# What is Subway's "Refresh" initiative? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 21, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014 "2021-07-21T22:53:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/61 "2021-07-27T19:07:50Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > And just for additional mayo outrage, I once ordered a corned beef and swiss on rye at what advertises itself as a Jewish deli and it came slathered in mayo with lettuce and tomato on it. Mayo? On Corned beef? yeech. Although with the cheese, not exactly kosher, no? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/62 "2021-07-27T19:18:15Z")
Only spot that ever went that far was the Carnegie Deliā€“I asked for swiss and they brought it separately on a different color plate so the _shiksa_ could ruin her sammich any way she liked. Then, because the thing was so massive I asked for two more slices of bread, made two sammiches out of the one, ate one (and was stuffed) then wrapped the second one for later, with a few of their home made pickle slices. Dayum, that place was magical. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/63 "2021-07-27T19:33:36Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > but Iā€™d assume when they make a party sammich they do it in some standard manner and that standard manner appears to be ā€œloaded with so much mayo it drips out of the sammich, soaks the paper underneath and turns the bread to sludge.ā€ That is not a place Iā€™ll be visiting on purpose like, ever. Gross. There is no standard amount ā€“ at least not when I was working it decades ago. The meat was all pre-portioned, but the mayo was just a tub and a spatula. So you just got an overzealous sandwich maker. Thereā€™s good reasons not to give Jimmy Johnā€™s your money, but judging it by a sandwich with a topping you wouldnā€™t have ordered anyway seems odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/64 "2021-07-27T19:54:50Z")
Well, mayo aside, there wasnā€™t anything else about that sammich that wasnā€™t bog standard and the toppings were rudimentary to say the least. With such an overwhelmingly negative initial exposure why in the world would I bother giving them a second chance, especially since I live in a foodie town where infinitely better options than a mayo obsessed chain are a dozen in a dime bag? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/65 "2021-07-27T19:59:46Z")
Yes, there are better places to try, for sure. Iā€™m not a big fan of the founder, either, so definitely take your dollars elsewhere. (I do like their Vito from time to time, though. Thereā€™s no mayo on that one. Or the Turkey Tom with mustard and hot peppers instead of mayo.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/66 "2021-07-27T20:08:42Z")
Yes, there was a Deli in Santa Monica iirc that would bring you the top bun of your cheeseburger on a separate plate. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/67 "2021-07-27T21:15:04Z")
I remember back in college was around when the $5 Foot Long really took off, and I had a friend at a party tell me and some friends the ā€œperfectā€ Subway sandwich combo, and apparently it was so good to my friends to spread in an early viral way across campus. To the point random people somehow got ahold of his phone number and would constantly call him at all times whenever they were at Subway for his ā€œrecipeā€. It eventually got to the point he had to make his voice mail message the receipt so people would stop bugging him. I forgot what it was exactly but it was a Spicy Italian with a specific combo of sauces and vegetables. I think ā€œDeli Mustardā€ and Olives were part of it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/68 "2021-07-27T21:41:57Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I forgot what it was exactly but it was a Spicy Italian with a specific combo of sauces and vegetables. I think ā€œDeli Mustardā€ and Olives were part of it. Spicy Italian with olives & Chipotle sauce is my go to meal at Subway! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/69 "2021-07-28T05:34:42Z")
For those curious about giardiniera, I think most (all?) Potbelly shops have it and they have locations scattered around the country. I donā€™t think Iā€™ve tried it or their sandwiches and canā€™t personally vouch. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/70 "2021-07-28T05:38:09Z")
I will vouch that it is a very good example of Chicago giardiniera. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/71 "2021-07-28T11:38:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Note that the second picture is Italian giardiniera and not Chicago style giardiniera, which is made with chili peppers of some sort and packed in oil after being picked. Ignorance fought. Chicago-style giardiniera isnā€™t something you can find around here - the only brand the stores carry here is Mezzetta, which is the Italian style as pictured above. Iā€™ve only encountered the Chicago variety at Chicago-style eatery in Portland that makes a pretty good Italian beef sandwich. When Iā€™ve made Italian beef at home (which I only do in the slow cooker or Instant Pot because I canā€™t oven-roast and thin-slice a bottom round to save my life), I make my giardiniera by taking a large jar of the Mezzetta giardiniera, pouring about half of the brine, chopping it up into tiny bits, then adding some similarly chopped cocktail onions, Castelvetrano olives, pepperoncinis, and roasted red peppers (which invariably also all end up being Mezzetta brand), then packing it back into the giardiniera jar with a mix of the brine from all of the other jars, and letting it sit in the fridge for about 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014/72 "2021-07-28T15:42:50Z")
_Giardiniera_ _Guajira Giardiniera_ _Giardiniera_ _Guajira Giardiniera_ _I am an honest man_ _and when I say I want everything_ _I mean JalapeƱos too_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-subways-refresh-initiative/947014.md?page=3)