Sandwiches

SAMMY WEEK, DAY 4: SQUEAKY BEAN

The Squeaky Bean is bona fide. Legit. Certainly more than just a sandwich spot. But the sandwiches? Duck confit with roasted apples, fig mustard, roasted onion and fresh mozzarella? Or are you feeling more like a lamb reuben, straight-up except for the inspired bit of lamb insanity? Or how about that Natale, with finnochiona, prosciutto, provolone, peppers, basil, balsamic? Suffering from menu paralysis? Relax, they're all delicious. We know, we tried one of each. Order regret—the sad corollary of menu paralysis for some—cannot happen with such consistent delights. Get whatever you want, you'll be fine. At 33rd and Tejon, a slow downhill roll from dessert at Little Man Ice Cream—but that's for another post.

SAMMY WEEK, DAY 3: OLD FASHIONED ITALIAN DELI

Sure, the Old Fashioned Italian Deli is in Littleton—a bit of a haul for us Denverites—but where else are you going to get a Beef on Weck around here? A ridiculously flavorful assembly of roasted top round, gravy and horseradish on a kummulweck roll—a kick-in-the-face kaiser roll topped with coarse kosher salt and caraway seeds. Very strange to the uninitiated, and maybe to aficionados too, but delicious nonetheless. Just be sure you mean it when they ask you if you like horseradish—"yes" gets you extra and you may spend your lunch trying to keep your sinuses from melting out of your face. Run by Tom and what looks like several generations of family. You'll leave almost believing him when he tells you—straight-faced, without irony—that "you're only a customer for maybe the first couple visits; after that, a friend."

SAMMY WEEK, DAY 2: BUCHI CAFE CUBANO

Remember these two words: Aye Conyo. Got it? Good. Now go to Buchi Cafe Cubano and repeat them when the server asks you if you know what you'd like to eat. And if she asks you if you'd like something to drink, tell her yes, in fact, I'd like a cafe con leche. That Aye Conyo, with the roast pork and the pepperoni and the turkey, the hot peppers, the key lime mayo, pressed on that panini press with that good bread? Holy shit. Tucked between the two medical pot shops in the Sunnyside Center at 38th and Clay. Go there, be happy.

SAMMY WEEK, DAY 1: SNARFS

Snarfs: pathetic color scheme, the worst furniture and more-or-less non-stop jams from the jammiest jam bands over the speakers and still we can't stay away. Why? Fucking delicious sandwiches. Sure, maybe the fellas are a little ham-handed with the salt shaker in the "seasoning" mix but otherwise top-notch, first-class, mouth-watering delights. The sign out front proclaims an unbroken streak of best-of-Boulder awards and the first Denver outpost at 11th and Ogden seems to be following the same script (bringing the worst of Boulder too with the aging hippie decor and music, plus an awesome array of beards). We recommend the Artichoke and Feta and the Portabella, and if you're feeling carnivorous the Italian is wildly tasty. With a very friendly and fast crew that treats your sammy with the care and respect it deserves. More sammys all week from our current favorite spots around town.

BEE WEEK, DAY 5: AT WORK

Alright, so maybe their work is more pleasant than ours, maybe it's harder to complain when your job requires you to fly from flower to flower collecting pollen and nectar. Still, they do keep at it, trip after trip, day after day. These fellas here paused on our shop Hawthorn barely long enough for us to snap a sharp photo, then off to another flower, then another, and another and on and on and on.

BEE WEEK, DAY 4: THE HIVE

We humans are sorry, lazy, whinging wusses. Think not? Spend a minute or two watching bees at work, coming and going from the hive, frantically working a flowering tree, fussing over the comb and think again. Never stopping, never complaining. And you? A tired, bored little crybaby. So what if you have to make the same part for a chair two hundred times in a row? Stop bitching and get back to work. At least that's what we've been telling ourselves lately—and so far it seems to be working. But it sure helps to have a couple thousand bees around to remind you of the value and possibility of staying on task. They're here on loan, for a little while, and we're trying to learn what we can from them while we've got them. Next up are uniforms: these fellas have a very good look. We're thinking jumpsuits, with stripes.

BEE WEEK, DAY 3: SWARM!

Yikes! It started as a swarm which we were fool enough to wade into just to see what it was like (turns out it reminded us of this Eddie Izzard bit). Then the bees collected into two clumps on a low branch in the yard, ultimately merging into one writhing column—no doubt with a queen in the middle. That's how they camped for the night. Next morning they buzzed off into the wilds to make a new colony without all the fussing and honey-thieving that comes with domestic life. As Andrei Tillman said, "nice photos; is too many bees." Well said, cousin. By the way, if you find a stray swarm of bees give us a ring and we'll come and fetch 'em.

BEE WEEK, DAY 2: THE KING, PART TWO

As promised, the supreme chill of a true master on full display: Andrei Tillman mesmerizing in stop-motion.