Faye's Subs and Salads

There is something you might need to know about me if you are going to continue to read this blog.  While I certainly have an admirable appreciation for complex cooking and crazy culinary creations that tickle the tastebuds, I also LOVE a good sandwich.  Yes, the sandwich.  Typically two slices of bread with some goodness stuffed in between.  I like all types of sandwiches.  In fact, I even wrote a poem about sandwiches:

Sandwiches, by Jay D.  Inspired by the late Theodore Geisel Seuss.

I am Jay.
Jay I am.
I do like a sandwich with ham.
I do like them, Jay I am.

I like them big, and I like them small. 
I like short, and I like them tall. 
I like sandwiches with mustard, and sandwiches with cheese. 
I like just about all sandwiches, so give them to me please!

I can eat my sandwich on wheat,
I can eat my sandwich on rye.
I can eat my sandwich messy or neat,
I can eat my sandwich wet or dry.

I do like sandwiches,
I could eat them all day.
I do like sandwiches,
Jay I am, I am Jay!

Now, back to the food.  Let me add one more note about sandwiches before I write about today's meal.  As much as I appreciate a good sandwich, I really appreciate even more a good local sandwich shop or restaurant that serves a unique sandwich.  When given the choice between Subway or pretty much anywhere else, I will choose the somewhere else.  This doesn't mean I have anything against Subway, and I do think they make some tasty sandwiches, but those just aren't my thing when I have other options.  I like to see some originality in a sandwich shop, so I walked right past the Subway today and went to Faye's.

Faye's, in downtown Baton Rouge, has been in operation for 25 years.  It is a real quick hop across Third Street from my office, so I am about a once-every-other-week regular customer. 

Every time I walk in to Faye's there is a line at the counter waiting to order and pick up their subs.  Their shop is run like a well oiled machine.  Each person does their own thing, and the sandwiches flow off the line and into peoples' bellies.  One thing I really enjoy about Faye's is that all the meat and cheese is sliced fresh for every sandwich right there in front of the customer.  They don't pre-slice the turkey and then store it a refrigerated container until someone orders it.  Instead, they have everything you could want on display right there in front of you, and they run it throught the meat slicer like the deli at a grocery store and place it right onto your bread.   

Today I ordered the #11 "Best".  The 8" loaf of wheat bread came with freshly sliced ham, salami, capicola, pepperoni, and provolone cheese.  That was then topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper, oregano, oil, vinegar, and dijon mustard.  Man, was it ever a treat!  The sandwich itself was just the right size for a lunch.  Each of the meats had its own fresh taste that contributed to the overall flavor of the sub-styled sandwich.  The salami and pepperoni were pretty typical, but still tasty in their own right.  The veggies, oil, vinegar, oregano, and spicy dijon mustard put the finishing touches on the well executed sandwich.  Combined with Zapp's Hotter 'N Hot Jalapeno potato chips (one of the best chips of all time!), the meal was very satisfying, and, unlike the chinese buffet at China House, I was ready to go back to work and be productive!  The sandwich, chips, and drink comes in at $7.75, so certainly not too bad a splurge.  I know I'll be back many more times to try some other combinations of sandwich goodness.

#11 "Best" from Faye's with Zapp's Hotter 'N Hot Jalapeno Potato Chips