There are a lot of sub-sandwich shops in this world, but only a few cure their own meat. And even fewer do so with the mastery of Craig Deihl, the chef at nearby Cypress, who gained such a reputation for his charcuterie skills that he started Artisan Meat Share as a finocchiona-and-friends CSA. That CSA grew into a full-blown butcher counter, sandwich shop, and wine-and-meat meet-up spot, with the vibe of a country store and the ambitions of a master Italian butcher. The sandwiches are exemplars of the form, whether it’s smoked liverwurst (seriously) on potato bread, or ham and pimiento cheese on a buttermilk roll. The crowning achievement is The Italian, a taste of pretty much every meat Diehl cures with shaved lettuce and pepper rings on a sub roll—a testament to the simple pleasure of a not-so-simple sandwich.
What to order: porchetta sandwich with ’nduja and pork cracklin’s, Nutty Knuckle (smoked ham, pimiento cheese, and roasted peanuts on a buttermilk roll), Italian sub
We love: The Big Italian, a ginormous order-ahead sub sandwich that feeds eight
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