There will be no surprises in today's blog—just a sober look at the eating preferences of our customers since January 1st of this year.
Take a guess which sandwich will be #1. If you find that you're correct, give yourself a pat on the back, you savvy market analyst, you!
#5 The Great Summer Caper
The once Summertime special that proved too viable to restrict to one season. The Great Summer Caper consists of a toasted Lake Superior Bakehouse Bagel (or one of our new gluten-free bagels), scallion cream cheese, capers (duh!), tomato, red onion, lettuce, and the true star of the show, Black Pepper & Coriander smoked Atlantic salmon.
BP&C (as commonly* abbreviated) is a highly popular fish case offering which, before the Summer of 2018, didn't show up on any sandwiches. Which isn't to say it wasn't requested on sandwiches. It was. Often.
Now, thanks to the Summer special that just wouldn't quit, you can substitute BP&C on all your favorite fish sandwiches, or The Wagner, if you're feeling bold and saucy.
*by me.
#4 The Pastrami Mommy
Of the sandwiches on this list, the Pastrami Mommy has evolved the most. Formerly an exclusively Bison Pastrami sandwich, served on a very dark rye bread, it is currently made on our lighter hausmade rye bread (thank you, Jerry!), typically with Beef Pastrami, though still intermittently with Bison Pastrami when the smokers have time or reason to make it.
For those who don't know, the price of bison has skyrocketed since the Wild West-esque days when I began working at NWS—thus, we reserve the majority of our bison production for Corned Bison and Bison Buddies.
Back to the Pastrami Mommy: Changes aside, the popularity of this sandwich has remained consistent, likely due in part to Guy Fieri's enthusiasm about it on our decade-oldDiners, Drive-Ins, and Dives spot, but ultimately due to the merit of this sandwich.
Hausmade rye, mayo, and hausmade mustard, piled high with a quarter-pound of pastrami, zesty pepperoncini, provolone cheese, and mixed greens. Sounds tasty, right?
#3 The Cold Turkey
The savory-sweet delight that's nearly impossible to quit: Maple-Sage Smoked Ferndale Farms Turkey Breast cradled in a few ounces of Crayo, nestled alongside mixed greens and Swiss cheese, all on a hausmade ciabatta (thanks again, Jerry!).
Frankly, if our sandwich menu ever vexes you, the Cold Turkey is a great default. It's a sandwich that many, even among our very sandwich-spoiled staff, view as comfort food. It's the perennial, "nothing too exciting today, just the Cold Turkey." Which is not a bad thing at all. Add a Jean Jacket if you want some excitement.
#2 The Northern Bagel
A simple foundation with an abundance of flavor is the secret of this sandwich. Our Traditional Smoked Atlantic Salmon already has a lot going for it, from its outer smoke-catching pellicle to it's brown sugar-sweet, moist and flaky flesh. Marry that amazing flavor to hausmade scallion cream cheese and a Lake Superior Bakehouse bagel, and you've got a winning combination.
One major benefit of this simple setup is accessibility. You can eat this thing anywhere, and you're probably not going to make a mess. It's a great sandwich on-the-go, whether that's the trailhead, the beach, or the car. And while the technical aspect of this sandwich may suffice, more importantly, it also tastes really good.
The Northern Bagel is even available from the comfort of your own home kitchen!
#1 The Cajun Finn
Honestly, did you imagine anything else would be in this spot?
The Cajun Finn's reputation precedes it. The Cajun Finn has had such an impact upon our deli and our community that it has made its way onto a piece of our merchandise—which, by the way, is on sale for $15 during the month of March: That's $5 off! And lifetime 10%-off your in-store purchases as long as you're wearing the shirt-slash-any of our merch!—and at least a couple other menus in town *wink emoji*
This blog hasn't featured any specific sales numbers for these sandwiches, but based on the sales records from which this content emerged, the Finn sold roughly as many units as the three sandwiches below it combined.
Having fond memories of your last Cajun Finn? Want to hit that high again? Have a kit shipped to your doorstep!
It's looking like it will be a busy weekend in the Canal Park area, and with favorable winds and sunshine, that should hopefully carry over to our deli.
If you're craving NWS sandwiches and smoked fish, but not craving the wait, try our Delivery/Pick-up service.