The Classic Mendocino Farms Sandwich You Should Never Order If There's Another Option
Mendocino Farms has an inviting menu featuring salads, wraps, sandwiches, grilled cheese, and soups. Opening its 75th restaurant earlier this year, the family-owned eatery, described as "fast-casual," offers a line of gourmet sandwiches, which include yummy veggie, vegan, and meat-based options. However, there's once classic sammie you should never order if there's another option on the table; the Peruvian steak.
The loser in our list of 13 Mendocino Farms sandwiches, ranked worst the best, we found the ingredients in this sammie to be poorly balanced when layered together. Despite it being a staple on the menu for a decade (it's billed under the "food favorites" section along with other popular options like, The Happy Hippie and the Vegan Banh Mi), the individual elements of the sandwich simply weren't as harmonious as we expected when combined.
Described on the Mendocino Farms' menu as "spicy aji amarillo marinated steak with Oaxacan cheese, herb aioli, red onions, tomatoes, shredded romaine on a toasted potato roll," this sarnie gave a definite nod to Peruvian flavors so we have to give it some props for showcasing the vibrancy of South American food. However, the heat of the aji amarillo peppers overwhelmed the milder elements of this loaded sarnie, such as the aioli and greens; it masked their delicate character. The filling was also lacking textural diversity when teamed with the softness of the potato roll.
The buttery potato roll was a mismatch with the marinated filling
A combination of textures is the key to elevating any sandwich, which is why this sammie lacked the bite we were looking for when paired with the sweet and buttery flavor of the potato roll. Potato rolls are tender and soft because the mashed taters (or dried potato flour) mixed into the dough are adept at holding moisture. However, the delicate texture of the bread didn't align with its marinated stuffing. It needed something to mellow out the warmth of the aji amarillo peppers too, which boast a score of 30,000-50,000 on the Scoville register (matching the heat of tabasco chilies and cayenne peppers). So, this is a sammie that you should definitely give a miss if you don't enjoy eating spicy foods.
In fact, you'd be much better off ordering the winner in our taste test: the prosciutto & chicken sandwich. Unlike the Peruvian steak sammie, this menu favorite boasted heaps of welcome texture, courtesy of the honey-roasted almonds in the vibrant layers. When paired with the chicken and yieldingly fresh mozzarella, the roasted nuts provided a bulky bite and a touch of sweetness to the sarnie that counterbalanced the inherent saltiness of the Italian prosciutto. These flavors were lifted further still with basil pesto, a balsamic glaze drizzle, and fruity tomatoes.