Restaurant Spotlight of the Week

Steff's Sandwich Sensations

2605 Wilson Blvd. , Arlington, VA • (703) 248-0150

Hours: Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Sat: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Sun: Closed

By Darien Bates

The sandwich is something born of innovation. Ever since the Earl of Sandwich first ordered his valet to bring him a piece of salt beef between two slices of toasted bread, the sandwich has been constantly evolving.

While certain details are disputed, the myth goes that John Montague the Fourth Earl of Sandwich was a very busy person, often so much so, that he didn’t have time to eat a real dinner, which at the time was the only major meal of the day. Rather than lose time, Montague made it a practice of eating meat between bread in order that he might get more done.

Much has developed since then in the area of the sandwich. The Club, the Reuben, the BLT, all have become a part of popular lunch-time lexicon, a few in the infinite combinations of bread and toppings.

Yet even after centuries of culinary inventions, there’s still room for new ideas, and of course everyone’s willing to give it a shot.

You know you’ve done it before. It’s late at night and you’ve been working, or reading, or playing Playstation, or whatever, and you’ve got a hankering to do some sandwich making. But you get to the fridge and all you have is bread, cheese, and a variety of hors d'oeuvres from that party you held last week.

Not to be denied, you decide to pioneer a new path in sandwich lore, and lo and behold you have the miniature corn, raspberry jam and Muenster double-decker. True, all innovation comes with the possibility of failure.

Still, it is that spirit embodied at Steff’s Sandwich Sensations in Clarendon. Chris and Steffanie McLaughlan opened the shop over two years ago, fulfilling a dream to own their own restaurant. They decided on a sandwich shop, being themselves very familiar with the cuisine.

Since opening the shop they have focused on making it very specifically their own. The chalkboards running the length of the small shop list a variety of sandwiches, some with the traditional names, but many others with a variety of unusual monikers.

Heralding from New England Chris and Steffanie have added many sandwiches that honor their homeland. Sandwiches like the Larry Bird, honors the Celtic legend in a double-decker turkey sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato.

The Fenway, a testament to the home of the Red Sox, combines corned beef, pastrami, and Swiss cheese on Rye.

The Manny, named after Red Sox slugger, Manny Ramirez, was formerly the Nomar, after Nomar Garciaparra, until the shortstop got traded to the cubs.

But many of the sandwiches have less obvious names, often the result of inside jokes or named after the creators, regulars who have made a certain type of sandwich their signature.

Sandwiches like the Yappster, named after a friend with the last name of Yapp, a turkey and melted provolone sandwich, with cranberries, that while it sounds questionable, actually manages to artfully blend the sweet tartness of cranberries with the turkey to great effect. Or the Timster, a chicken and ham blend on Kaiser, presumably named after a Tim.

McLaughlan pointed out though, that they always remain receptive to new ideas for toppings and combinations. Who knows, maybe your recipe for banana and pickle on rye could find a home on the chalkboard. Or maybe not.