The Chief

I recently moved to Portland, Maine, America's Foodiest Small Town. So I have been taking advantage of testing out that title and sampling as much delicious food as possible, especially for lunch on my daily walks with my 1 and 1/2 year old son.

Although I have tasted fancier and definitely more expensive sandwiches, my obsession since my first week here with one particular sandwich has not waned. In fact its recent absence from the menu has unfortunately not brought out the best in me.

The sandwich is called The Chief. It is one of the rotating specials at the West End Deli. Although the ingredients are simple, when combined they create the perfect sandwich experience.

Ingredients: roast beef, sliced cheddar cheese, cold grilled onions and carrots, spinach, and a basil aioli on a baguette.

Perfection.

As a full-time mom in a one income household, my lunch budget is not extravagant. The Chief is an $8.00 sandwich which I can never seem to split between two days, although it is definitely large enough. So its rotating schedule of showing up on the lean-to specials board about once a week worked for my appetite and my budget.

Of course it also created some problems too. How could I tell what day The Chief would show up that week? I started rerouting my daily walks to always pass the lean-to specials board. On rainy days I would call the deli and nonchalantly ask to hear about their special. (I didn't specifically ask about The Chief because I did not want them to start recognizing me as The Crazy The Chief Lady).

This system was working well for me until a few weeks ago monday-friday passed by without The Chief making an appearance on the lean-to. I thought nothing of it. Maybe I had accidentally forgotten to check one day and missed it. But another week passed and still no The Chief. Week after week the lean-to mocked me with specials like The Explosion and The Patsy Cline. But never The Chief.

Finally last Thursday after an unsuccessful peek at the lean-to I was pushed over the edge and I became The Crazy The Chief Lady. Baby strapped to my back and a determined/crazed look in my eye, I accosted a West End Deli employee who was outside taking his break. "Where is The Chief?" I asked. "My heart is breaking for The Chief. I love it, I miss it!" I exclaimed. I think I caught him off guard, and he definitely thought I was nuts. But he promised it would be on the next weeks specials menu.

So dutifully Monday morning I began my trek with a stop in The West End Deli. The lean-to wasn't out yet so I had to go in the store. The clerk I had confronted saw me from across the store and immediately hollered "We'll have it on Wednesday" I smiled and bought a drink so I could pretend that I wasn't just in there to stalk The Chief.

Today is Wednesday. I turned the corner and... the Patsy Cline.