San Francesco v.s. California Sandwiches

Somewhat hidden in the neighbourhood just south of the main drag of Little Italy between Euclid and Grace on College St. are two of Toronto’s renowned veal sandwich shops.

Historically speaking, I heard people would travel from all over the city to have a taste of a San Francesco veal sandwich. Years and several owners later, San Francesco’s can no longer rely on its name to attract customers. These days the sandwiches produced at this covenience store-cum-take out restaurant are medicore at best. A flat piece of meat, adorning a less than fresh bun with a smattering of runny sauce does not constitute the famous meal I was convinced of in my youth.

These days I would much rather travel into the heart of the neighbourhood to seek out the hidden gem of California Sandwiches. With several spinoffs located throughout the city, the original California’s located one block north of Dundas on Claremont can rightfully claim the title of “Best Veal Sandwich in Toronto”. Sandwiches are cooked fresh and there are several toppings one can add, including different degrees of hot peppers and my favourite: a breaded piece of eggplant. It would be nice if California’s were open Sunday , so there was an easily accessible restaurant in the area to supplant any Sunday evening cooking. Alas, in this relatively Catholic area the Sunday shopping rule still seems in effect.