Baltimore Foodie Bucket List - 1 Down

Not long ago, I posted my Baltimore foodie bucket list. I hate that I occassionally take living somewhere for granted and never think to take advantage of what's around me, and that's where my bucket list comes in. Last Thursday, Buppy and I had to go down to the Pikesville area anyway, so why not hit up Edmart deli? Gee, glad I thought of it!

While staring at the menu board, we let the person in line behind us go ahead. We had no clue what to order, so why make him wait? Well, Buppy was sure glad we did. This person ordered a 'cloak and dagger'. Buppy and I looked at each other, stumped. There were no sandwich names listed on the menu board, only meat fillings. I whispered, "Aw heck, just ask the guy what it is." Buppy did. Apparently it's like a Reuben, but with slaw instead of sauerkraut. Buppy's mind was made up instantly. I tried to order a rare roast beef sandwich, only to be told that they didn't have any rare roast beef. The man behind the counter suggested brisket instead, pointing out that it's what Duff ate when they were featured on Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate 'At a Deli' episode. Bam, my mind was made up. I couldn't remember what Duff had eaten when we arrived, but I'm glad the counterman suggested it.

Buppy's cloak and dagger sammy with Maui onion potato chips.

Each sandwich alone was $8.50. I don't normally 'combo' my meals, but I found a bag of chips (kettle cooked --- yay!) called Funky Fusion that I wanted to try; with a name like that, you never know what to expect. Adding a bag of chips each (Maui Onion for Buppy) and something to drink, our total came to $19.98 (the lunch combo special is $9.99). The sign said 'plus tax', but we weren't charged tax, and I didn't complain. While we had originally planned to eat there, the only seating were 2 tables right next to the restroom behind a bookshelf. We actually didn't even see 'em at first. Since it was such a nice day out, we instead brought our meals home and ate outside on the deck.

My brisket sandwich with Tiger sauce and Funky Fusion potato chips.

Funny how things turn out. Both sandwiches were very good, and both came on seeded rye bread. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Buppy's seeing as how I'm not a huge fan of slaw or Thousand Island dressing. My brisket was dressed simply with Tiger sauce (mayo+horseradish). We split the sandwiches, but in the end liked each other's slightly better. Same with the chips. Funky Fusion, apparently, is code for 'light barbeque flavor'. The 'cloak and dagger' was a little too dry for him, and the brisket was almost too buttery for me. I know that sounds odd. The brisket was the tenderest meat I've ever put in my mouth, but it seemed too fatty for me. I'm actually not sure if it had a lot of fat or if the smoothness of the meat just gave me that mouth feel. Plus, the brisket lacked flavor to me. Surprisingly, so did the corned beef in Buppy's sandwich though. There was a hint of the briny flavor you get from corned beef, but it left me wanting more. The crunch from the slaw was the perfect addition though, and they were light-handed with both that and the dressing, so the sandwich seemed well-balanced.

2 sammys, 2 drinks and 2 bags of chips for $19.98

As I was checking out, I asked about their lox. I absolutely love lox but very rarely eat it because it's so pricey. I didn't plan to purchase any that day, but asked just so I'd know for next time. Lemme tell ya, there'll be no 'next time' to purchase lox there. Ever. Not for $47.50 per pound. Good to know.

Lastly, I'll mention the pickles. Everyone knows I love pickles. Couldn't sit down for a meal at my Grandma's house when I was young without her homemade pickles on the table. I've even started to make my own refrigerator pickles, and taught my mom how too. But these pickles are just weird, in a hard-to-describe way. I've had sour and half-sour pickles at delis before, but these weren't the same. They weren't sweet, weren't dilly . . . . I wish I could describe better what they tasted like.

One down, 3 to go on my Baltimore foodie bucket list. Stay tuned.