STACKED is a Scout column that aims to dig down into the delicious details of Vancouver’s better sandwiches and burgers. From banh mi and burgers to sliders and reubens, the goal is to craft and catalog an ever-growing an archive of awesome that visitors and locals alike can reference when at their very hungriest. Dig in!
Oh, the good ‘ol Club sandwich. Its true origins are lost to history (and thus open to debate), but it’s definitely a North American invention, and one that is at least 118 years old. It’s one of the most familiar sandwiches out there, and by that I mean most diners don’t need to read a menu description to know exactly what it contains. (If you’re in the dark, it’s just tomato, lettuce, bacon, chicken, mayonnaise on white bread) It’s also a unicorn of sorts in that it’s the only sandwich that’s a triple decker by default. I mean, how cool is that? Despite its inherent awesomeness, its once-upon-a-time ubiquity means that it isn’t around that much any more. Somehow it lost its cool. I can’t count on one of my hands how many good ones can be found in Vancouver, but if you want a really good exemplar, take a bite of this beauty at Red Wagon…
1. Sourdough bread from Island City bakery. It’s lightly toasted, which is ideal. White bread is the standard for a Club, but sourdough plays too.
2. Chicken salad made up of chicken breast chunks, dijon, mayonnaise, celery, herbs, salt and pepper. A very tasty, unctuous mix.
3. The centre tier. As mentioned, this beast is a triple decker of stratified deliciousness, so this is an essential slice (also toasted).
4. Bacon! It’s their housemade stuff, and it strikes an excellent pose between crispy and chewy.
5. Sliced tomato. Not present in every bite. Remember, this isn’t a BLT. The role of this ingredient is to be supportive of the whole. It’s an ensemble cast!
6. Chopped iceburg lettuce. This gives the Club a different crunch, and affords the eater of it some guilt relief. (“It’s a vegetable, damn it!”)
You mentioned reubens in the intro – has there been a reuben write up yet?
Gosh. I think we did a piece on the reuben at Red Wagon when it opened several years ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one.
a real clubhouse has in house roasted turkey, not chicken or chicken salad
yours truly,
the best diner in vancouver
Your authority notwithstanding, chicken was in the original, as per the Union Club (and its mention the 1903 book “Conversations with a Chorus Girl”). Turkey is in the later, more common adaptations. Today they are interchangeable.