more than a food blog

I’m blogggin on a jetplane.  Now until Jan 15th there’s free wifi on Virgin America, yo.

Which officially gave me absolutely zero excuse to not post anything.  I was like, “Shit, mayne, is been a while,” and I thought that whatever post I come back with has to be pee-in-your-pants good, but then I realized that probably all people want is a pretty picture and a chuckle and that’ll do, pig, rather than anything lifechanging.  So this post will be whatever I finish in the short flight between San Diego and San Francisco (67 mins not counting getting up to and down from 10,000 feet).

I thought about just sneaking in this post like I hadn’t been neglecting MTFB to the point where it’s grown hair like the Warlock’s Heart.  Kind of like how sometimes, when I’m visiting someone’s apartment complex and I am too lazy or am unable to ascertain which exact apartment I should call up to to be buzzed in, I just ring the first apartment and, when they answer, say, “It’s me! I’m here!”  And when they say, politely, “Wait, who is this?” I just shout “MEEEE!” and more often than not they buzz you in.

OK.  Yelp says that Blue Barn Gourmet, which is just the charmingest, preciousest little joint on Chestnut street, has the world’s best BLT.  When I read that I said aloud, in a voice full of wonder, “THE WORLD’S BEST BEE ELL TEEEE?” like Buddy the Elf.  I didn’t buy it.  For one thing, it’s a fucking seasonal sando (they call them “sandos” so that redeems them a bit, but STILL).  If it’s so signaturey then it should be on their menu as their Greatest Hit Special!   Now that I look at their website, I realize they actually do give it a special name: The Barn BLT.  I still reserve the right to be growchy.  Because, make up your mind.  If it’s so signaturey as to be your eponymous sando, then stop it with this seasonal business.

Inside: Niman bacon, mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, and pesto on country levain.  Ah.  Makes sense.  This would be the world’s best BLT to someone who fancies themselves a foodie food critic but is actually a rube publishing their first review on Yelp with trembling fingers.  I mean, Niman Ranch meat X… “greens” instead of lettuce… “heirloom” making its requisite appearance… hello again goat cheese – you seem to be everywhere even though I see no G or C in BLT… finally, an unfamiliar type of bread that probably just means sourdough?  Foodie-by-numbers, Foodie Mad Libs.

Not that it wasn’t delicious. My favorite touch was that the whole shebang was pressed, with butter, and the bacon was juicy but not stringy.  However.  I really love that classic diner BLT – on shitty Wonder Bread, slathering of full fat mayo, sad iceberg and crunchy tomato (in all other arenas, a tomato should certainly never make a sound when you bite into it), and bacon that has been nuked to shattery goodness in the fridge.  That’s MY world’s best BLT.

Blue Barn Gourmet
2105 Chestnut (at Steiner)
SF CA 94123
415.441.3232

This entry was posted by janet on December 5th, 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.