Weekly Lunch Pick: the sandwich and salad special at the new Sanagan’s Meat Locker

Weekly Lunch Pick: the sandwich and salad special at the new Sanagan’s Meat Locker

The peach-stuffed pork belly sandwich from Sanagan’s (Image: Renée Suen)

When Peter Sanagan announced he’d be moving his cult Kensington butcher shop down the street, he promised the new, bigger space would allow him to create “the amazingest new sandwich counter in the city.” Amazingness may be in eye of the beholder, but Sanagan’s tight sandwich list (all $7) thankfully veers away from boring cold cuts to include the bo ssammy (a Korean-style pulled pork with kimchee slaw and green onion mayo), roast beef from Durham’s Finest, classic roast chicken with crispy skin and our order, a peach-stuffed pork belly sandwich (the day’s special). A half-inch-thick roulade of pork is sliced to order, heated on the stovetop and then sandwiched between crusty halves of a multi-grain roll from Cobb’s Bread. While we can’t quite detect the peach amid the layers of fat and fall-off-the-bone-tender meat, the crisp ruffles of watercress and smooth pommery mayonnaise punch through nicely with every bite. Hungrier midday diners can upgrade to a combo ($3 extra), choosing between a daily soup or salad , like our crunchy fennel, apple and celery salad tossed with a sweet raisin vinaigrette and a decidedly unorthodox mix of praline peanuts and amaretti bits.

The cost: $13.56 including tax and a bottle of Pop Shoppe black cherry soda ($2).

The time: 10 minutes to prepare the order, after which we head out to a bench around Kensington to partake in one last al fresco lunch.

Sanagan’s Meat Locker, 176 Baldwin St., 416-593-9747, sanagansmeatlocker.com, @sanagans