When Did It Become OK For A $12 Sandwich Not To Come With A Side?

[Chan790]

8. It depends on the sandwich, doesn't it?

I manage the kitchen of a restaurant. We charge $7.95 for a BLT that comes with fries and a pickle. If you want the same BLT on a sub roll instead of Wonder Bread toast...the price is the same despite being a larger sandwich by almost 75%, so it doesn't come with pickle or fries.

It's always been acceptable in a high-quality chophouse or steakhouse to serve prime-grade steak a-la-carte--charging extra for side-dishes either per-person or family-style, provided the sides in question are quality dishes of the kitchen and not a culinary afterthought. (Farm-fresh haricot vert almondine: yes; steamed previously-frozen broccoli: no; Parmesan-herb mashed potatoes: yes; microwaved "baked" potato: no) The issue at-hand is actually one of downmarket accessibility...before chains like Morton's and Ruth Chris took that kind of high-quality chophouse/steakhouse nationally and brought it to the suburbs, most Americans didn't have access to that kind of top-of-the-market ultra-premium steak expertly-prepared. When I first moved to DC, one of my favorite restaurants was Blackie's, a steakhouse in Dupont Circle. For $21, I got the best Porterhouse in the city...and some garnish.