There are a few rules I’ve come to live by on our short time here on Earth. First, not to worry about things I don’t have control over. Second, not all sandwiches are created equally. Now, I try to make the best sandwiches I can, sometimes having to coax myself (futilely) not to worry if they don’t compare to the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. So much so that I had to create a third rule for myself: I can still be a competent human being, even if I can’t make sandwiches as good as those at Ike’s Place in the Castro/Mission District of San Francisco. Ike’s is a nationally-renowned one-stop sandwich shop whose culinary innovation has even been featured on Man v. Food (http://youtu.be/Y1cGUsvqu2g). For locals, it’s a staple, for out-of-towners, a rare treat. Ike’s perfectly embodies the principles of Bay Eats’ greatest eateries: food made with love by people who love it. And seriously, you can taste the love in every bite. Ike’s offers a spread of the most interesting sandwiches you will ever feast your eyes on… and read—the names of the sandwiches range from “[Name of the girl I’m dating]” to the infamous “Ménage a Trois” to the names of some of our most beloved athletes (Go Giants!). When I ask myself what makes Ike’s sandwiches so perfect, I always come back to Ike’s ability to think of the things we unconsciously desire, but can’t verbalize. Unconventional, yet ingenious things like putting jalapeno poppers or onion rings inside a sandwich. If you can think of it, Ike’s has probably already made it happen.
One of Ike’s more notorious concoctions is the “Dirty Sauce”— Ike’s own homemade garlic and herb aioli which is used on every sandwich, unless otherwise requested. As an extremely satisfied consumer of these sandwiches, I used to hypothesize that it was the dirty sauce that made Ike’s sandwiches so irresistible. But really, it’s the whole package Ike’s offers. The freshly baked bread—it’s so fresh, it was probably baked AS you were ordering, the high quality ingredients, and the perfectly complementary sauces all make for one hell-of-a sandwich. (Plus, they serve halal chicken!!!!)
We love just about all the sandwiches at Ike’s, but a couple of our all-time favorites are the “Menage a Trois” and the “M.I.L.F.” The Menage, as we lovingly call it, is complex and has so many layers of flavor, it’ll keep you guessing after every bite. The chicken is covered in BBQ sauce, honey mustard, and real honey, giving the sandwich a unique sweet-savory taste. Add in Dutch Crunch bread, three different types of cheeses, onions (and lettuce/tomatoes, if you want), and extra Dirty Sauce (always get extra dirty sauce) and you will be in food coma happiness for the rest of the day, waiting for the next trip out to Ike’s. If the Menage satisfies your sweet tooth, the M.I.L.F will handle the savory. Chicken covered in Frank’s Red Hot along with ranch, provolone, and jalapeno poppers, all encased in Dutch Crunch Bread is pretty close to salty perfection.
Ike’s love-o-meter is obviously bursting, as is ours with love for Ike’s. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
<3 M&S
