Cowtown Beef Shack
5250 Macleod Trail S
Next up on Shack Week here at F-log For Thought, Cowtown Beef Shack. Located in the parking lot of Home Food Inn on Macleod, Cowtown Beef Shack serves one thing and one thing only. Beef (That was pretty obvious given the name).
Swooping in before the 6 o'clock closing time, I ordered the BBQ Beef. Sandwiched within a footlong sub, is perfectly seasoned BBQ beef and fresh onions. When the guy asked me if I was ok with onions, I thought it was going to be sauteed (or at least cooked) and not of the raw variety. I guess I should have realized this when it said "fresh" on the menu. Needless to say, I wasn't a huge fan of it. The onions, that is. Because the beef was amazing. Slowly cooked to perfection and pulled into tiny strands, the beef is then seasoned with their special BBQ sauce. The resulting meat was very tender and flavourful. A solid 7 stars out of 10. I think sauteed onions would take it to the next level. 
*atomic
1306 1st Street SW
www.atomicexperience.com
I had the sub*atomic bomb from *atomic for lunch today. Served on a toasted baguette, it is loaded with tandoori chicken and sate beef and topped with carrots, lettuce, cucumbers and cilantro. I can't say that I'm a huge cilantro fan but it was actually not too bad. Unlike other sub places like Thi Thi, Bake Chef or Thai Tai, they put everything on unless you say otherwise. The meat was a little tough and the sate wasn't as spicy as I thought. In fact, I wish I hadn't ordered it without the hot sauce. It's definitely no Thi Thi or Bake Chef, but I would rank this higher than Thai Tai though. What's up with Thai Tai's name anyway? The subs are Vietnamese and not Thai? Hmmm...
Thi Thi Vietnamese Submarine
209 1st Street SE
Thursday was a wet one. It rained nonstop from morning to night. But David's gotta eat. Today would have been a good day to check out the TA Oasis as it is a block away, but crappy weather could potentially mean a shorter line up at Thi Thi subs. I was completely drenched before I even got to the end of the block. It's too late now to go back to TA... You can't get any wetter than completely drenched. 7 more blocks to go. Normally, the line for Thi Thi subs stretches to the sidewalk and curves around the block. Where 20 minute waits is the norm. Not today. As I walked up to the hole in the wall (literally), the line was still inside. Two other die hard fans were waiting for their delicious subs. As I opened the door, I was greeted by Thi Thi sub owner and family, cardboard "welcome mat" and the smell of the delicious saté sauce.
As I ordered by food, the saté ribs, more people began showing up. The sub sandwiches, stored in a giant rubbermaid tub, is sliced with a machete when ordered (Sketch? Yes. But it's effective). It is first lathered with butter (probably lard, or lard butter), then put through the toaster roller with the meat and cheese so that the cheese is all melted on to the meat and bun. Next, my usual toppings, carrots and cucumbers, are added. And finally, the Thi Thi special sauce is drizzled on. By drizzle, I mean squirted. Upon receiving my sub, I made my trek back to the office. Special thanks to the Children Festival's clowns for lending me their umbrella while I waited for the lights. That was very sweet of them. Not that it really matter because I was drenched from head to toe. But it's the thought that counts.
8 blocks and 10 minutes of drying off later, I was finally able to enjoy my sub. The bread, surprisingly, was still crispy. The special sauce was spicy and delicious. The veggies were crunchy and the ribs were tender. Totally worth it. Totally.
