In a proper (late) Sandwich Day celebration, food writer Emily Kemme pens an ode to Greeley’s sandwich shops
At The Mad Cow in downtown Greeley, the Nae Nae is stacked with roast beef, for a beauty of a sandwich topped with avocado, spouts and Havarti cheese. Photo by Emily Kemme.
By Emily Kemme
I checked my calendar recently, and to my horror, I realized I would be a day late in wishing the world Happy National Sandwich Day. I’d planned to do so in the very best food writer way, of course, by writing a story.
Sandwich Day is one of those dates I have memorized. It all comes back to April 1, 2017 when I scrambled to come up with a decent prank to fool my husband. I decided to enter all the National Food Holidays into my calendar, beginning with National Soylent Green Day (this is not a joke), on April 1. I doggedly noted each special day for celebrating certain foods after that through November 3.
At that point, I got tired of the tedious activity, but discovered that the 3rd of November is not only written in stone as National Sandwich Day, but is carved in stone as the date of the 4th Earl of Sandwich’s birthday. The Earl, John Montagu, died in 1792. Although he no longer celebrates the event, his progeny do: in 2004 Orlando Montagu, son of the 11th Earl of Sandwich, opened the family’s franchised restaurant, Earl of Sandwich, at Walt Disney World Resort and other spots around the world.
The 4th Earl is credited for inventing the sandwich in 1762 so he wouldn’t have to stray far from the gaming table when hunger pangs struck.
As so often happens when you notice a friend’s birthday on Facebook has passed by, it is perfectly permissible to wish them a belated Happy Birthday. And according to many friends, it is equally permissible to celebrate one’s birthday for at least a week.
Therefore, to celebrate the (official) birth of the sandwich—albeit one day late—let’s take a look at a trio of Greeley restaurants who are slapping together some mean ingredients between two slices of bread.
The crew at Fat Albert’s in Greeley has been stacking the sandwiches high for thirty-nine years. One of the best is the Traditional Club, a double-decker handful with ham, roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, bacon and some veggies for good measure. Photo by Emily Kemme.
Fat Albert’s
1717 23rd Ave. in Greeley | (970) 356-1999
For the past 39 years, the crew at this Greeley mainstay, popular for towering pies, sandwiches and friendly servers, has been stacking ‘em high. According to owner Susan Albert, the bigger sandwich, the better.
“Somebody came along and invented bread because they needed something to hold all the delicious fillings together. They needed to figure out how to get the good stuff from the plate to their mouth,” Albert said.
The king (or Count) of sandwiches at Fat Albert’s is their Monte Cristo, thin layers of ham, turkey and Swiss cheese dipped in tempura batter and deep fried. Other sandwiches with ingredients getting fryer time are the French Hen (chicken strips on garlic bread with two cheeses and hollandaise), and a classic fish sandwich with golden brown cod and tartar sauce. But the rest—21 un-fried choices—are superlative examples of sandwiches, too. Work your way through the menu and try variations on the Club or the Reuben, the Santa Fe Special layered with roast beef, Monterey Jack, cheddar and jalapeños on sourdough, and more.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cheba Hut Toasted Subs
At Cheba Hut, Parisian-style baguettes encase sandwich goodies that are crusty outside and lightly toasted inside. Featured is the KGB, with roast beef, horseradish and a generous load of lettuce for crunch. Photo by Emily Kemme.
4239 Centerplace Dr. in Greeley and 1645 8th Ave. in Greeley
With the tagline, “The best bread in the business,” and “curing munchies since 1998,” Cheba Hut’s claims don’t miss the mark. Their Parisian-style baguettes encase sandwich goodies that are crusty outside and lightly toasted inside. The result is a roll that can hold up to whatever you decide to fill it with.
The menu is divided into four legends with indicators noting hot, signature, vegetarian and inner-child. A calorie count lets you know how much stomach-stretching you’re in for. Creativity reigns in sandwich design here: try the Power Plant (guacamole & hummus with spring mix and a handful of salad fixings), Magic Mushroom (teriyaki Portabello mushrooms and veggies), or for meaty mouthful tossed with salad, the KGB (roast beef and horseradish).
Open daily 10 a.m. to midnight.
The Mad Cow Saloon
800 9th St. in Greeley | (970) 356-5520
You can’t get more cozy than The Mad Cow Saloon in downtown Greeley. Velvet drapes and a vintage bar give this popular lunch and dinner hangout a classic pub feel.
Sandwiches are prepared to order: choose the fillings, choice of bread, including wheat, rye, sourdough, French roll, wrap, Croissant or Gluten Free and a side.
The bread selection is up to the customer because everyone has their own tastebuds, manager Dany Poppe said. “A combination of flavor, quality and consistency is what makes our sandwiches the best, and you can count on that every time you visit.”
In spite of the pub’s name, ingredients get a bit confusing: “cow” ingredients are cheese, hence the Pig & Cow (ham and choice of melted cheese) and the Moo Moo (classic toasted cheese with choice of cheddar, provolone, Havarti dill, American or Swiss). Inexplicably, the Nae Nae is roast beef, a beauty of a sandwich topped with avocado, sprouts and Havarti.
If you like, channel The King and order the Elvis: it’s a mouthful loaded with ham, roast beef, turkey, bacon and Swiss and American cheeses. Pastrami’s, BLT’s and George’s Veggie round out the more normal offerings.
You can also eat two food items you’d never think would go together on a sandwich and order the Pig & Peanut: double smoked bacon with peanut butter on toasted bread.
Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.