Arlington County Government, VA Business, 23 Nov 2011

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: Earl's Sandwiches

Description

One small sandwich shop on Wilson Boulevard has been serving Arlington's best sandwiches, soups and salads since 2005. It's not only the fresh roasted turkey and ham, but the unique homemade menu that makes Earl's Sandwiches simply the best in the area. Want to see what goes into an amazing delicatessen, then lets head on into Earls and find out.

A

Here on Wilson Boulevard, you'll find Arlington's best suits salad and sandwich shop. The fresh roasted turkey, pork and roast beef have all made Earl sandwiches, a gold mine since 2005. So let's head inside and see why this sandwich shop is so critically acclaimed.

A

How'd, it begin.

B

Sandwiches have always been my favorite food and I've been working in the business since I was 14. My first job was in a sub shop, where I grew up in Massachusetts I. Finally decided I'd like to do something for myself open a place, so I just started thinking. What would I like to serve? I came up with about a dozen sandwiches that I thought would be good and that that was the impetus and.

A

You know John from Rockland.

B

A

How did that partnership? Our teamwork, come about I.

B

Was working at a place called the city club in Washington DC and one of my co-workers left to work with John in his Glover Park store. We were hanging out one night and said why don't you come up and talk to John I talked to John I, really liked him I liked what he was doing a lot and started working full-time about a year after that, and then I became the kitchen manager than GM, and we ended up working together for about 10 years. So.

A

Talking about Earl sandwiches, it's a prime location. How did you find it when.

B

I wanted to do something: I gave John a call and I just wanted to sit down and talk and kick around some ideas, and he came up with this location and it didn't really fit well for what he was doing it Rockland's, but he thought it might work for what I wanted to do. So we decided to do it together and.

A

It's quite small and code.

B

It is, it is which can be a positive, and it can also be. It can be a little tough. Sometimes when you have a lot of customers getting people moved in and out so you know it's definitely a positive at times, but we're also looking for something with a little more space at this point. So.

A

You are thinking about expanding yeah.

B

We would love to set up a second location, preferably stay in the area. It's a great area, great.

A

Area and a great expansive menu, you have the Louie fresh, fresh, roasted turkey, pesto mayonnaise. You have sandwiches in sweet, potato fries in them. Do you serve breakfast hotdogs? What's your favorite item on the meant.

B

My favorite is probably the pork and fries I've always liked putting french fries and potato chips, and sandwiches, and also the roast beef was actually the first sandwich on the menu there's a place in my hometown that opened my senior year in high school, and it was the first place I'd ever been to where they actually Sloat slice, the roast beef to order and every time I go home. I eat there, so that was a sandwich. I definitely wanted to do so.

A

For someone who comes in for the first time, what is a must-try item, I.

B

Usually ask people if they're in the mood for turkey, beef or pork, those were the three recommendations I'd go with and if they pick the roast beef I'd recommend the Monte. If they pick the pork I'd recommend important fries and if they want Turkey I, usually recommend them really so.

A

In one sentence, how would you sum up Earl, sandwiches, homemade.

B

Without the hassle awesome.

A

Well, can we head back into the kitchen.

A

All right we're in the kitchen with Steven and the birds tell us. We've got some turkeys here, help how many times a day. Do you prepare these right.

B

Now we're roasting about three turkeys a day so every day we're cooking three to four birds. What's.

A

The poundage before.

B

They're cooked they're, anywhere between 22 and 26 pounds after they're cooked it's about a 40 percent yield all.

A

Right so one bird alone will make how many sandwiches one.

B

Bird alone will make 10 to 12 sandwiches.

A

And over here we have the pork loin right. Yes,.

B

We use center-cut boneless pork loin for all our pork sandwiches. We generally roast 2 to 3 of those a day. We've seasoned them with some garlic, black pepper salt and paprika good.

A

And then the roast beefs under there we.

B

Use I round of beef, we cook it till it's medium-rare season it with garlic and black, pepper and I would say we get about 8 to 10 sandwiches out of each. Do you.

A

Get the meat in the oven right at 8:00 and.

B

Get the meat in the oven, usually between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning. We do all our cooking during the day, but.

A

Meat sandwiches, not the only thing you serve.

B

Here, no, we don't. We also do homemade soups. We do some salads. We cut hand-cut french fries, sweet potato fries, one of the soups. That's on our menu, our turkey sausage gumbo. You.

A

Like to try any yes and every all of your soups are homemade all.

B

Of our soups are completely homemade, we don't use any basis, nothing frozen. A lot of them are stock based. So we use our turkey bones to make the stock it's.

A

B

A

You ever put this on a sandwich.

B

I have not, but that's actually not a bad idea. Next.

A

You're going to prepare a pork and fried sandwich.

B

Probably our most popular sandwich is our pork and fries, so we will make one to see how we do that all.

A

Right so what goes into the sandwich? We.

B

Start by toasting the ciabatta on the grill, we brush it with a little bit of butter and we toast the bread for all our sandwiches, some chipotle mayonnaise, which we make in the store. Then we do some white onion chopped raw, some sweet pickle, which I think is also important to the flavor yeah.

A

B

Red peppers and then we'll do the pork and we'll do the transplant and.

A

You mentioned this is one of your most popular items. It.

B

Is we put it on the menu about a year and a half a few years ago, and since then it's become our number one selling sandwich.

A

So it's very generous. This is that portion. It's.

B

A big sandwich right, a lot of people take half of it with them when they go not.

A

Me I can eat it. All I think.

B

The important thing with the sandwiches to have it balanced so that, like you, said you don't just taste all meat or you don't just taste the condiments I think it has to be. It has to be a balance, so you're actually tasting welcome to dessert after the sound keep.

A

A

The price the chipotle sauce, the pork it goes excellently together, thanks Oh, delicious Stephen. Thank you for letting us in your el State kitchen, absolutely.

B

My pleasure there's.

A

Always time for a delicious sandwich and you'll find none better than a girl's pump, serviced, reasonable prices and the very best ingredients we'll have you coming back to try everything on the menu for more information visit? Our website at Arlington, Va, TV, still hungry, while more delicious bites of Arlington are just around the corner.

A

A