Cool Stuff: Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company

There's a sandwich shop in Toronto called the Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company, named after Wilco's 2007 album Sky Blue Sky. Every sandwich on the menu is named after a Wilco song, and since hearing about this place I've spent a lot of time listening to Wilco songs and thinking about what each of them might taste like.

It's a pretty novel idea, and as soon as I heard about the place I knew that I needed to try the "One Wing" and/or the "Side With The Seeds." This gimmick puts me in the strange position of ranking my desire for sandwiches based on both their ingredients and also how much I enjoy songs that really have nothing to do with food. For example, a Pitchfork news post about the shop describes the "California Stars," which is unfortunately no longer featured. Unfortunate not because the sandwich sounds tasty, but because I love that song, and thus want to eat it. This seems to be some new and strange horizon for musical appreciation and I for one fully support it.

Last night a friend and I visited the cafe for the first time, and I can say that the sandwiches are awesome as well as cleverly named. On the proprietor's recommendation I decided against the "Side With The Seeds" and instead had the "Wishful Thinking." Not because I liked the second song more than the first (quite the contrary), but because I have more of a penchant for mushrooms than tomatoes. Seems this really is about the food first and foremost after all. Go figure. My friend had the "Via Chicago" and it was, in a word, scrumptious. In addition to the fantastic food the cafe featured an incredible atmosphere, with Wilco tour posters adorning the walls and tasteful music playing on the stereo. The staff were also incredibly friendly, offering the aforementioned helpful recommendations as well as good conversation about nature of running a sandwich shop. All in all it was a great visit, and I look forward to many more in the coming months.

If you are in the Toronto area and like food and/or Wilco then I strongly recommend you check out the Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company. Come for the novelty, stay for the amazing sandwiches. Just don't ask for Wilco The Sandwich.