LaClair: Craving Thanksgiving all year? Firehouse Subs has the answer

Happy Thanksgiving! As I sit here typing this article into creation, it is nine days before Thanksgiving, that feast day that trumps all feast days, at least in my yearly calendar. I love Thanksgiving: the family, the laughing, the kids fighting, the food, the food, the food, especially the food. We’ve just had a little cold snap after unseasonably warm weather and my brain finally switched over to Thanksgiving. And with that switch came some craving for Thanksgiving-like food: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and rich, smooth turkey gravy.

Except for the actual day of, when I have family on both sides cooking amazing homemade meals, or if I make some dishes myself at home, a Thanksgiving feast is blessedly hard to find. So when Firehouse Subs announced their Thanksgiving Turkey Sub via an ad that made its way to my eyes, I immediately dropped everything so I could eat a sweet preview of the big day’s flavors.

Even as I was driving to Cape, I was convinced that the Thanksgiving sub would be sold out. I mean, how could it not? Carved, roasted turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo, I felt like everyone should be craving this. When I got there, I ordered the sub with some trepidation, but the person taking my order didn’t shake her head regretfully and tell me that it was currently unavailable. No, she just charged me for it and moved on with her day. Triumph!

So let’s be real for a second. This sub does not, cannot, stand up to a true Thanksgiving meal, with all of the heavy casseroles, fluffy rolls and all of the hours and hours of work and care that go into such things. However, this sub absolutely does fill that desire for something Thanksgiving-y when the real thing is not available. The stuffing on the sub was straight-up Stovetop, or a look-a-like. Buttery, herby, soft and bready, it balanced the roasted turkey slices like a champ. The cranberry sauce was used sparingly, but still the citrus tang really cut through, and almost obliterated the subtle savory flavors. The mayo was almost undetectable, just there if you really thought about it, but was necessary to give the sandwich enough moisture to keep it going down easy.

Now, the sub was OK, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. The cranberry sauce, while adding a needed tartness to the sandwich, was just a bit too much for me. I was still getting some buttery stuffing flavor, but the turkey has lost its taste and just turned into a texture. So a few days later, I gave the Thanksgiving Turkey Sub another shot. What can I say, I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

This time, I ordered it with extra stuffing, and it was everything I could have asked for between two halves of white bread. Buttery, meaty, full of herbs and spices, with just the faintest tang of cranberry sweet/bitter bite, this sandwich was ridiculously indulgent, and ridiculously delicious. I ordered it with a side of 5-cheese mac and cheese, which reminds me of childhood mac and cheese, but with more sophisticated cheese. It’s not too greasy, and mine was served steaming hot. I finally had my little mini-Thanksgiving feast, satisfying that warm craving in my stomach and heart.

Much like Thanksgiving, I also took home leftovers, and though I don’t know how this sandwich will reheat yet, I’m hopeful that I’ll be sitting at work, happily living my best Thanksgiving life again today.

Now I know that the lucky among us are probably swimming in leftovers right now, and maybe moaning about eating so many leftovers for days to come, so this may not be as interesting to you. Maybe keep it in mind for next year. Of all the dining-out turkey dishes I try (and I try everyone that I can find), this one has been the most satisfying. I think it’s because Firehouse is not trying to give us a whole plateful of Thanksgiving, not trying to replicate the entire meal experience. It is just giving us Thanksgiving in a sandwich, concise and holdable and like a warm hug.

How about we just normalize Thanksgiving food yearlong? Christmas in July, sure, fine, but Thanksgiving in June? Now that is worth driving to town for. Bring back that sub in the summer. I’ll be the first in line.