Building a Better Sandwich

An insight into Mendocino Farms' sandwich philosophy based on in-person interview with CEO and co-founder, Mario Del Pero. 

I fell in love with Mendocino Farms from the very first time I visited this restaurant. It has great sandwiches and friendly atmosphere. Husband-and-wife Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen happen to be the dynamic due behind this upscale mini-chain sandwich shop. My curiosity led me to approach Mario Del Pero via LinkedIn for the very first time.

I. Meet Mario

Brief Background

Mario Del Pero grew up in Northern California. When he was a kid, his family owned a meat company, so he grew up in their R&D kitchen around chefs who are innovating different types of food items. He graduated from USC in 1995 with a degree in international relations when he deferred admission to Berkeley’s law school. Instead, his curiosity on building a brand led him to continue working as manager in his friend’s new restaurant.  

Entrepreneurial background

After a few years, Del Pero was ready to go out on his own. In 1998 he opened Skew’s, a teriyaki restaurant in Manhattan Beach. Two years later, a Downtown outpost came in, followed by a Westwood branch. He sold all three restaurants about a decade ago. In his early 30s, he came up with the idea of Mendocino Farms.

II. Mendocino Farms

In search for a perfect sandwich, Del Pero first wrote the concept of Mendocino Farms 13 years ago based on three movements:

1. People are starting to care about where the food comes from. He called this the “Whole Foods Market Effect.”  Del Pero wants to support sustainable farming, and thus, will be using local, natural and organic ingredients in his sandwiches and salads.
2. Gap in the sandwich category. Del Pero identified an obvious gap in the sandwich category. There's Subway on the low-end, and gourmet sandwich places like Joan's on Third on the high-end. Considering that the sandwich category is the largest in the restaurant-based, filling this gap would create a lot of value. “I wanted to taste like an $11-$14 sandwich, but I wanted to do it at a $9-$10 level,” he said. According to Mario, what makes a great sandwich: modernize the classic or make entrée into sandwich form
3. “Gathering place” beyond coffee shop. The powerful notion of coffee shops being a third place, sort of like a gathering place, has led Del Pero to see the opportunity to work beside them. He wants to provide a bigger space and do better sandwiches, and thus, establish a family-friendly neighbor sandwich shop with unique culture of “selling happy"

Mendocino’s unique business culture helps drive their food, innovation and hospitality. Del Pero really established what he call as filters: “The things that we actually define that makes us who we are.”

Today, there are 11 Mendocino Farms stores across Southern California. "Mendo," as its fans call it, has become a foodie destination. I highly recommend you to stop by and try its not-so-fried-chicken sandwich and Korubuta pork bahn me! Trust me, you won't regret.

Growing a Farmer Part 2

If I could summarize my feeling after reading Growing a Farmer, I’d say: I appreciate farmers now more than ever. The author Kurt Timmermeister caught my attention in a few ways:

1. I liked how he emphasized the importance of good and clean food, as he said “My wish for this book is to add a perspective on the food we eat: where it comes from, what goes into producing it and how it was traditionally prepared."
2. I liked how he spent each chapter talking about how he handled one aspect of the farm at a time.
3. I agree with his point that when it comes to slaughtering animals, farmers should get it done with minimum pain to the animals.

Kurt has shown that the faming job is not easy. Not all aspects of farms are pretty – bees die in cold winter, cow came down with milk fever. Through it all, I see the efforts farmers are making in order for us to enjoy fresh, quality ingredients.

Coffee for the Graduate

The 6 best places to get caffeine fix for undergraduates, from the Big Apple to the City of Angels.

Now that graduation is approaching, I would like to thank my mom and dad for my daily lattes. Yes, coffee lattes. Coffee lattes have played a huge role in my four years of college. It helps to boost my energy and to stay awake. My search for a perfect cup of latte had begun three years ago when I came to study at Fordham University in New York as a freshman. I transferred to USC during my sophomore year and the search for perfect lattes has been continued in LA since then.

Here are my picks for the best coffee shops in New York City:

1. Intelligentsia Coffee

Situated in the lobby of the High Line Hotel, this Chicago import features upscale coffees, pastries, and teas. This place has a back patio area, which is ideal for catching up with a friend over espresso. They also have prepared salads, sandwiches, and pastries from infamous New York bakeries - Bien Cuit and Mah Ze Dahr. According to coffee expert Kelly Stewart, "Intelligentsia's collaborative spirit extends past its doors and out into the coffee-growing world. Everything that the company does is with the belief that treating people and the land with care will yield outstanding quality in every cup" (Gentile). NY Eater features Intelligentsia as the #11 best coffee shop in New York City (Dalton). Their top-notch beans have enabled them to expand from Chicago to New York, and even Los Angeles.

2. Culture Espresso

Situated near Bryant Park, Culture Espresso is ranked #10 “Outstanding coffee shops in New York City” by NY Eater (Dalton). Unlike most coffee shops, the independent and locally owned Culture Espresso tries to bring out the industry’s best. They constantly sample coffees from different farmers, and partner with one roaster at a time ("Coffee Preparation and Presentation Is Our Focus"). Culture Espresso believes that a great coffee is attributed by “a complex chain of events that begins with the farmer and ends with the barista” ("Coffee Preparation and Presentation Is Our Focus"). Currently, they are partnering with Heart Coffee Roasters from Portland, Oregon. Culture Coffee brings out a European atmosphere to their customers through the beautifully designed store. The place is decorated with a Parisian chandelier and lavender walls. Without doubt, this gem has been featured in top review sites, such as Refinery 29 and Thrillist.

