100 Favorite Dishes, No. 19: The Ham Sandwich at Vagabond
To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.
Melted cheese in the middle, and liquid cheese everywhere else.
The recipe for a classic Mornay sauce calls for a measure of butter and flour, stirred together over low heat until lightly browned. Milk is then whisked into the mixture along with other seasonings, and for the finish, an absurd amount of cheese is stirred in until it's melted completely. This is how most macaroni and cheese recipes that are worth their weight commence. It's also a major component in Vagabond's ham and cheese sandwich.
Buttery toasted bread is stacked with plenty of ham, and then, because nobody cares anymore, enough cheese that it squeezes out the side of the sandwich when you attack it with your fork and knife. The whole thing is capped off with an egg fried sunny side up, and then for looks a sprinkling of hastily chopped chives.
I wish the kitchen would broil the sandwich after the Mornay was ladled on top, so it would burn, blister and bubble, adding another dimension to an already great sandwich, but let's not get caught up in that. What we have here is a delicious ham and cheese sandwich -- an obnoxious one, yes, but a very good one for sure.
I meant to try the Croque Madame while reviewing Vagabond a month or two ago, but I got trapped in a burger maelstrom. I resolved to try one soon and I can say that I'm happy that I did, but I'll stop short of gushing because I need to lay down. This is sandwich that should be enjoyed at best once a month, but when you wipe your face when you're done, it will still be covered with a grin.
No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher
No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill
No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna
No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas
No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing
No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah
No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake
No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet
No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co.
No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me
No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen
No. 87: The White Album at Spoon
No. 86: Ramen at Tei An
No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco
No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu
No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon
No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata
No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue
No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai
No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah
No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan
No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant
No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma
No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's
No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan
No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita
No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa
No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo
No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard
No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's
No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria
No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi
No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta
No. 65: Brian Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot
No. 64: Banana Flower Salad at Mot Hai Ba
No. 63: Cinco Leches Cake At Mesero Miguel
No. 62: Cabrito a la Parilla at El Ranchito
No. 61: Reuben at Kuby's
No. 60: Plain Cheese Pizza Cooked Extra Crispy at Zoli's
No. 59: Enmoladas at Mesa
No. 58: Pig's Head at CBD Provisions
No. 57: Rib "Sandwich" at Baby Back Shak
No. 56: Beef Noodle Soup at Monkey King
No. 55: The Nachos at Spiral Diner
No. 54: Elotes, Everywhere
No. 53: The Popeye At Green Grocer
No. 52: The Cuban at International Bakery
No. 51: Rush Patisserie's Croissant
No. 50: Kitfo From Sheba's Ethiopian Kitchen
No. 49: Beer at Craft and Growler
No. 48: Pastor Tacos at El Rincon
No. 47: Banh Mi From Nammi
No. 46: Beef Fajitas From Mariano's
No. 45: Italian Combo from Carbone's
No. 44: The Brisket at Pecan Lodge
No. 43: Chicken-Fried Steak at Ellen's Southern Kitchen
No. 42: Carnitas Tacos at Taqueria Y Carneseria Guanajuato
No. 41: Lamb Burger at LARK
No. 40: Regina Margherita At Cane Rosso
No. 39: Barbacoa At Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo
No. 38: The Peace 'Stachio at Hypnotic Donuts
No. 37: Nasi Lemak at Kampong
No. 36: A Rotisserie Chicken Taco at Velvet Taco
No. 35: The Burger At Boulevardier
No. 34: Surfers On Acid At Local Oak
No. 33: Bread Pudding at Sissy's
No. 32: Pelmeni at the Russian Banya
No. 31: Loukoumathes at Greek Fest
No. 30: The Charcuterie Plate at FT33
No. 29: Short Rib Grilled Cheese at East Hampton
No. 28: The Fried Bologna Sandwich at Maple and Motor
No. 27: The Pastrami Sandwich at the Whistling Pig
No. 26: Bacon-Encrusted Bone Marrow at Knife
No. 25: Meatloaf at Stock and Barrel
No. 24: The Reuben at Cock and Bull
No. 23: Causa Limena at San Salvaje
No. 22: Fish Tacos at TJ's
No. 21: The Cuban at ¡C. Señor!
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