La Maestranza

La Maestranza is located out in the far reaches of Vitacura at the foot of the mountains in a location with a single large dining room and a large terrace covered by an awning out front. It’s decorated with roughly hewn paneling, neutrally painted walls, ceramic tile floors and a faux-stamped-tin ceiling. The walls are decorated with some tasteful photographic prints. The tables are butcher-block topped accompanied by industrial-style metal chairs. The décor is a morph between antique and loft-style industrial. Despite the lack of cohesiveness in the design, it is pleasant and much more appealing than your typical sandwich shop.

The service is a bit inconsistent, depending on how busy the restaurant is at the time of your arrival. But our waiters have always been friendly and knowledgeable.

Santiago has no shortage of restaurants offering sandwiches. When people ask me what’s the cuisine of Chile like, I usually respond with something like “hot dogs and sandwiches, if you can call that a cuisine.”

Popular restaurants like Fuente Aleman, Fuente Marroqueo and Elkika Ilmanau have become part of Santiaguino lore, serving up traditional Lomitos and Churrascos, with an overkill-abundance of mushy ingredients piled on top.

But after reviewing these behemoth sandwich factories we were left wondering what all the buzz was about. The sandwiches were big in size, but short on quality.

We’re very much into culinary evolution and we show favor to any restaurant taking food in a new direction that’s new and interesting.

There’s a new breed of sandwich-meisters in Santiago that have caught the young dining public’s attention and ours too.

We just reviewed Sublime, located a few blocks from La Maestranza, and were encouraged by a newer, more contemporary approach to the humble sandwich at that restaurant.

But in the game of sandwich poker, La Maestranza, calls Sublime’s hand, and raises the bet by a bowl of Mac & Cheese and a Key Lime Pie.

To achieve the winning hand La Maestranza takes the heart and soul of the sandwich, the protein, and makes it the star of the show. From the beer-batter tempura fish sandwich to the braised pork sandwich that slowly stews for hours in a pot, every protein at the center of each sandwich is something special. The ratio of the meat to the bread is right. And instead of poorly-made sauerkraut, under-cooked green beans and tasteless industrial mayonnaise, this restaurant garnishes each sandwich with your choice with fresh produce and high-quality cheeses. Tasty cheeses like blue cheese, goat cheese and mozzarella. Move over Fuente Aleman, there’s a new kid in town!

The burgers are just as special as the sandwiches with the same high-quality ingredients. They do a beautiful coarse-grind on the meat patty and it has a respectable fat content, making that burger one of the juiciest burgers in town. It's topped with a shiny dome-shaped bun, and accompanied by excellent crisp French fries.

If beef, pork and fish aren’t on your dietary agenda, have no fear. These guys churn out some of the best salads, vegetarian sandwiches and veggie-burgers in the city. Want a sandwich without the gluten? They’ve got you covered, too.

If you’re thinking that La Maestanza is only a five-trick pony, think again. This pony has a supplemental items section on the menu that chock-full of interesting things you won’t likely find anywhere else in the city. There’s a big bowl of Mac & Cheese, some crispy Fish & Chips, a plate of Pulpo a la Gallego, and La Maestranza-style Tuscan Meatballs.

It’s all very unique and interesting. It’s all well-executed. And considering the location, quality and uniqueness of the ambience and menu, the prices are better than reasonable. Everything on the menu was less than US$13 (ARS$8,500) in late 2018.

La Maestranza has taken popular hand-held street foods, burgers, fad-foods and comfort-food … the stuff we all secretly crave … and elevated the whole lot to gourmet status.

They only forgot one thing. The kitchen sink.