I had planned to head into Chinatown this week to eat spicy meats pressed between buns, but those plans will have to wait. I won't be making any adventures into Boston anytime soon - after this weekend's historic blizzard, the T is down and my car is submerged in two feet of snow in the driveway.
I'm starting to run out of food in my fridge. Snow has seeped into the majority of my socks and shoes. In short, I'm cold and desperate to stick foodstuffs down my gullet.
For these reasons, and because I am hesitant to walk more than one snow-covered block from my Boston Avenue residence in any direction, I figured Sunday was the perfect time to try out perhaps the most convenient snack of them all: sandwiches at Dunkin' Donuts.
DD has been heavily promoting what they're calling "Bakery Sandwiches" for a few months now. You may have noticed life-size cardboard versions of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski standing in Dunkin' Donuts locations, brandishing one of these round bulbs of bread, meat and sauce. The "Bakery Sandwich" distinguishes itself from other DD 'wich offerings with its lack of eggs, the goal being, perhaps, to market these sandwiches as an anytime snack.
I tried both variations of the "Bakery Sandwich": the turkey, cheddar and bacon version and the ham and swiss. Both 'wiches clock in at just under $3. I watched patiently as the DD server squirted a layer of condiment on the thick, crusty bun - the turkey sandwich bears an orange, vaguely spicy sauce that suggests a marriage of Russian dressing and chipotle, while the ham sandwich features a more traditional creamy mustard spread - upon which she stacked slices of meat. Then she stuck the whole deal in one of those industrialized toaster machines and added the cheese in only at the very end, after the sandwich was out of the toaster and being wrapped up.
My benchmark for fast-food sandwiches is pretty low, and I encourage y'all to make your own ham and cheese or turkey and cheese sandwiches at home if you can. That said, these Dunkin' Donuts sandwiches are not terrible. This DD experience was not nearly as awful as my floppy and flavorless egg-filled past experiences here. These sandwiches are basic, but they are comforting. The bread has a crunchy exterior but has chewy give to it as well, and I'm always happy to see a fast-food joint nod in a spicy direction, as DD does somewhat with the orange, chipoltle-ish sauce in the turkey sandwich, which with its salty bacon and melted cheddar was my favorite of the two that I sampled.
The cheese situation has also received an upgrade in the "Bakery Sandwiches." The usual plastic-y processed orange American cheese slices have been subbed out for slices of legitimate cheddar and swiss, which melt perfectly even though they spend no time in the toaster. Score one for industrial efficiency.
My biggest criticism of the "Bakery Sandwich" was that it was too bready. The crusty bun dominates both the turkey and ham versions. More slices of meat and cheese would have helped balance these 'wiches out, but maybe the skimpy portions are simply what one can expect at the appealing $3 price point. Though the breadiness detracts from the sandwich as a whole, the plus side is that the "Bakery Sandwiches" are quite filling.
And I repeat: these things are not terrible. Kudos, Dunkin' Donuts. Next time two feet of snow blanket Boston, and I'm desperate for foodstuffs, I now know that the "Bakery Sandwich" will do the trick.
