ABOVE: Ilene’s Dream makes any day the day after Thanksgiving.
BULL’S HEAD MARKET: 2 HIGH RIDGE PARK, STAMFORD [THE SECRET LOCATION]
4/9/2009
Despite possessing a name offensive to a proud Bay Area native, The Frisco sandwich at Bull’s Head Market is pretty good. Lord knows I love me some avocado and bacon.
But I’ve since come to embrace the Ilene’s Dream: a heap of a Thanksgiving-leftover sandwich that when paired with a big bag of kettle chips, not only fulfills half of my daily caloric requirements but also leaves me with pangs of sentimentality.
OK, it’s just a sandwich. But it’s a pretty damn good sandwich; filled with stuffing, lots of mayo and cranberry sauce [from the can, the way I like it].
My boss claims it doesn’t hold a candle to The Gobbler from Humphreys Bakery on Martha’s Vineyard. The differences are chiefly Humphreys’ use of a ‘real’ chunks of mixed dark and light meat, not warmed sliced deli-style turkey breast and the use of a more robust multi-grain bread. I must agree, I would welcome these improvements, but it is what it is.
Bull’s Head Market eventually closed down its namesake location, but opened a tiny self-service spot downtown on Summer St. and a couple in Norwalk. Much to my horror, Ilene’s Dream was not one of the pre-wrapped options downtown.
As I was expressing my dissatisfaction, I was let in on a little secret: the 2 High Ridge Park cafeteria. It is actually a full-service Bull’s Head Market deli.
It is not by any stretch of the imagination centrally located. And if you don’t know where it is, you are going to have a hell of a time finding it. Honestly, with its complete lack of signage I initially thought this was a practical joke.
When you arrive at Building 2 â which looks like a spaceship out of a 1950s comic book â make a 180 when you get to the life-size velociraptor statute, head down the stairs and make a right at the mail room. You’ve made it.
Hopefully, you have come before crowd of chino-wearing, ID-badge-displaying, hungry office park workers. If you can ignore the banal Dilbert-esque surroundings, dig into a sandwich they aren’t bad.
âCP
Let me start off by saying the owner was very rude to me on my first time at his store…talk about bull-headed. He walks in with his balding hair and what looked like fire in his eyes and I over heard him yelling at an employee. I go to this particular store all the time and have never seen someone look down on people who make up his business and you know what I will say to that…ten thumbs down to your pre-wrapped food which is no different from airport food. I felt so bad for the employees at the store, they shouldn’t have to work for such an arrogant person!
So I didn’t know that bulls head took over the “Tribeca Cafe” in south norwalk.Walked in morning and some guy with black spiky hair,tall really pissed me off. Ordered a breakfast sandwich, he puts it on the grill and walks away from me for 7 minutes. Finally the pretty young lady who was cleaning the tables and counters walked over and appologized. Also did not like the fact that this kid had two gigantic hickies on his neck…kid rubbed me the wrong way…but yes bullshead #1
I’ll disagree on this much: Cranberry sauce from the can is sacrilege. My mother’s homemade is amazing, wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. When you’ve had it with real cranberries, I can’t imagine preferring the canned stuff.
CP…I am thrilled that you made your way downstairs at HRP2. Although, you can get an Ilenes Dream delievered to you at 500 Summer Street just by asking the day before. We bring everything there everymorning from Norwalk and we often get special requests. The Ilenes Dream , however is a “warm” sandwich and it will come pre- packed cold.
We also deleiveer all over the place. Cudos to your investigative prowess.