SECRET SANDWICH: The New Luther
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
This weekend, my Sunday morning was spent taking full advantage of the extra hour of sleep from daylight savings, lounging in my pajamas, and browsing food blogs. It was a perfect lazy Sunday morning with my mind at pure peace — until I stumbled upon a page of the Number One New Sandwich in the U.S.: a hidden, off-menu sandwich at D.C.’s ChurchKey, made of fried chicken and applewood smoked bacon between a sliced house-made glazed donut with maple-bacon jus and candied pecans, apparently available only on Sundays from noon to 8 p.m., with only 30 available throughout the one day. And it happened to be that day.
The picture and description had me instantly drooling as excitement and anxiety shot through my mind. I glanced at the clock — 12:02 p.m. — and thought, I HAVE to have the Luther!
In 10 minutes, I was walking out the door. I called ChurchKey and the chipper voice on the other end of the phone confirmed that they had just opened at 12 and yes, the Luther was being served, but only 30 would be available throughout the day. I figured I had a decent shot and my determination grew stronger.
At about 12:30 p.m. I was seated in a booth at ChurchKey with my boyfriend, along with only a handful of other brunch-goers. When the waiter brought us our menus, we immediately told him we’d like to have one New Luther, to split, and luckily, he nodded and replied, “You got it.”
- The New Luther, in all its glory.
This secret sandwich was everything I had built it up to be in such a short amount of time since discovering it. A sticky, sweet glazed donut with the juiciest, most tender yet crispy fried chicken inside. Sweet and savory at their best. And great texture from the crisp and crunch of the chicken and the doughy softness of the donut. I licked my fingers dry and picked up every last bit of maple-soaked pecans and bacon crisps that were left on the plate.
An inside view...I know gluttony and heaven don’t typically go hand-in-hand, but can I beg to differ?
The New Luther was possibly the single most gluttonous item I’ve ever experienced. In the best possible way.
For those of you who also want to be inducted into the secret sandwich society, ChurchKey is located at 1337 14th St. N.W., D.C.
-Julia Harbo
Tags: ChurchKey, D.C., Gut Check, julia harbo, Kyle Bailey, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, the new luther