Continued (page 2 of 3)
The Asylum Restaurant
Gardening Naked Sandwich, $10
Who can resist a sandwich with a name like Gardening Naked? And if you’re a veggie lover, resistance is futile. First there’s the soft marble rye bread smeared with mild ranch dressing. Then there’s the generous portion of avocado, tomato, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, red-leaf lettuce, organic watercress, red onions and mushrooms. Finally, it’s all topped with a slice of Muenster cheese. It’s like a garden-fresh salad turned into a sandwich. We ordered ours with a side of Kennebec fries. It’s also served with a crunchy, spicy pickle spear. Gardening Naked is proof positive that guilt-free sandwiches really do exist.
The Asylum Restaurant, 200 Hill St. at the Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome (928-639-3197)
The Hudson
East Coast Fish Sandwich, $14
Ever since it opened in December 2015, The Hudson has been one of Sedona’s most talked-about restaurants thanks to its creative menu, trendy cocktails and industrial-chic décor. And guess what? Executive Chef Jeff Storcz has sandwiches on his lunch and dinner menus. The East Coast Fish Sandwich is the one that won our hearts and taste buds. Potato-crusted flounder is topped with Thousand Island dressing, iceberg slaw, tomatos and pickles. It’s all sandwiched between a fluffy bolillo bun. It comes with your choice of fries or Super Green Mango Slaw. We love the marriage of textures on this sandwich from the crunchy toppings to the soft bun. This is no ordinary Filet-O-Fish, but then again, The Hudson is no ordinary Sedona restaurant.
The Hudson, 671 SR 179 at Hillside Sedona (928-862-4099)
Up the Creek
Steak Sandwich, $16
You won’t see the Steak Sandwich on the printed menu at Page Springs’ Up the Creek bistro and wine bar, but it’s so popular it’s almost always on the list of daily specials. Chef Jim O’Meally uses a fillet cut for the sandwich. The tender meat is then topped with grilled onions, cheddar cheese and, drum roll please, candied bacon. You’ll be excused if you drool. The sandwich is served on a mild sourdough baguette with your choice of sweet-potato fries, garlic fries or coleslaw. We’d rate this as one of the best steak sandwiches we’ve had. Ever. Enjoy it from the dining room that is perched in the cottonwood and sycamore trees above Oak Creek. There are hummingbird feeders hanging in front of every window, and you’ll be able to watch the ducks serenely floating below. Ask your server to pair the sandwich with a glass of wine from the bistro’s excellent offerings.
Up the Creek, 1975 N. Page Springs Road in Page Springs (928-634-9954)
Verde Lea Market Deli and Grill
The Verde Lea Torta, $6.99
You’re forgiven if you’ve driven past Verde Lea Market Deli and Grill a hundred times and just assumed it was a liquor store. It sort of is a liquor store…and a convenience store…and a deli that serves up some of the best food in the Verde Valley – if you don’t mind sitting at a table surrounded by coolers of beer and bags of chips. We don’t. In fact, we love the quirky casualness of the place. The specialty here is The Verde Lea Torta (a Mexican sandwich). This version includes grilled and seasoned carne asada (our recommendation) or chicken sautéed with grilled onions. It’s topped with pinto beans, shredded lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise all served on slightly sweet Mexican telera bread. If you’re feeling daring, and you love spicy food, add jalapenos. We like to add avocado, too. The sandwich comes to you on red-checked paper in a plastic basket. Wash it down with the dairy-free horchata. (Yes, it’s a thing, and yes, it’s craveable.)
Verde Lea Market Deli and Grill, 516 N. Main St. in Cottonwood (928-634-8731)
Whole Foods Market
Spicy Fried Chicken, $9
The March issue of Bon Appetit magazine declared the fried chicken sandwich, or FCS, the sandwich of the millennium. Naturally the chefs at Whole Foods Market put one of these tasty handfuls on the sandwich menu. The Whole Foods version features a hefty piece of craggy fried chicken topped with collard green coleslaw (every bit as crunchy as it sounds), bread-and-butter pickles, Swiss cheese, spicy Sriracha hot sauce and… (wait for it) crispy pork cracklings. Bread choices include jalapeno, a pretzel bun (our pick – it’s hearty enough to stand up to this beast of a sandwich), marble rye, oatmeal ciabatta or a hoagie roll. Heart attack on a bun? Maybe, but we aren’t advocating eating one every day. If you are going to go for it (YOLO, right?), order at the deli then retire to the adjacent Bar 1902, sit at one of the communal tables and savor your sandwich with one of 18 beers on tap.
Whole Foods Market, 1420 W. SR 89A in Old Marketplace (928-282-6311)
MORE SEDONA FOOD AND DRINK: Thanksgiving feasts, new craft breweries, Pizza in Old Town Cottonwood, wine tasting rooms, happy hours, barbecue restaurants, deserts, local beers, hamburgers, bed & breakfast inns, best Sedona cuisine, Sedona bars, clubs and nightlife, gourmet dining, Sedona restaurant listings
