We are living in the golden age of the ignorant fool.
And please believe me when I tell you that I’m not sitting atop a lofty pedestal when I say that. I very often do and say stupid, foolish things. Perhaps we all do. But many of us tend to see it, regret it, and learn from it. Or try.
There is a particular species of fool that is blissfully oblivious to the fact that they are a fool and are perfectly happy with their bull-in-a-china-shop behavior. This is the ignorant kind. And the information about their foolish behaviors, statements, and, let’s face it… fundamental nature is somehow just not reaching them. So they bluster ever forward, hopped up on arrogance, privilege, power, hate, and tribalism while dining on the suffering of others and enjoying the spectacle of the chaos they cause. Their behavior is like hydrochloric acid in our society. It is positively barf-inducing and it’s a dynamic that simply cannot end fast enough. But… it… d.o.e.s.n.’.t.
Today’s ignorant fool seems to live in a zero-gravity moral sphere where the regular “go around, come around” consequences of their actions are not materializing. Their power and influence only grow. They’re securing funding, starting and running companies, getting elected to public office, and sitting in those seats of power previously reserved for wise, serious, and morally righteous people.
You’re probably picturing some of the aforementioned fuck-knuckles in your mind right now - the ones that live on the national stage. But these people could just as easily be on the same (ahem) Zoom call as you or walk into the same delicatessen.
Nobody wants that.
Especially the good people of Palm City
“Be nice. Don't be a jabroni,” is the saying atop the home page of this new Outer Sunset eatery. What is a “jabroni,” you ask? Well, it’s basically that ignorant shithead-on-a-stick I mentioned above. “A foolish or contemptible person,” according to the fine people of Oxford. It’s a fun word to describe a particularly unfun person.
The mid-20th century origins of the word jabroni come from a different definitional geography. Derived from the Italian word “giambone,” (“ham”) the word was brought to life by an Iranian pro wrestler who went by the name Iron Shiek. It was a word he used backstage to describe the wrestler whose literal job it was to lose (as you know, pro wrestling is 90% showmanship and 10% wrestling). Interestingly, the Iron Shiek helped the infamous Hulk Hogan rise to fame by being his dedicated jabroni. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson brought that word out of the locker room and into the hot, sweaty spotlight by referring to other wrestlers as jabronis in interviews.
But I’m pretty sure Palm City was referring to the douchebag version I mentioned earlier.
Welcome to Palm City, no jabronis allowed.
I asked Monica Wong, one of the owners, why they have that “no jabroni allowed” saying on their website. She smiled wide and said, “It’s a Philly silly. My husband is from Philidelphia, and they say, ‘Don’t be a jabroni.’ A friend of my husband’s from Philly stayed with us during the Covid lockdown and that term was used A LOT.”
Monica and husband Dennis Cantwell are veterans of the San Francisco food scene - having worked at mainstays Zuni Cafe, A16, and Nopa. Palm City opened in April of this year and, judging from the build-out and decore, appears to be very well-funded.
Nestled on the corner of Irving and 42nd in an old dairy building, the spot is clean, minimalist, and well-appointed with gorgeous wood tables, beautifully tiled backsplashes, sweeping counters, and high ceilings. It opened this day at 12:30pm(!) – yeah, pretty late for this hungry man – to an anxious crowd of 20+ drooling adults.
The hoagies are massive.
My buddy Carlos ordered the Italian-American, which was a baseball player’s forearm-sized. Messy and decadent, it featured mortadella, finocchiona (Tuscan salami), mozzarella, parmesan, arugula, and ‘nduja aioli (a spreadable salami made with lard, finely chopped pancetta, and guanciale). 🤯🤯🤯 The arugula had been bathed in a sweet, vinegar-based dressing that complemented and balanced the meats perfectly. We were worried that there was so much of it (see photo) that it would overpower the meats, but quickly decided it was the perfect amount.
Carlos’s first bite was a tad on the salty side, but the next bite brought the sweetness in the arugula dressing that brought the whole sandwich into focus. He did wish there was more of the aioli, as that was very much in the background. The bread on both our sandwiches was a welcome surprise – a fresh, lightly toasted sesame roll that was as much a complementary ingredient as it was a platform for the sandwich. The two cheeses combo was a nice touch and the outer layer of mozzarella helped to balance the saltyness of the meats. That is some elite-level sandwich craftsmanship there. Obi Wan Kenobi is back there making these suckers.
I got the herb-garlic roasted pork sando with broccoli rabe, provolone, and cherry pepper sauce. I do love cherry peppers. My first bite was also on the salty side, but the second bite was different - more balanced. Rich and sweet with a touch of dankness from the broccoli rabe. In fact, each bite was slightly different from the one before, but all of them were equally delicious and complex. I also happen to love the sweet, nutty flavor of sesame-laden bread, which this was. As Carlos said, it’s nice when the bread is treated as an ingredient, not just an important part of the structure. He also mentioned that the funkiness of the broccoli was perfectly complemented by the sweetness of the provolone. Agreed.
Practically everyone who reviews this place mentions the friendliness of the staff. They ARE very friendly in an “I’m not really trying to be friendly” sort of way. I watch the way the owner moves about the space and she clearly knows what she is doing. People on the internet (beware of anything that comes after those four words) also seem enthusiastic about the wine selection (they do have a wine club too), the chocolate chip cookie (side note: why doesn’t anyone sell “Choco-lit” Chip Cookies?), spicy garlic cheese spread, and the sheer magnitude of the sandwiches. Though most people are a little surly about the prices ($20 for the sandos). That is a smidge high for the Bay.
You might be wondering where the name Palm City comes from. According to our waitress, it was one of the names that was considered when they finally chose “Sunset” for that section of the city. Fact check: true! Back in 1894, it was called Palm City, then a week later Mid Winter City, then Sunset City, and eventually just Sunset.
On the side
Boichik Bagels coming to Larkspur (Marin). Some say these are the best bagels in the East Bay. And now they’re making their foray into Marin. Bagles will still be made in Berkely and shipped fresh to Marin at 7am. Look for them on Magnolia Ave. come November.
Reuben meatloaf. Need I say more?
Zingerman’s offers classes in Honey: A good idea for deli owners to bring more people into the store and turn them into loyal fans is to offer classes. Plus, there’s money in that. Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor, MI is offering classes in Pasta, Cheese and Honey – and, let’s face it, we could all use a primer in honey. $30 a pop.
Beware of “Best of” Food Lists: Curious who has the best bread in America? Sure, we all are. But how in the name of Pete are you going to go about the side-by-side testing of foods that go bad in 24 hours and come from the 4 corners of this 3.79 million square mile country? You’re not. Here are the supposed best Pastrami sandwiches in America - and San Francisco pop-up Eisenberg’s tops their list. Never heard of’ it. Apparently, it’s at 490 Geary. Such a bullshitty click-baity content framework. Blah. Also… now I must go to Eisenberg’s.