Towne Stove and Spirits, Boston, MA USA

Ordered at Towne Stove and Spirits in Boston's Back Bay.

The first time I went to Towne for lunch I just couldn’t bring myself to order the smoked salmon club sandwich. It looked… interesting, that’s for sure, but having been accustomed to eating great smoked salmon plain (well, maybe with a bagel and cream cheese) I was confused why it would come in a club sandwich.

Almost like seeing a coppa/capicola club sandwich…

Would I like it? The first time for lunch at Towne I didn’t care to find out. Oh, but the second time, I just couldn’t resist.

“Two clubs please,” Mike asked the waiter as he took our order. Looks like I was going to have someone to share opinions with… we’ll see if Mike’s thoughts are the same as mine.

The Towne Smoked Salmon Club Sandwich is everything I expected it to be… really. It is well thought out, well executed, and has fantastic ingredients. It’s plated nicely, is a large portion in itself, is not overflowing with bread and covered in French fries (has a lovely side salad instead), and its ratio and layering could not have been more spot on. Add a slice of avocado, and the smooth, creamy texture of it combined with the tomato, lettuce, and onions, it all made for a delightful sandwich. If I had to guess what a traditional smoked salmon club looked and felt like, this would be it.

However, there was one overburdening taste to this club sandwich I couldn’t ignore: the smoked salmon. Delicious, smoky flavor, not too greasy, light yet hearty, and just wonderful. So wonderful, it must have thought to itself: what am I doing with all of these other ingredients? Because I was thinking the same thing.

As lovely as the sandwich was, my taste buds kept craving a bagel texture and flavor (brioche was lacking substance), and just plain cream cheese without dill crème.  The fancier this club sandwich got, the more the smoked salmon got lost in it.

The Smoked Salmon Club Sandwich is a risky creation. On one hand, Towne did a fantastic job putting together great ingredients. But on the other hand, the main ingredient was so powerfully flavored (and rightfully so) that together, all of the flavors didn’t blend as well as one might hope.

But this did give me vision: I now believe, with the correct ingredients (it’s gotta use a sliced thin or scooped out bagel, or even challah; something smoked salmon is usually associated with!) one can create a simple yet fantastic club sandwich centered around such a strongly flavored ingredient. In my opinion, if there’s a shining star, let it shine.

And now as I reread my review and ponder about this meal, I can’t help but think to myself: I need to try a coppa club sandwich….

Location