La Vie en Robe – La Viande Enrobed

Visiting celebrity Dan Epstein, originator and sole proprietor of La Vie en Robe has a few choice words about meatloaf sandwiches, which he eats, I presume, in his bathrobe. Lucky guy, he has a custom made Levi’s terry-denim (60/40) robe.

As fer meatloaf, my all-time favorite ‘loaf is the bacon-wrapped, ketchup-and-brown-sugar-glazed recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, as lovingly prepared every few years by my wife. My preferred mode of consumption is to eat said ‘loaf on top of a pile of homemade mac and cheese (the latter preferably slightly burned); but when it comes to meatloaf sandwiches, give me cold (or room temp at most) meatloaf on hearty rye with a chunk of iceberg lettuce and a dab of russian dressing — nothing else. The tang of the rye and the sweetness of the ‘loaf and dressing are a heavenly match, and the cold lettuce cleanses the palate for the next delicious bite. Any additional ingredient would just get in the way…

Goddamn, my salivary glands are starting to kick into gear just thinking about it…

(What I want to know is, what’s a nice boy named Dan Epstein doing with ketchup on his loaf. This bucks my numbers.)

~Su-Per Iceberg~
And I say,
Iceberg? Yes! Wet and crunchy. You can feel the cells bursting when you bite. Is that Russian dressing a staple in your household?

And he says,
And yes, Russian dressing is indeed a standard fridge item ’round here. Iceberg lettuce, not so much; my wife handles the groceries, but that’s one of those things that — like Colt .45 malt liquor — I have to go out and buy myself if I feel a hankerin’ comin’ on…

Dan and I were introduced by a mutual fab friend who is not above eating meatloaf. She may have a chic mid-century modern in Palm Springs, but she can polka with the best of ’em. Jenn eats her meatloaf with “mustard – not ketchup thankyouverymuch.” And she prefers, “‘elevating’ it with a crunchier, fancier bread or roll instead of the run-of-the-mill Wonderbread.” Look out!