la.foodblogging

Okay, I don’t usually get excited about sandwiches. They’re not really my… thing. It’s not that I avoid bread or anything, it’s just that I tend to prefer my carbs in pasta form, or as roasted or fried potatoes.

So —
you’ve gotta appreciate it when I go nuts about this new sandwich I tried.

Backstory: My hands-down, all-time favourite lunch place in the east Valley is healthyca (fyi – it’s pronounced ‘health-i-ka’). I already reviewed them a couple of years ago.

Well, I am excited to report that healthyca has just launched a fresh new menu. I tried one of their new sandwiches on Friday and it was Oh. My. God. Fantastic!!

Portobello Mushroom on home whole wheat ciabatta (i.e. baked in-house, gentle readers) with beets, chevre, walnuts, roasted tomato (with a bit of a spicy kick!), black olive tapenade, lettuce and I sub’d grilled onion instead of raw red onion.

The complex flavour profile and combination of this heavenly sandwich was just a knockout. It was so damn good, I went back and got it again the very next day they were open (Monday). Remember - I said I don’t go for sandwiches very often.

Okay, having said that, I actually really like hot sandwiches. So, I love the variety – about thirty choices – at my new local sandwich joint Press Panini. Generally if I’m gonna have a sandwich, I’ll make a toasted ham, gruyère and pineapple one at home on my own panini maker (don’t laugh!) The benefits of now having a place around the corner that does Italian-style pressed sandwiches is (1) the variety, (2) the convenience – it’s a walk-up window and you can eat there or take it home, (3) it’s great for when you don’t have enough ingredients at home to put a lunch together and (4) um, there isn’t a (4)… BUT while the French-style bread roll they use at Press Panini is great in its own way, they don’t offer a whole wheat option at all, and I just can’t do white bread… Also, I probably won’t be craving hot sandwiches during this sweltering summer that often, either, which is too bad for them because I am sure I am not alone.

Anyway, Press Panini offers a rather extensive menu of a vast variety of hot, pressed sandwiches – all priced at $9, with a ‘kids’ size available for $5 – as well as tasty soups ($6) and big salads ($10). They do a meal deal of a sandwich (all are on their long, white panini bread roll) plus a side of soup, salad or chips and a regular sized drink for $14. I couldn’t go past the classic Caprese which was a tasty and simple combination of fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and fresh, whole basil leaves, all dressed with a piquant balsamic dressing.

My guy opted for the classic Prosciutto with provolone cheese, tomato and romaine lettuce and dijon mustard as well as that same balsamic dressing. Mid-way through our lunch I asked for his opinion. “Can’t talk. Eating.” came the brusque reply, but when he had devoured the lot, the comment was “Delicious!”

Another great one we’ve tried since is the Olive All-Over with brie & parmigiana cheese, sliced kalamata and black olives, portabella mushroom (how do you spell that?!), fresh spinach leaves and tapenade. You can see it’s quite similar to my new fave from healthyca.

In any case, with the new and fantastic sandwiches, as well as their incredible salads and new fresh juice combos, healthyca is looking mighty tempting for that occasional lunch run. You can eat there, pick up food to go or they now deliver all day, within a certain radius, so tip the driver well!

The sandwiches at healthyca are all priced around $9-10 and also come pepperoncini and pickles and a small side salad – choose from new potatoes, wild or herbed rice, fresh fruit cup, quinoa or baby greens with house dressing. I generally opt for their incredibly tasty quinoa side salad.

Trust me – you just gotta try that killer sandwich!

Chef Maki’s small shopfront, industrial-type kitchen (in NoHo) churns out some of the hands-down, most delicious and fabulously healthy food you will ever taste. I’m not kidding! So, even though they have a new menu, a lot of their popular items are still available, such as the noho sausage sandwich, which is a homemade, free-range turkey sausage on a house-baked sesame roll with tomato, mustard, house-made mayo (the real deal, meaning egg yolks and good olive oil) also lettuce, grilled onion and their own divine fresh pesto sauce. It’s a hefty and satisfying lunch for $9.50.

The salads are all big, hearty and super delicious. Ranging from around $9 to $11, some new additions include the ratatouille salad with baked eggplant, roasted tomato, grilled zucchini, peppers and onions, glazed walnuts, fresh herbs and blue cheese ($9.10). I can’t wait to try the avocado caprese with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil oil (that you pour on yourself) plus avocado, purple onion and baby greens ($9.24). All salads come with a dressing (chose from ten, including low-fat citrus and lime cilantro) as well as the same small side salads they serve with the sandwiches.

Maki offers several delicious ices teas and juice combinations all packed with various ‘superfoods’ such as mangoes, mint, or antioxidant-strong blueberries. He even adds a hint of cayenne along with pineapple, grape, orange and ginger in the fighter drink. All the food there is healthy, delicious and affordable, using high quality, mostly organic ingredients and produce – even the salmon is wild caught. All of Chef Maki’s food that I’ve sampled has been great. This is high quality and healthy fare.

Kinda like ‘stealth health’…

I also tried one of their delicious juices (mango, mint, orange melon and lemon) but it was tuff to drive home with the juices… even thos I didn’t spill any, I was petrified I would. (I always zip over and pick up.)

If healthyca isn’t already your favourite place, then it probably soon will be. Or please comment and tell us what your fave is!

healthyca
4724 Lankershim Blvd, just S of Camarillo, close to the Blue Moon nightclub, NoHo.
(818) 505 1037.
Fax (818) 505 1037.
Open Monday to Friday only, 11am-6pm, [coming soon – ’till 9pm]
Catering available – (818) 693 2778.
Website is under construction.

Press Panini
4389 Tujunga Ave, just S of Moorpark, Studio City.
(818) 487 2564
Open 9.30am–7pm.
Delivery available.

:: STOP PRESS:: Press Panini now accept payment via credit cards.

By MaxMillion (see more of her posts). Max Million is the nom de 'net of Pauline Adamek. Born in Sydney, Australia, Pauline has lived in Los Angeles for the past thirteen years and finds it agrees with her. She has been reviewing films and filing celebrity-based interview articles since 1991, and has filed stories from various international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance. She completed a family cookbook and has also written novels for 8-12 year olds. She is the creator and host of ArtsBeatLA.