Rise of Artisan Sandwiches

Focusing on Quality Ingredients Resonates with Consumers.

Ken Forkish didn’t design the hero sandwich, but after savoring his interpretation of an old favorite –deli meats, asiago cheese, pickled onions and veggies soaked in vinaigrette, neatly tucked into a ciabatta roll– you begin to understand why Ken’s Artisan Bakery has so many faithful fans. Today’s sandwich is so much more than the slice of mayo-slathered bologna glued in place between two slices of white bread that used to be expendable trade bait in school lunch pails. Masterpieces like “Ken’s Hero” and the carefully crafted “Jambon” (Oregon ham and asiago on a buttered baguette) are so appealing that they give added meaning to the culinary arts.

Excepting for challenges with time travel, the boulangerie-inspired bread-bound treats at the Portland-based bakery would probably impress none other than John Montagu for whom the sandwich was named. Although the Montagu didn’t invent the tasty combination of bread, meat, vegetables, and dairy, it was the 18th century aristocrat’s title that stuck to the all-in-one meal like mustard on rye. The 4th Earl of Sandwich reportedly fancied the food because it was a grease-free way to eat meat whilst playing cribbage.

A few centuries later in a land far away, guests at Ken’s Artisan Bakery are focused on tuna-filled croissants and other favorites, keeping their fingers clean enough to pause and peck at their smart phones. All the while, fragrances of fresh baked bread escape out the front door and down NW 21st Avenue, attracting other hungry customers to the shop.

Forkish, who grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland eating east coast delicatessen delights piled high with Capicola, salami, and mortadella, knows his business. “When you say artisan sandwich, I think what you mean to say is a sandwich based on quality ingredients,” suggests Forkish, who believes the word “artisan” has been stretched beyond its limit. “We’re focused on the quality and doing everything here. If we’re doing a turkey sandwich, we’re roasting the turkey breast here and slicing it. Why wouldn’t you? It’s really easy to roast a turkey breast, and these things are a heck of a lot better to eat than something that is processed somewhere else that has preservatives in it.”

Similarly, John Stewart, owner of Meat Cheese Bread in Portland, says his business formula is to make simple sandwiches and use better ingredients. “We may do a BLT, but we only do it when tomatoes are in season,” he reports. “When tomatoes are in season, so are BLTs. We use roasted beets for the tomatoes when they’re out of season.”

That doesn’t mean Stewart goes overboard when it comes to creative substitution. “I don’t think tradition will take a back seat to newer styles,” he maintains. “The traditional sandwich staples are the same, but the quality is better. People still want bacon. It’s just now they have had good bacon, and given a choice, I think people are listening to their taste buds. It seems as though people are willing to spend a little more for better products.”

While Stewart keeps it simple most of the time, his menu includes the Park Kitchen Sandwich, a customer favorite that seemingly includes everything but the sink. “It’s got flank steak, mixed greens, pickled onions, blue cheese mayo, herbs, and it’s all tossed in a vinaigrette,” he confesses, adding “it’s one of the most popular sandwiches on the menu.”

Nancy Groth, owner of Summer Jo’s in Grants Pass, isn’t afraid to experiment either. Her favorite inventions include duck confit with cherry compote on a maple wheat bagel and marmalade-infused whipped cream cheese with prosciutto on a three-pepper bagel. Wild combinations aside, there is a method to the madness. “There’s some cookbook, I’ve forgotten which, that has a section called Matches Made in Heaven,” recalls Groth. “They basically say that flavors that go well together were discovered many years ago. There are not too many ‘new’ combinations. So I use that as a reference to make sure I’m going in the right direction. That being said, I’m sure I’ve come up with some bad combos as well. That gets discovered pretty quickly, and we course correct (drop an item) and move on.”
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