I am the sandwich I’ve been waiting for

There are times in life when you realize what’s really important. What’s important, of course, is having good sandwiches. But beyond that, there are those crystallizing moments when you think, “This is not just some regular old sandwich, this sandwich was meant for me.”  And then you feel warm as your hand touches the bread, and your heart fills with joy, because you appreciate something very simple. Something that can make you happy regardless of what else is going on in your life, something that you can share with anyone (unless they’re kosher), something that you can buy for $7 and know you’ve gotten your money’s worth: a  special sandwich. In this case, a sandwich literally bore my name. It’s called “The Betsy.”

 

freshly prepared Betsy sandwich

It all started a couple of days ago when my friend Phil ghcatted me to ask if I heard about this new sandwich at Hamdel, a.k.a. Hamilton Deli, a.k.a. Meghan McCain’s favorite off-campus sandwich place.  Phil is a funny guy, so I thought maybe he was joking with me when he said they invented a new Betsy sandwich. I didn’t believe it when he told me:

phil: dude did you know that there is a new hamdel sandwich

called the betsy

me: wat

phil: yeah dude

me: what does it have on it

phil: uh

chicken cutlet avocado

something else

me: wat

I dunno if I believe you

phil: dude go to hamdel check it out

But I didn’t go.  It’s midterms, I’ve got work at The New Yorker, I wrote an article for Spec…I already had a lot on my plate, as it were.

But then today the stars aligned to bring me (Betsy) and the sandwich (The Betsy) together. Every Thursday afternoon I have an anthropology seminar, but today’s was cancelled unexpectedly when my professor got sick. So at 3:00, instead of sitting in class discussing the ethnographic strategies employed by Melville and Kracauer, I was watching videos on the internet and reading Twitter posts. Serendipitously, I checked my @Mentions—which I never think to do—and there was a post from my friend Amanda, “@BetsyMorais There is a new ‘Betsy’ sandwich at HamDel! It has avocados, therefore is a supreme sandwich.”

“So it really is true!” I thought to myself. Well how about that.

That’s when I knew I had to go see about this sandwich.

After my philosophy class, I walked with great purpose over to Hamdel.  As soon as I arrived, I spotted the new sign, freshly printed in black on white computer paper and taped to the wall—the signature Hamdel menu. The ingredients: chicken cutlet, avocado, cheddar cheese, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Looked good. I was sold.

“Next!” called the man behind the counter.

“Hey there,” I said. “I have a question. Is that Betsy sandwich named after anybody in particular?”

“Uh?” he replied.

“Is it named after someone named Betsy?” I asked, trying to use my journalism skills to get to the truth of the matter.

“I don’t know? What? Did you want to order the sandwich?”

“Well, yeah,” I said. “But also, my name is Betsy, so do you think it could be named after me?”

“So, you want the sandwich?”

“Yes I would like to order the Betsy sandwich.”

And that’s how it happened.

Once I got home, I unwrapped the sandwich and felt its warm bread on my hands. As I was separating the two halves that were cut so Solomon-like, a string of melted cheese drooped delicately between them. At first bite, the taste of chicket cutlet really came through, complemented by the creamy cheese and avocado. A delightful balance of textures. The paper that wrapped the sandwich was greasy to the touch, the mark of wholesome dinner. I took another bite, this time mostly of avocado, and I could taste the flavor of the vinegar. By the end of my first half, I was so full that I had to take a break to write this blog post before starting in on the second half.  The Betsy is one hearty sandwich.

 

lots of ingredients in that sandwich

I’m proud to share my name with a sandwich such as this. I’m so glad I found it. And ate it.

Advertisement