Location: 827 Landsdowne Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://donnas.ca/

Yep, another sandwich from Toronto Life’s top 25.  Another damn good one, too, so clearly this list is not to be trifled with.  These sandwiches aren’t kidding around.

Donna’s serves a roast beef sandwich that’s topped with parsnip, horseradish sauce, crispy fried onions (or shallots?), and watercress.  As per Toronto Life, the meat is marinated in beef fat and honey.  It’s superb.

The sandwich is awash with flavour, but everything works so well together — it never feels too assertive or busy.  First and foremost is the very healthy pile of thinly-sliced roast beef.  It’s beefy, tender, and just a little bit sweet from the honey.  It’s great.

The horseradish sauce is creamy and zingy, with a nice even burn that makes its presence known, but doesn’t overwhelm.  The parsnip is kind of ingenious.  It’s thinly sliced, and on first glance it looks like cheese.  But it’s soft and creamy, and adds a bit of a starchy heft.

It’s all on a soft, fresh, slightly chewy roll that compliments it perfectly.  Toronto Life calls it the fifth best sandwich in the city; that sounds about right to me.  It’s really, really good.