But there's something about the pickle slices in both places.

I can't really speak of Subway because I've had all of one sub there since their inception: turkey (first on white, then either honey wheat or Italian) with pickles, mayo, shredded lettuce, and cheese. When I grew up a little more I added tomatoes for extra flavah.

I ate my share of McDonalds as a tot, and though I haven't had any since 1999 I still miss those fries and can taste them in my mind. I can still smell those buns, and I remember at a previous job, the prepared bagels we put out for meetings smelled exactly the same and all I wanted was one of those little cheeseburgers. Once in a while I'm almost tempted to return.

Have a McDonald's. You won't lose your LTH cred if you do. They're tasty, cheap, and not particularly unhealthy if you watch what you eat. It's been a couple months since I had any fast food, but McDonalds (and White Castle) is my fast food of choice. ETA: OK, Culver's is my fast food of choice. But of McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, dare I say, I go for McDonald's. There was a time when Wendy's was my choice, but that was my childhood in the 80s. I don't know what happened, but it's not the same product I remember. And Burger King has always been terrible. Worst fricking hamburger I've ever eaten, no exaggeration. I simply do not understand how people like BK. It's kind of like the White Castle thread with Hammond, except substitute me for Dave, and BK for White Castle.

Binko wrote:They're tasty, cheap, and not particularly unhealthy if you watch what you eat.

I've been watching gyros disappear like gangbusters. Guess I better wait awhile.

spinynorman99 wrote:I doubt there are many people in this country that don't have some childhood association with a McDonald's meal. McDonald's is beyond food, it's meta-food. It's an association with a past memory, neither good nor bad, it just "is."

I don't. My mother disapproved of McDonald's (oddly, Burger King was fine) so I didn't taste it until adulthood. So I never developed a taste for it.

While I can count on one hand the number of times I've eaten at Subway over the last year, I have no problem doing so. I do, however, limit myself to two choices when I eat at Subway - the oven roasted chicken or tuna sandwich loaded with plenty of their veggies. Never been disappointed by either of those two options there.

Subway will do in a pinch but it doesn't compare with the fond memories I have of the long-gone Little King Subs on Sheridan Road near the Lake Shore campus of Loyola University. During the early 70s, it was a far better choice for lunch than the cafeteria on campus.

spinynorman99 wrote:

seebee wrote:Not scared to admit I dig Subway once in a while. Here's why:
For 5 bucks, I can go and get a footlong blt with a bunch of veggies, and the ones I go to have a pretty decent hot giardiniera. I can then take it home, and put real turkey on it for a pretty decent club. Other than that, all of their meats are chemical interpretations of food, so, dealbreaker. Their tuna is made with white, greasy, sugar as opposed to mayo -dealbreaker. They use that sugar laden goo in their chemical interpretation of seafood salad, too. The bread doesn't gross me out, but I can tolerate it. When they ask me what kind of bread I want, I always say the exact same thing, "Whatever you grab first, it doesn't matter." Each bread "flavor" is essentially the same white or brown (er.."wheat") loaf with a few different things sprinkled on top before it is put in the oven.

While I certainly am no friend to Subway, their tuna seems to be pretty straightforward:

"TUNA Tuna, regular mayonnaise, water, salt."

"MAYONNAISE, REGULAR Soybean oil, water, whole eggs, egg yolks, vinegar, salt, mustard, lemon
juice concentrate, spices, dried garlic, dried onions, calcium disodium EDTA."

No sugar to speak of. Perhaps your local Subway has gone "rogue" but it appears that their posted ingredients list seems harmless enough.

Ok, so why then, does it taste like a scoop of tuna ice cream? I mean, you can *taste* how sweet it is, right? A few years ago in fact it seemed to have gotten even more sweet. The bread choice makes no difference, and the store makes no difference. They might as well scoop it onto a cone.

As far as Subway bread goes, I have found the hearty italian to be the most real seeming. At least it toasts well. The freakiest is the "flatbread". It is the Twinkie of breads.

Marco wrote:Ok, so why then, does it taste like a scoop of tuna ice cream? I mean, you can *taste* how sweet it is, right? A few years ago in fact it seemed to have gotten even more sweet. The bread choice makes no difference, and the store makes no difference. They might as well scoop it onto a cone.

Marco, I used to describe it the same way - "tuna ice cream."

I haven't tried one in years and years. Got one a few days ago after reading spinynorman's post. It was worlds different at my local Scrubway now. Not sugary glop at all any more. It was totally edible.

I guarantee there is no sugar in the Subway Tuna. In fact, it is pretty darn good. If you search online, you can see it has a pretty big following. Like I said, I eat it at least twice a week, when my nephew brings home leftovers. If you put it on some real rye bread, it makes a pretty good sandwich. I would never touch a "cold cut" from subway, but the "veggie" patties are OK. They used to make salads there, I think they still do. The tuna is probably pretty good in a salad without that sugary mush bread.

Chicago’s first Cousins Subs is pegged to open on Friday in the Loop.

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/1/9/1817 ... -wisconsin

Oh wow.
Cousins has been an advertiser at Milwaukee WAVE indoor soccer games since 1989.
It really thinks this is the time to penetrate Chicago?
I have no other comment.

Yes, Ireland has a legal definition for bread. And the nation's supreme court said Subway's bread has too much sugar to satisfy it.
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/91918904 ... pad&f=1001

Dave148 wrote:Yes, Ireland has a legal definition for bread. And the nation's supreme court said Subway's bread has too much sugar to satisfy it.
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/91918904 ... pad&f=1001

Like that's the only flaw in their menu.

