"ham and cheese" news and stories

Oh, how I wish I had taken a picture of my meal tonight. Unfortunately, the three of us were ravenous fiends who had no time to sit for a second and appreciate the food on our plates. What did we eat? A mystery soup (my friend refuses to tell me what was in it), a salad, and the rich, fatty, and delicious croque monsieur -- otherwise known as French ham and grilled cheese topped with bechamel and more cheese.

I have made a lot of things for these guys over the years -- bisques, fajitas, fish and chips, sauteed tofu, stuffed mushroom caps... -- but nothing has ever gotten the praise that a couple plates of croque monsieur have. I'm talking moans of surprise with almost every bite, as if it was an ongoing, neverending shock of quiver-inducing flavor. The vegetarian got the sandwich sans meat, while the rest of us had prosciutto slipped inside, instead of ham.

I think it's my new holiday favorite. We always get set on big productions of food for the holiday, but why go to all that effort when you can get the same, or an even better, response from a simple, saucy ham and cheese?

If there's one thing I learned from this list of best sandwiches from Boston magazine, it's this: I really have to get out more.

I've heard of all of these restaurants, but I haven't had any of the sandwiches. God, between this and my other recent admission, you'd think I didn't eat anything but pizza and candy. That's not a bad guess, but it's just that I haven't tried these establishments yet. But having a list like this makes you say "hey, I want to try that!", so it has accomplished one of its goals.

Deluca's on Newbury Street wins for Best Roast Beef; the Union Bar and Grille wins for Best Reuben; Darwin's wins the award for Best Egg Salad; the Flour Bakery + Cafe gets the nod for B.L.T.; the Appleton Bakery + Cafe gets Best Ham and Cheese; Best Meatloaf goes to Solas; Pemberton Farms wins for Best Traditional Turkey; and the Parish Cafe gets the award for Best Tuna Salad.

This is part one, by the way. In the next issue will be sandwiches they call "The New Classics." Which will probably be even more sandwiches I haven't tried yet.