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“We’re pretty fortunate here. Everybody here loves food and loves to play with food. We always try crazy stuff,” said Mark Ferris, director of food and beverages.
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But the problem with a daily feature is it's here today and gone today. That's when the Top of the Market Deli brain trust decided to shake things up a little. Monday, Feb. 6 marks the first week that the deli will feature a smoked meat sandwich all week long.
“The reason we started doing this was to give our guests the opportunity to actually enjoy one of our specials throughout the week,” Ferris said. “What we’re kind of known for is the Sandwich of the Day special -- one day, in and out. We don’t do anything twice.”
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This week's smoked meat feature, the Smoked Black Strap Whiskey Barbecue Sandwich, is the creation of executive chef Ronnie Blythe. It's built using brisket smoked on-site, using smoked applewood from Texas. It's then smothered in smoked cheddar cheese and Top of the Market Deli's own homemade whiskey barbecue sauce. Cajun-seasoned onion straws are piled on with a butter-grilled bun and topped with the deli's own pickles.
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Blythe's creation is part of a shift from Top of the Market Deli's normal strategy, which could be described as relaxed.
“We come up with something different every day,” Blythe said. “A lot of times we don’t plan out what it’s going to be. When we get here in the morning, if somebody’s got a good idea, we just go with it.”
Featuring a smoked meat sandwich all week may just see those lunch lines get a little longer.
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