For all the hate that Subway gets for their meat and bread; I have always appreciated how vegetarian friendly they have always been. I also hate their bread. But now that they offer the flat bread and wraps, I can avoid that monstrosity.

The nice thing for me is that the veggies are good, the extras are nice, and the price is right. Especially for the Egg and Cheese. Plus, when I worked at a place that had Subway and Jimmy John's closeby; I used to buy Jimmy John's day old bread; get the sandwich from Subway and make my own from combining them.

Indianbadger wrote:Plus, when I worked at a place that had Subway and Jimmy John's closeby; I used to buy Jimmy John's day old bread; get the sandwich from Subway and make my own from combining them.

Now, that's a strategy!

=R=

There are two Subways and a Jersey Mike's within a few minutes walk of the far superior Tony's on Northwest Highway and I'm dumbfounded as to why anyone would buy a lower-value, lower-quality sub in that area, but they obviously do.

Dave148 wrote:Yes, Ireland has a legal definition for bread. And the nation's supreme court said Subway's bread has too much sugar to satisfy it.
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/91918904 ... pad&f=1001

That is for tax purposes so that they can assess an additional 9% VAT tax on it. Nice racket.

As I understand it from what I read, the relevant regulation is not about slapping VAT arbitrarily on some food items but rather about differentiating, and then taxing differently, what might be considered more essential foodstuffs (e.g., milk, bread, meat, fruit, veg) from more discretionary indulgences (e.g., pastries, cookies, crackers).

It might be noted that challah is also not bread as far as they are concerned.

Re: Jersey Mikes; I’d put their roast beef up against pretty much any fast food meat product available. With the red pepper relish, you get a fantastic sub option wholly different from the (obviously superior) Italian deli options for when you just don’t want an Italian sub.

Roark Capital to buy sandwich chain Subway for up to $9.55 bln

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/s ... 023-08-24/

Dave148 wrote:

Roark Capital to buy sandwich chain Subway for up to $9.55 bln

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/s ... 023-08-24/

This is the group that already owns Arby's.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:This is the group that already owns Arby's.

Sounds like someone is trying to corner the market on The Meats.

I’ll drive 50 miles to the Nottoli on Belmont and order a Party Tray of Sub’s before I eat at a Subway!
-Richard
BTW, I’ll also pick up some Italian Sausage and Bracoli and along the way I’ll stop At Joseph’s Fine Meats to help amortize the cost of the trip!

Will be interesting to see how the Arby/JimmyJohn/etc buyout affects menu, quality, and pricing. Subway used to be an excellent cheap choice for something reasonably nutritious while traveling... Lately prices are much higher and too much focus on fancy stuff vs. the basics. Price hikes possibly to crank up revenue pending sale, at risk of turning off customers?

Also will be interesting to see how franchises are affected. Lots of small timers in remote locations. Seems like there are Subways in markets too small for other chains, in junky strip malls that wouldn't live up to other brands' specifications, etc.

tjr wrote:
Also will be interesting to see how franchises are affected. Lots of small timers in remote locations. Seems like there are Subways in markets too small for other chains, in junky strip malls that wouldn't live up to other brands' specifications, etc.

Yes. Subway is often the best bet in town.

I used to be a big fan on the Subway tuna sub, especially when out of town and there was virtually nothing else. It was always a solid choice even when that indescribably-and-kinda-nauseating smell inside every single Subway was present.

Last couple years, I've switched to the #10 tuna at Jersey Mike's. Done 'Mike's Way' (with everything), adding pickles, it's a force. But I ordered a foot-long (to have some for later) and it was $15+ before tax. Subway used to have deals that were five bucks for a foot-long on certain days. Insane.

lougord99 wrote:

tjr wrote:
Also will be interesting to see how franchises are affected. Lots of small timers in remote locations. Seems like there are Subways in markets too small for other chains, in junky strip malls that wouldn't live up to other brands' specifications, etc.

Yes. Subway is often the best bet in town.

That would be a town I wouldn't want to be in. Subway is fuel, not food.

spinynorman99 wrote:That would be a town I wouldn't want to be in. Subway is fuel, not food.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily want to live there. But sometimes when traveling, in a hurry and late on a Sunday, the choice is between Subway and gas station frozen pizza or packaged stalewiches. In many of those places there was once a decent drive-in but those are long gone.

tjr wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:That would be a town I wouldn't want to be in. Subway is fuel, not food.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily want to live there. But sometimes when traveling, in a hurry and late on a Sunday, the choice is between Subway and gas station frozen pizza or packaged stalewiches. In many of those places there was once a decent drive-in but those are long gone.

That just reminded me of something I read recently. Casey's (the gas station chain) is apparently the number 5 pizza seller in the US. Have never tried it - scares me a bit - but apparently when it's the only pizza game in town people will buy it.

spinynorman99 wrote:

tjr wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:That would be a town I wouldn't want to be in. Subway is fuel, not food.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily want to live there. But sometimes when traveling, in a hurry and late on a Sunday, the choice is between Subway and gas station frozen pizza or packaged stalewiches. In many of those places there was once a decent drive-in but those are long gone.

That just reminded me of something I read recently. Casey's (the gas station chain) is apparently the number 5 pizza seller in the US. Have never tried it - scares me a bit - but apparently when it's the only pizza game in town people will buy it.

We’ve covered it = viewtopic.php?p=569974