While I try to be positive on this blog for the most part, one local business I’ve had problems with is Avanti’s. The problems had to deal with people being rude to me there and you can see examples here and here.
So while we haven’t always gotten along, I will give Avanti’s one thing, they have the most famous sandwich in Peoria: The Gondola. I have fond memories of eating Gondolas back in the ’70’s at their original location near Bradley on Main Street.
I hadn’t had a Gondola for years after I moved to New York in 1993. When I moved back to Peoria in 2012, I went and sampled one and was very disappointed. The sandwich wasn’t as good as I remembered and below is a picture of a Gondola these days.
The bread doesn’t taste the same and they kind of skimp on the meat and cheese. And the lettuce is kind of wilted and limp.
I decided to try my hand at making my own version of a Gondola and I’ve decided to call it the Womdola!
I’m kind of excited about this, let’s get cooking!
Here’s the ingredients for the Womdola (clockwise from left): Kraft Pepper Jack and Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Veroni Salame di Parma, Baguette rolls, Ruffles Hot Wing Potato Chips, Mister Mustard Hot Mustard, Premium Brown Sugar Ham, Ice Cream Sundae, Peppered Salami and Hearts of Romaine Lettuce.
I’ll also be using ingredients already in place in the MBIP World Headquarters and Tasting Room.
And of course the most important ingredient just got uncorked, a Bud Light tallboy. Cheers!
Okay, we’ll start by slicing the baguette roll down the middle and lightly buttering it up.
I wanted to add some sweetness to the hot Mister Mustard, so I stirred in some brown sugar to add some sweet to the heat.
Here’s all of the ingredients for the inside of the Womdola. I’ve opened them all up, because once the bread is warmed up, we need to put this sandwich together quickly.
Alright, I’m putting the baguettes under the broiler to toast them up.
And minutes later they’re done. Time to construct the Womdola!
As I said, we have to make this quick so we can eat the sandwich while the bread is still warm.
I started off by slathering a generous portion of the Mr. Mustard brown sugar mixture on the bread. Then I started layering on lettuce, the Italian salami, the brown sugar ham, the Pepper Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheese, the peppered salami, more ham and finally another layer of cheese.
Now that is one beautiful looking sandwich!
For my side dish, I got a bag of Ruffles Double Crunch Hot Wing Potato Chips.
Okay, time to plate up this week’s Marty Meal!
I started off by sampling the chips. They were crispy, spicy and very tasty.
Okay, now it’s time to sample the Womdola!
That’s one hell of a fantastic looking sandwich and I think it puts the Gondola to shame!
Let’s dig in to this monster of a sandwich!
Wow, this is so tasty!
The bread is warm and it’s a nice counterpart to the cold cuts inside.
The ham and salami add a nice savory flavor and the double cheeses add a rich texture to the sandwich.
The brown sugar Mr. Mustard is the perfect condiment and the sweet and spicy heat make this a tasty, satisfying and delicious sandwich!
Hey Avanti’s, if you want to learn how to make a decent sandwich, give me a call. And I’ll probably tell you to go fuck one of your tasteless loaves of bread!
For dessert I got a single Sundae and it was a sweet and delicious treat!
And now, even though I shouldn’t hold a grudge, but I just can’t let it go, here’s this week’s titillating photo montage of women giving the finger to Avanti’s.
Let it rip ladies!
Have a lovely day and evening and we’ll see you all here tomorrow!
Related Posts: Thursday Minute Marty Meals: Scarface Pork Chop, Open Faced Two State Steak Sandwich and Chili Cheese Steak With Veggie Tots.