owntown sandwich dives tend to be the kind of joints where you either don't care about sanitation or don't eat the food. California Sandwiches is one of the few exceptions to that rule. I finally got up the courage to face the construction and go all the way down Queen West, to California.

I contemplate that very thought as I sit here, taking my second bite... no, third, from my pillow-soft, veal sandwich from California Sandwiches, I'm thanking Christ I did. I'm too often dismayed to hear supposedly in-the-know foodie types characterize The Sandwich as simple, but those who misinterpret California Sandwiches (Claremont style) as such clearly haven't spent much time examining their plate.

On your visit to California, go with one of the four sandwiches on the regular menu -- custom, made-to-order ham, turkey, tuna, or veggie sandwich-with or without eight or so toppings served on freshly baked, crusty French bread or a croissant. Thick, generous slices of roast pork loin ($4.95), drizzled with a fiery jerk sauce, topped with mango salsa and served on a fresh bun buttered with a curry aioli.

The roast pork (a sharp but little-used ingredient for a sandwich) is tender and tasty, if arguably overdone, and the pleasant but palpable heat of the jerk sauce not only balances the sweetness of the mango, it sets off the freshness of the bread and the condiments.

Now, the masochists among us who prefer their pain without mercy might want to wrap their lips around the suicide-hot veal sandwich with peppers. Just remember, don't gulp water; it will just spread the heat. It's bouncing-ball cuteness at the Claremont Street joint. Curved Lucite tables and marshmallow cushions set the stage for other appealingly mushy offerings like veal sandwich with peppers.


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