Something Fishy at Cook's Fresh Market

Salmon in foreground; turkey in back.

Smoked Turkey
Smoked turkey, dill havarti cheese, red onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing on whole grain bread.
$8.49

Once you get past tuna salad and the McDonald’s Filet-O-fish (or Burger King’s similar Whaler), it’s hard to put fish in a sandwich. Sure, there’s lox and eggs on a bagel, and shrimp poboys in Louisiana, but I don’t think the world is ready for trout ‘n’ Swiss on rye or mackerel panini. But that doesn’t keep restaurants from trying.

Part of the problem is that fish is finicky and doesn’t hold up well structurally. The most common kind of fish I see on sandwich menus is salmon, followed by ahi. But both can be more fishy than fresh-tasting, and that was the case with the valiant Salmon B.L.T. at Cook’s Fresh Market, an upscale market downtown.

I had forgotten about this place at the corner of Glenarm Street and the Sixteenth Street Mall until a friend who works nearby asked if I wanted to check it out. I was skeptical – not of Cook’s, but of my friend. This was the same guy who, twenty years ago in college, had forced me to eat rigatoni sandwiches, pickle pizza, vegetarian Whoppers and Kraft Mac N’ Cheese with added broccoli and peas.

Still, he’d also introduced me to pesto and giant burritos. Anyway, we ordered the Salmon BLT and a very good, straightforward smoked turkey sandwich – with avocados. The smoked turkey was bursting at the seams with fresh ingredients, and the flavors of havarti and ranch meshed well.

The salmon BLT could have been good -- the bacon was a nice crunchy addition to a soft sandwich, and the dill aioli tasted fine -- but the salmon didn’t quite cut it.

For now, I think the world is safe from Reubens made with sea bass. – Jonathan Shikes

For previous sandwiches, check out the Our Weekly Bread archive.