3. Two Hands

With the invasion of Australian cafes in New York, Two Hands landed as the most Instagram-able café in the city. Named after a Heath Ledger film, Two Hands has kitchens that are run by coffee roasters. Unlike American coffee shops, Australian cafes provide a full experience. After coffee, there’s food. Jordan Michelman, founder of Sprudge (a website for coffee cognoscenti), describes the experience as an unusual one. He says, “There’s this whole robust coffee culture, and there’s this whole robust kitchen culture, and it’s all under the same roof” (Strand). This Aussie-run joint brings colorful idioms, such as “brekkie” for breakfast and “flat white” for small latte. They present drinks in mason jars, and acai bowls with beautifully arranged toppings. Of course, their flat white is on point.

Now, crossing the East Coast to the West Coast, you can perk yourself up with caffeine and a pastry at these following coffee shops across Los Angeles:

4. Urth Caffé

Urth is constantly packed for good reason: Urth Caffé is the first health conscious coffee company. According to founder Jilla and Shallom Berkman,  the name “Urth Caffé” means “organic, heirloom coffee.” “Urth” is an old Welsh root spelling of Earth and “Caffe” is Italian for coffee (“Our Story”). With 5 cafes operating across Los Angeles, Urth Caffé proudly serves their infamous Spanish latte and green tea latte with boba. Personally, I put Urth Caffé on top of my list because they have the best café latte. Get their dark-roasted café latte with almond milk, and trust me, you will stay awake for the rest of the day. Their dark-roast is very strong, so I suggest you to get this drink early in the morning. Another plus point is they have one location in Downtown, 5 miles away from USC.

5. Alfred Coffee & Kitchen

Ranked top 10 best coffee shops in LA by TimeOut Los Angeles, Alfred Coffee & Kitchen attracts coffee lovers and bloggers all over the city (Montell). Have you ever wondered what the hype is all about? You can get your espresso or macchiato in a chocolate cone at this trendy coffee shop. The not-so-secret menu item, known as the “Alfred Cone,” costs you $5 more than a macchiato shot itself. It may not be the cheapest coffee shot, but it’s a good alternative to New York famous Dominique Ansel’s cookie shots! The coffee is courtesy of Stumptown, setting the bar high for its famous motto “But first, coffee.” Alfred Coffee gives out loyalty cards. Call it old fashioned, but Alfred’s loyalty card rewards more frequently than Starbuck’s gold card. Once you reach 10 stamps, Alfred Coffee awards you with a free coffee or espresso. Alfred also serves pastries and provides free Wi-Fi.

6. Blue Bottle Coffee

Started as a stand at Berkeley’s Farmers Market in 2002, Blue Bottle is known to make one of the best iced-coffee drinks in America. Ex-musician James Freeman founded Blue Bottle through his passion for good quality coffee. On the Blue Bottle’s website, Freeman states, “I will only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster to my customers, so they may enjoy coffee at its peak of flavor” ("Who We Are | Blue Bottle Coffee”). Blue Bottle’s dedication to coffee preparation and extensive brewing guides has brought themselves expanding to New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. My favorite in store is the affogato, with ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery. What I love about Blue Bottle locations is that I could enjoy the affogato and pick up a bag of fresh roasted coffee beans or a few cartons of ready-to-drink iced coffee to fulfill my midweek cravings.

Ultimately, there are a lot of specialty coffee shops in the US that are worthy to be included in the best list. The 6 coffee shops above are among the ones I have visited and I have consumed in fair amount. Therefore, if you’re studying in LA or visiting NY, I suggest you to stop by these places to get your caffeine fix!

Works Cited

"Coffee Preparation and Presentation Is Our Focus." Culture Espresso. Culture Espresso, 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cultureespresso.com/coffee/>.

Dalton, Levi, and Marguerite Preston. "28 Outstanding Coffee Shops in New York City." Eater NY. Vox Media, 29 July 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://ny.eater.com/maps/best-cafe-coffee-shop-new-york-city-brooklyn-queens>.

Gentile, Dan. "The Top 10 Coffee Roasters in the Nation, as Voted by Super-serious Coffee Nerds." Thrillist. Thrillist, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/best-coffee-roasters-in-america>.

Montell, Amanda. "Alfred Coffee & Kitchen." Time Out Los Angeles. Time Out, 26 July 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/restaurants/alfred-coffee-kitchen>.

"Our Story." Our Story. Urth Caffe, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <https://urthcaffe.com/caffe/about-us/our-story>.

Strand, Oliver. "Australian Cafes Arrive in New York." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 July 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/dining/australians-arrive-serving-breakfast.html?_r=0>.
"Who We Are | Blue Bottle Coffee." Who We Are | Blue Bottle Coffee. Blue Bottle Coffee Inc., 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <https://bluebottlecoffee.com/our-story>.