Handheld Fondue

I like to think of myself as gastronomically inclined, but we all have our moments... Most recently, I was caught shoveling foot-in-mouth at a train station where I decided to get a sandwich for the journey ahead and packed it away as my meal for when the inevitable "are we there yet" point hit. Of course, being in the possession of food induced hunger immediately after I was sat on the train. When I opened my parcel I found a very messy sandwich with cheese slathered all over its exterior. 

Upon my messy discovery, a friend meeting me on the other end of my journey sent me a text to ensure that I successfully boarded the train. I shared my disappointment with her which prompted her to ask,

"Did the sandwich get tossed around in your bag?". No.

"Well, get something else." Most who know me would be aware that I was far too frugal to make purchases on transport vehicles.

Yuck, it was like a handheld fondue! Sticky, stringy cheese and creamy sauce oozing all over the place! I'm sure the guy sitting next to me was equally impressed. By the end of it, I had cheesy hands, a transparent layer of goop on my forehead and an overall feeling of crumbs and cheesy remnants scattered all over my being. That was pretty shit. And fairly quickly forgotten until...

Last week, I went to Toronto for a wedding. During the trip, I had brunch at a very unassuming, classic French Patisserie called, Pain Perdue. Here, while dining with friends, I noticed a much more up-market version of my handheld fondue.


And it was here that I was formally (properly) introduced to Parisian fast-food. Say hello to the Croque Monsieur.