Author: Jackson Vincent
Published: July 19, 2018
It was during a gambling session that John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, became the eponymous inventor of the sanga. With no time to eat a meal, he instead asked his servants for a slice of meat between two slices of bread. His peers then asked for the “same as sandwich”, thus giving birth to humankind’s next big evolutionary step in food consumption. With the sandwich came endless possibilities and creative diversity. No longer were cheese and bread separated—they could now be enjoyed together as one. These days, in Esperance, there are so many good options I had to break this article in two. So check out my first list of the best toasties in town and when you get one, remember that you are holding in your hand one of the greatest achievements of humankind and we are truly blessed to be alive in the era of the toasted sandwich.
Bay of Isles Lunch Bar
I don’t want to know what the devil did to this chicken because I don’t often hear good things about him, but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t cook a good toastie. Crumbed chicken, mayonnaise, cheese and a nice slice of bacon is what awaits you from the team at Bay of Isles Lunch Bar. And while they do have a good variety of toasted goods, this is by far my favourite. I came across it while in search for a chicken and mayo toastie, and was surprised to find the chicken was crumbed. You can do almost anything with a toastie and the ladies have designed a masterpiece with this one. If you can’t see it on display, they will whip one up for you so don’t be afraid to ask and thank later.
Lucky Roe Snack Bar
If a toastie dies, it must go to Lucky Roe because I have lost count of the variety of toasties this store actually has. These guys are experts in this industry. They have been slinging toasties since before toastie machines and have probably helped lay the foundation for many classics that we know and love. The first thing you will notice is that all their toasties are coded. B&E, CCMB, HC, HCT and so on and so on. The more often you go, you will figure out and get to know what’s what until you start to feel like a real regular. I recommend trying all of them but if that’s too difficult for you, my top picks are the S&O (steak and onion) and the SMince (savoury mince).
Downtown Espresso Bar
If today you feel like stepping up in the world—and quality, not your wallet, will dictate what you eat—then adopt the air of a queen and the idea that anything less than the best is beneath you, and so Downtown is where you need to be. This is the deluxe toastie. It’s bigger, crunchier, tastier and classier, with homemade tomato relish, ham and a generous wedge of gouda cheese between two thick slices of Esperance’s very own Bread Local sourdough bread. This is what I mean by a culinary revolution. The ingredients may have been around for a long time but this state of the art toasted sandwich deserves your full attention during the process of devouring because for five brief minutes you are the luckiest creature on the face of the planet.
Your Local IGA
Picture this. You’re out of toastie ingredients. You go to the closest IGA (Nulsen or Castletown) to stock up and as you walk in, you can smell melted cheese and bread. You turn to find yourself standing in front of a display oven packed with toasties for only four dollars. You select one and continue your shopping. You finish shopping and get in the car and smell the toastie you forgot you grabbed and eat it on the way home. It’s light, the ingredients are of the cheapest variety and it doesn’t quite quench your appetite. However, you start to feel a warm glow in your heart as it begins to grow content. Suddenly you feel it. You are no longer stressed and you can think clearly. This toastie has bridged a gap between your stomach and your mind, filling a void and allowing you to operate at your best so you can continue your quest to create your own perfect toasted sanga. You realise it doesn’t really matter where your toastie comes from, as long as it has a bit of butter, cheese and toast, it will be delicious. A great intermission snack for the trip from the store to your home.
Become a part of the toastie revolution by uploading your best creation to Instagram and using the #esperancetide hashtag.
