Beef on Weck, Yous Guys!
originally published July 2, 2008
Weck 'n' Roll: After an attempt at selling a New Orleans-based menu, Kingpins Bowl & Brew (2451 Jefferson Rd., in the corner of the Homewood Village Shopping Center) has reverted to a more traditional selection of bar grub, and while it’s still a little odd to chow down there without renting a lane (for one thing, the continual rumbling as balls slide by your booth is a little disruptive), if you were in the area and needed to up your nitrite levels it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The kitchen’s hours lean toward the later side of things, opening at 3 or 4 p.m. and closing at midnight or 1 a.m., depending on the day, and while the menu is fairly meaty, vegetarian selections are marked with a doodad to aid in their discovery. Unfortunately, the appealing sounding fried green tomato sandwich is off the menu for the moment, as Kingpins supposedly hasn’t been able to find good green tomatoes. The two items that required ordering, however, were both available and happen to the be the first two listed in the “sandwiches and wraps" section. The fried bologna sandwich is cut at least half an inch thick, and while it’s not as sophisticated as the version served at The Daily Neighborhood Deli, it is a nostalgic, fatty slice of salty goodness.
The beef on weck, its description ensconced in a box at the top of the menu (a device that can hardly be ignored) is a sandwich out of Buffalo, NY that consists of roast beef on a Kaiser roll topped with prodigious amounts of kosher salt (i.e., a kummelweck) and served with horseradish sauce and au jus on the side. While the consumption of it results in a delicate pitter-patter of grains of salt falling off and some confusion as to which condiment is meant for what, the experience is pretty tasty, sort of a cross between a French dip and a soft pretzel. Kingpins also has onion rings sizable enough to present a difficulty cramming in your mouth and tater tots that are, well, tater tots, plus burgers, brats, kids’ meals, salads (!), a fine selection of specialty drinks, and $2 PBR pints that may be served in a plastic cup. The space also provides catering/party facilities and, of course, they take credit cards.
Hidey Hole: It’s possible that although the space underneath Marvin’s Shoe Service on College Avenue is now on its third business, you may not yet have noticed there are sandwiches to be had if you venture down the stairs. Well, there are, and if you went there when it was Kirk’s Underground Café, you won’t notice tremendous differences now that it’s changed owners and renamed itself A-OK Café (154 College Ave.).
The same oscillating fan sits in the corner of the tiny dining room, and the same R.E.M. poster serves as decoration for the walls. Even the menu, which mostly consists of standard sandwiches, some tagged with newspaper monikers (L.A. Times, Atlanta Journal), some bearing their more basic names (tuna melt, roast beef), is almost identical to what it was previously. But there are some new pictures of menu items printed out and tacked above the counter, in case you’ve forgotten what a hot dog looks like, and there seems to be a slightly greater emphasis on freshness, at least judging from a sign stating that all the tomatoes used are both organic and home-grown, reassurance even for the less paranoid among us.
A simple grilled chicken sandwich doesn’t exactly wow, but it’s better than expected, with chicken that doesn’t taste like it’s been sitting under a heat lamp for hours. The Philly cheesesteak, on special (A-OK always tries to have something new or priced at a discount every day), may not have been the most authentic, but the bread was a nice combination of squishy and grilled, and the onions and peppers were well browned and softened. Nothing made me jump out of my chair, but it can be surprisingly hard to get a decent sandwich quickly if you’re downtown, and the specials at A-OK can come in at less than five dollars. The café is open for lunch and until early evening weekdays and accepts credit cards.
What Up? Brass Rail Billiards on Mitchell Bridge Road has become Lucky Dawg Billiards, serving lunch (free pool with meal) and dinner. The National has begun offering a three-course “pre-fixe” between 5 and 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday for a mere $22. Much like at Five & Ten, diners choose between two menus that change weekly, with no mixing and matching. Check The National's Flagpole ad for their options...
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