Denver Chefs From Jeff Osaka to Kevin Morrison Chime In on Club Sandwiches

In honor of Greasy Spoons Week and the Club Sandwich Power Hour, Eater asked some of Denver's chefs to share some thoughts on the sandwich and their favorites. Here's what they said.

The biggest mistake chefs make with a club sandwich is making them so tall you have to dislocate your jaw to take a bite. John Broening, Le Grand Bistro and Spuntino.

The only time I really eat a club sandwich is when I'm golfing — it's usually my go-to sandwich if I have lunch in the clubhouse after a round of golf. Indian Tree Golf Course has a pretty good one — oven roasted turkey and ham, well-toasted bread, and I like it with a side of ranch dressing for my fries. Jeff Osaka, Twelve.

My unexpected go-to for a good club sandwich in Boulder is the Pearl St. Pub. As a Southern girl, the fried chicken club is right up my alley. On the days when my appetite exceeds my usual realm, I head down for that classic combination of lettuce, tomato, bacon, and fried chicken on three pieces of sourdough and a side of fries. Perfect. Joanna Powell, Cafe Aion.

I love them. This is my most favorite style and ingredients: toasted bread, house made chipotle mayo, crisp iceberg lettuce, crunchy bacon, shaved honey-smoked turkey piled high, with juicy sliced tomato, fresh ground pepper and crushed avocado. Troy Guard, TAG, TAG RAW Bar, TAG Burger Bar

The best club I ever had: pan fried lake perch, bacon tomato relish, watercress mayo on cranberry walnut bread. Back when I ran Crumb Rustic Bakery, in the Spicy Pickle days, I took a trip to my parents home in Paw Paw Michigan. I baked tons of breads to bring with me for that trip. My brother-in-law caught fresh lake perch and my nephew, who is a chef in Chicago, and I came up with this sandwich. It was amazing - and memorable. — Kevin Morrison, Pinche Tacos.

The club sandwich is one of the most classical American lunch offerings, originally it is comprised of toasted bread, turkey, bacon, lettuce tomato and mayonnaise. One of my favorite things to make and eat are sandwiches, even thought it is such a simple offering, there are endless and sometimes ridiculous options which can be contained between two pieces of bread. At Central Bistro & Bar, we have a club sandwich on our menu. I have made some changes to the classic sandwich - we start by toasting the bread on the griddle and a good golden brown crust on this sandwich as it is key to the overall texture of the sandwich. We slather green garlic aioli, topped with avocado, Bibb lettuce, bacon, grilled chicken breast, melted gruyere cheese, and finished with a sunny up farm egg. We slice it and add the quintessential toothpick to really give it that club sandwich feel. When eating a club sandwich, in my opinion, it should be difficult to fit into your mouth in one bite, and the crust should be crispy, but not hard, supplying just the right amount of crunch. What can I say, I love sandwiches! Gerard Strong, Central Bistro & Bar.

I don't usually order club sandwiches when I go out. I do order Jimmy John's occasionally. Pretty average sandwiches. I am usually pretty busy in the mornings, so I get them delivered. 12 minutes on one delivery. Not the best but fills me up. Stephen McCary, Mizuna.

My favorite club sandwich is of course our Starsky PBLT from our Disco Brunch menu. This sweet and savory new addition features our succulent crispy chicken with maple pork belly and then its topped off with a spicy aioli, lettuce and tomatoes. All this is sandwiched between two of our famous house-made waffles. Rich Byers, The Corner Office.

I have one every day: blackened chicken club at Steubens has been a go-to for awhile. I also have a high-end favorite: the lobster club at Elways Cherry Creek. Yum! Paul Reilly, Beast + Bottle.

To me, the club sandwich is as American as apple pie! My favorite one to grab on the go is definitely From Marczyk, but Spinellis market certainly gives it a run for their money. Plus, they have Udi's gluten free bread. Joshua Pollack, Rosenberg's Bagels and Delicatessen at Gather.

If you had to write the "Cardinal Club Sandwich Rules," they would probably go as follows: (1) good bread, as in any sandwich (2) mixed meats, most often a couple pork and a poultry (ham, bacon, turkey), and (3) good fresh veg. What we can extrapolate from this is that there are many sandwiches out there that could be considered colloquial variations of the infamous 'Club.' Some of my favorites tend to veer sharply from the American classic and into those 'wiches of Latin America and the Far East. My all-time favorite club is the Banh Mi. Most often made with chicken liver pate (the poultry) and then the two pork preparations; ham and roasted pork. As for the bread I much prefer the French style baguette used in this Vietnamese delight to the sliced whole-wheat, or even worse, white sandwich bread used in the country. Instead of lettuce and tomato in classic American clubs the Banh Mi features fresh cucumbers and loads of cilantro, mint, and if you're lucky, Thai basil. Try one if you haven't, it will undoubtedly ruin any future hope of enjoying the barbeque slathered debauchery shelled out by the dozen at your local Applebee's. Bon appétit. Jorel Pierce, Euclid Hall.

· Fancy Grease: the Breakfast Burrito at Corner House [EDen]
· These Are Denver's Ten Iconic Greasy Spoon Joints [EDen]