west loop took about twice as long as the ride there. As I sit here digesting, I can actually feel the salty pastrami pulling moisture out of my body. I’m on about my third cup of water since lunch. But I finished the fucker.
You almost took me out, you big sonofabitch.
I realize there are places out there far more pastrami-focused than Chicago. If I’d thought about it, I’d have gotten my shit together and made some of my homemade pastrami for the day instead of going to Manny’s
Some of my homemade pastrami. Sliced a little thicker, served a little juicier.
But Manny’s is a pretty cool place, and worth checking out once a year on January 14th. Enjoy a hot pastrami sandwich today!
I like sandwiches.
I like a lot of other things too but sandwiches are pretty great
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