The search for the greatest deli sandwich

Maybe we'll call this "The Great Deli Sandwich Search."

Anybody remember Rojo's delicatessen in St. Charles, in what is now the Jalapeno Grille at Prairie Street and Geneva Road?

I thought about Rojo's not long ago, partly because it was my favorite deli in the area in the late 1970s, but also because a roast beef sandwich at Deane's Market and Deli on Third Street in Geneva reminded me of Rojo's. It was that tasty.

Without question, the roast beef sandwich at Rojo's still ranks as one of my all-time favorites. The owner smoked the meat on a grill in the back lot of the restaurant to give it a special flavor.

With that sort of mouthwatering reminiscing, it dawned on me I have spent a lot of time blathering in this column about my favorite Italian beef sandwiches, cheeseburgers or pizza.

But what is my favorite sandwich that is not an Italian beef or a cheeseburger? It has been a long time since last contemplating that question.

I've had other enjoyable sandwiches - a Polish sausage at Portillo's, a turkey pastrami at Nobel House in Geneva, and meatball sandwiches at Romano Mercato Italiano and Italian Dreams in St. Charles, as well as Riganato Old World Grille and Rascals in Geneva.

Still, nothing comes to mind as a favorite deli sandwich. I have had sandwiches from all of the key franchises such as Potbelly Sandwiches, Jimmy John's, Quizno's, Subway and Jersey Mike's. Of those, my tendency was to go to Quizno's, but those are hard to find in this area, it seems.

If pressed to say what my current favorite sandwich is, that roast beef at Deane's was quite good, and I definitely like the pot roast sandwich at Colonial Café in St. Charles and the French dip at McAlister's Deli in Geneva. But is pot roast or the beef in a French dip too much like my other staples?

Feel free to help me resolve this first dilemma of 2017. If you have a favorite local sandwich that qualifies as something you'd generally get at a deli, drop me a note and I'll pass some ideas along to all of my readers.

Haven't visited yet:

In terms of the hunt for a great sandwich, I have not had time yet to try the new DRM European Café and Deli in St. Charles. If that's a hit, let me know.

It's located in what was once Lundeen's liquor store, which moved into the storefront next to the deli on East Main Street.

Those who have been around this area for some time still think of that particular retail strip as the home of Walt's grocery store, which many years ago was in the 610 E. Main St. spot now occupied by the deli.

Walt's had its 15 minutes of fame in 1989 when actress Jessica Lange was filmed there for a short sequence in the movie "Men Don't Leave." The General Store in Wayne also was featured in that movie.

The patriotic way:

Jack Kramer of Lily Lake was surprised when a clerk at Lowe's during checkout asked if he was a veteran. His USAA credit card was a dead giveaway, it seems.

"He told me that veterans get 10 percent off their purchases at the store, and he thanked me for my service," Kramer said.

So, like that, Lowe's locked in a loyal customer.

"What a great thing for customer relations," Kramer said. "I'll probably shop there more often now, not so much for the discount, but just because of their patriotism."

It's possible many other retailers have a similar policy in place. But in this case, the Lowe's clerk at the checkout terminal in St. Charles was on the ball in noticing the payment card.

His few seconds of excellent customer service made an impression and paid off nicely for the retailer.

Stamping grounds:

St. Charles welcomed the Crazy Fox Bar and Grille to its downtown lineup with the bar's grand opening the past few days. This new spot at 104 E. Main St. brings back a lot of memories.

In my first years as a newspaper guy in this area nearly 40 years ago now, the newsroom staff gathered for many visits at that spot when it was called "Seve's" and operated by owner Mike Severson.

Haven't been in there much since those days, and it's changed hands a few times, but I certainly would like to see Crazy Fox owners Peter and Danielle Kaikowski have a successful business there.

Warmer fingers:

Here's a winter question that has puzzled me for years. Why can't someone create a pair of gloves or mittens that actually keep your fingers warm?

And, no, I'm not interested in a pair that would cost $100 or more.

dheun@sbcglobal.net