The Sandwich: The Positraction
Where: Yang Market, 138 U St. NE
Cost: $9.50
Stuffings: Turkey, havarti cheese, alfalfa sprouts, green apple, rosé mayo
Bread: Sliced wheat bread
Thickness: 3.5 inches
Pros: While most deli counter sandwiches are pretty meager when it comes to meat, this one is piled high with moist turkey and leaves your belly full. The apples in the sandwich add an appealing crunch and a touch of sweetness.
Cons: We need to talk about rosé mayo. The combination of mayonnaise, wine, and a few drops of pink food coloring is not a refreshing, bright spread that reminds you of drinking outside. Rather, it’s a poor excuse to slather too much pink goop on bread and tastes sour and bitter, like mayonnaise that’s gone bad. Building the thing on sliced wheat bread that gets mushy from the mayo makes it even less appealing.
Sloppiness level (1 to 5): 4. Because the mayo is applied so thickly, it weeps through holes in the bread, leaving your hands covered in a sticky pink film. The untoasted bread isn’t strong enough to support all the stuffings, so the bottom starts to fall out as you eat, resulting in a messy pile of sandwich ingredients that you’re left to reassemble.
Overall score (1 to 5): 2. Yang Market’s idea of making a sandwich more interesting by creating a new spread is well-intentioned, but it fails because the spread is used too liberally and doesn’t play well with the other ingredients. As one onlooker noted, “It looks like a sandwich your mom would make.” While the sandwich counter is a great addition for Eckington residents, this particular offering leaves a lot to be desired.