When Blue Line Sandwich Co. opened in Metairie a few years ago, there was a lot of buzz about it. The chef gave up his gig at a long-successful New Orleans restaurant to open a fast-casual place on Metairie Rd. serving both breakfast and lunch for all the hours open.
So if you want a sandwich in the morning, you can have it. Usually a kitchen switches modes at 11am. This is a unique and appealing twist on such an operation. The menu here is pretty large, and much more interesting than it needs to be.
I have been to Blue Line a few times before but always at breakfast. I like the breakfast well enough, but I have never had anything I find extraordinary. They are the only place in town to always get Hatch chiles. They make a corned beef hash that includes Hatch chiles, and it’s worth it to go there just for that. The corned beef is good but not finely chopped enough for me.
Recently I went for lunch and got a gumbo and a Cuban sandwich. I wish I had taken the time to really study the menu at the counter. It is on a blackboard and also in your hand, but I gave it short shrift, and lessened my experience. I didn’t notice that they have housecut fries for an upcharge, for example. I would definitely have gotten some of those.
I ordered a gumbo first, and my companion had a turkey sandwich. I have lunch with this person occasionally, and she always orders better than me. She seems to have a penchant for turkey sandwiches, and I have seen and tasted some crazy delicious turkey sandwiches this way.
My gumbo was mildly interesting but I wouldn’t get it again. It had duck and mushrooms in it. I realize that there is a wide range of ingredients acceptable in gumbo, particularly these days, but mushrooms?
The sandwiches came quickly, and I was struck by the beauty of my friend’s order. It was stacked high with clearly house-roasted turkey, red tomatoes, and lots of greens spilling out. But it was the bread that intrigued me. It had a lot of oats embedded in the slice, and it was toasted just so. There was avocado and sprouts stuffed in there, too. This was a beautiful sandwich. I have a terrible time with plate envy every lunch with this particular person. Her cup of fruit was pretty and fresh as well.
My own Cuban was nice, but it paled in comparison to my friend’s sandwich. There was, of course, the roast pork, and ham, and lots of mustard and pickles on a special Cuban bread. I should never order a panini. I think they are silly. But a Cuban is always a pressed sandwich. Meh.
What was outstanding on the table besides my friend’s turkey sandwich was the accompanying salad on my plate. It was a delicious creamy dressing of a salad with sliced radishes and soft lettuces. I could have happily had just that salad as lunch.
This meal renewed my interest in the place, which is definitely a cut above such establishments. There is no need for housecut fries at a place like this. Or corned beef every day. Or Hatch chiles year-round. But they seem proud of their farm-to-table approach to freshness and quality, as well they should be. I get why the place is busy all the time.