The Secret Albany Med Turkey Sandwich

Happy Monday! This weekend was pretty epic, but past experience has told me that nobody wants to read about cocktails at the beginning of the week. And that’s totally fair. So I’m going to bide my time and sit on the story of the Albany Distilling Company cocktail competition and other cocktail tales.

In the meantime, today we have our first guest post in many many moons.

One of the things that should be no surprise to regular readers is that I’m continually looking for new voices to write about food in the Capital Region. It doesn’t matter to me if they Yelp, blog, or tweet. Instagram is cool too, but that’s mostly pictures. I really hunger for more words.

It’s also no surprise that I love lunch. Nor that I have strong feelings on sandwiches. And while I do try to stay on top of the food scene in the area, every now and again I learn that something has fallen through the cracks.

Well, my new friend Emily L. is another outlander who is on the hunt for some great things to eat, and it sounds like she’s found one. I’ll let her tell you about it. She even took a picture.

I am not from the area (Ohio for life!), but have been on a quest to find some of the hidden food gems in the Capital Region. A recent event at Albany Distilling Company brought up some hotly debated food topics like best brunch in the area, best eggs Benedict (which I am on a quest for so give me your favorite spot), and oddly enough, the best kept food secret from Albany Med employees.

They call it ‘Turkey Tuesday on Wednesday’.

What was described to me as the most epic turkey sandwich in the area featuring hand carved turkey and a dill mayo with homemade kettle chips. Former employees dream of this sandwich, returning to just eat lunch there.

I happened to have an appointment in the building on Wednesday, so I knew I had to check this out. Upon arriving at 10:50, there was already two massive lines formed for the sandwich even though the cafeteria did not start serving the sandwich until 11. I knew it was a good sign.

After patiently waiting my turn, I got the counter. I was given the choice of wheat or white (I went wheat). I watched as my turkey was carved off the carcass and placed on the bun smothered in a dill mayo spread. A side of the homemade kettle chips was placed in the container and I was set to embark on this culinary journey.

It did not disappoint.

For just $6, I feasted on a soft fresh bun. The dill mayo perfectly complemented the juicy and flavorful turkey. I tossed the packets of industrial cranberry jelly to the side. The kettle chips featured some sort of heavenly seasoning and were fried to the perfect tear up your mouth consistency.

The irony of eating a mayonnaise ridden sandwich with fried chips in a hospital was not lost upon me, but I enjoyed every last bite.

So the next time you have to go to Albany Med, make it on a Wednesday. Or just stop in and try it out. Your friends may laugh at you for eating a hospital cafe, but the joke is on them. This sandwich is legit.

Well, I already have a lunch date this Wednesday, but maybe I’ll see you in line at some point in the weeks to come.

Thanks to Emily for sharing. I’m looking forward to more of her finds. And she’s serious about looking for recommendations for the best eggs benedict. I rarely go out for brunch, so I’m of little help in that regard. But surely some of you will have a thought or two on the matter. What do you say?