The Salmon Melt is the closest thing you’ll ever find to a tuna melt at NWS.
Originating from a conversation around this very subject, The Salmon Melt was pitched at Sandwich Lab basically as it is now: two buttered and toasted slices of 3rd Street Bakery white bread (from an NWS recipe!), a scoop of Smoked Salmon Pâté topped with two slices of cheddar cheese—you guessed it: melted to ooey-gooey perfection—finished off with a blend of finely chopped fresh celery, dill pickle, and red onion for extra crunch that ties the whole sandwich together.
It’s a little bit lavish, with a folksy charm. And it gave not only new life to our Smoked Salmon Pâté, but a fresh take on a classic genre for the true sandwich connoisseur!
Sandopedia: NWS Salad
Today we’re talking about the Big Show: THE Northern Waters Smokehaus Salad. NWS Salad for short. “The Salmon Salad” if you heard about it from your friend and didn’t memorize the name (we’ll know what you meant).
A big ol’ pile of mixed greens, sliced cabbage, and chopped cilantro, topped with diced cucumber and tomato, chopped Marcona almonds, pickled ginger, and a .2# portion of Traditional Smoked Atlantic Salmon. Served with sides of wasabi mayo, sriracha, and sesame oil vinaigrette, which we let you apply to your preference.
This salad is a whole meal. Honestly, it might be two whole meals. And every ingredient serves the dual purpose of 1.) tasting great — individually, and as part of the gestalt — and, 2.) energizing you: body, mind, and soul. Pickled ginger, sriracha, and wasabi mayo awaken your senses (and possibly clear your sinuses). Marcona almonds and Smoked Salmon offer those good fats and protein that sustain you. And a fabulous selection of veggies provide the fiber your body needs to make the most of all those nutritious ingredients.
Food can be simple fuel, and food can be art. The NWS Salad rides that line. It is, for many, their favorite item on our menu.
Sandopedia: Adisalad
The Adisalad hides behind a strange name (up there with sandwiches like “mmMmm” and “Slammin’ Gordon”) but that shouldn’t deter you from ordering it! Serving as a mid-size salad — between the side-sized Ensaladita and the entrée-sized NWS Salad — it beautifully highlights our hausmade Sauerkraut and Kimchi.
The salad is composed of the following: mixed greens, sliced cabbage, sweet and salty hausmade Pickled Vegetable Medley, chopped Marcona almonds, cucumber, and the finishing touch — Sauerkraut or Kimchi (or both!) Pretty much everything on this salad is fuel your body craves. You may notice a distinct lack of “dressing” it that list of ingredients, which is one of the salad’s greatest features. Between the chopped almonds, and the residual moisture from the cucumber, PVM, and featured fermented veg (Kraut/Kimchi) the salad dresses itself. No added fats or oils required!
Made with Sauerkraut, the Adisalad is vegan-friendly, and the added caraway in our ‘kraut recipe really shines through with an earthy complexity.
Made with Kimchi, the salad remains pescatarian-friendly, and the mild heat and pungency of our kimchi becomes the star of the show.
The Adisalad’s size means that it’s flexible. There’s enough substance, and enough complexity of character, that it can satisfy as a standalone entree. It would also make a perfectly serviceable side shared between 2-4 people also enjoying sandwiches. The salad itself doesn’t feature any added “proteins” (chopped almonds aside), but it lends itself well to added portions of Smoked Tofu, Smoked Atlantic Salmon, Smoked Turkey Breast, Salami Mix or whatever other NWS meat offerings your heart may desire.
For those wondering about the name, we won’t keep it secret. An employee named Adison pitched this salad at the SANDWICH LAB. It was something he had been regularly making for his break meal, since rich and heavy meat-laden sandwiches are not exactly the best “get up and go” option mid-shift. We all loved it, and it was quickly voted onto the menu, however it did not have a name. It’s hard to imagine, but sometimes our wit wanes: Thus, the portmanteau Adisalad.
Sandopedia: Spring Roll
The Spring Roll was not our first attempt at a vegan sandwich (that honor belongs to the mid-20-teens’ The Tempest — RIP Romesco on the sandwich line). In fact, it didn’t even begin as a fully vegan sandwich.
The Spring Roll is: sliced cabbage, hausmade Pickled Vegetable Medley, chopped Marcona almonds, sliced cucumber, Teriyaki Smoked Tofu, and a blend of mixed greens, basil, and cilantro, all dressed in sesame oil vinaigrette and sriracha — originally wrapped in a pillowy, and very buttery, naan — now prepared on a stirato (square-shaped ciabatta that is dairy- and egg-free).
YES, it is a bit confusing to name a sandwich after a popular thin pastry- or rice paper-rolled appetizer — and YES, this isn’t our first sandwich name conflating another food name (looking at you, Sitka Sushi) — BUT, in our defense, a stirato IS a type of roll. We are sorry for party rocking. It probably won’t happen again…
At our core, we’re a smoked fish and meats place, but it’s important to us that our vegan and vegetarian offerings are not just a concession, but a high-quality offering on par with any of our other sandwiches. And to that end, the Spring Roll delivers. Teriyaki Smoked Tofu brings just as much umami and substance to the sandwich as any of our meat portions, and the balance of the veggies, sauces, and chopped almonds only elevates it.
Whereas we refuse to make any concessions in the quality of our plant-based diet-friendly offerings, we will make a nod here toward carnivores looking to add more vegetables into their lives: The Spring Roll is also a great vessel for meats such as our cold-smoked Nova Lox and Smoked Pork Loin (sold at the deli counter as “Canadian Bacon”) — if tofu just isn’t for you, consider those as substitutions.
