Thursday, May 05, 2005

A Monte Cristo tour, part one

My boyfriend is fond of a good Monte Cristo sandwich, and since the calorie-laden but tasty sandwich is a California original, I thought I'd let Matt contribute to the blog by taking a Monte Cristo tour. The Monte Cristo was reportedly created in southern California, possibly at the Del Coronado hotel in San Diego, around the 1940s.

Part one takes us to the Astro Family Restaurant, recently seen on Project Greenlight. The Astro's Monte Cristo runs about $10, but you can smoke on the outdoor patio, so that puts them up a notch in Matt's book. Although the photo came out quite nicely, Matt says Astro's Monte Cristo only rates a 3 out of 5. It's essential to get just the right juxtaposition of the ham, turkey, cheese, bread and egg coating, and this one was somewhat dry and cold. Also, it took the waitress forever to bring the jam, which is an essential component. Between my tuna melt and Matt's Monte Cristo, we didn't have to eat for the rest of the day. However, it's probably one of the few places you could get one at 3 a.m., if that's your idea of a good time.
On our list of Monte Cristos to try are Luna Park, my childhood favorite the Smokehouse and the H.M.S. Bounty. Let us know if you know about one we should try.
Astro Family Restaurant
2300 Fletcher, Silver Lake

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Black Cow in Montrose has an unconventional but yummy version.

Anonymous said...

I remember liking the one at Cafe 50's in the Valley very well.

Anonymous said...

Jerry's Famous Deli in Westwood has it as well. The restaurant is overrated, but the sandwich isn't bad.

swotus said...

Home on Vermont in Los Feliz has a tasty one, but the best one I've had was at Cheebo on Sunset. Quality ham and bread definitely make a difference.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget about the Barkley Restaurant in South Pasadena.
-rjk