The Publix Sub

There are a number of things I really miss in the South: Manuel's Tavern, the Starlight Drive In, Athens and my extended Athens-ATL group of friends, real barbeque, Athens Penal League. Somewhere in that list, though, lies that staple of countless evenings that followed long workdays and/or accompanied extended time on the couch for a baseball game, the Publix sub. I really miss the Publix sub. I haven't found anything like it out here. In fact, I didn't really find anything like it back home.
There's something about the interaction of that just dense enough sub roll with the right amount of meat and a disciplined amount of toppings that can sometimes blow the authentic panini or the Caliente Cab cuban completely out of the water. When I first tried the Publix sub I did it the wrong way. For whatever reason, I tried to completely weigh it down with a mound everything offered as a topping: lettuce, tomato, onion, three types of peppers, olives, salt, pepper, drowned in olive oil and vinegar, blah, blah, blah. And you know what? It tasted exactly like that, a big mound of everything, or maybe a big mound of nothing.
Somewhere along the way I discovered, as with pizza, that discretion can be good. From here on out I did it the right way: turkey and ham with provolone or swiss, topped with black olives, green peppers, banana peppers, scattered jalapenos, light mayo, heavy spicy mustard, oregano, onion, a few pickles, and (maybe) light olive oil...no lettuce to soften up the bread and mush into a pulp, no tomato to distract from the interplay of the flavors and textures of the other ingredients. WOW! There I found MY sandwich. And there I plan on finding my sandwich at some point next Thanksgiving when I return to visit. For all the tacquerias, sushi spots, Thai Elvises, and dumpling houses in LA, there's still no Publix sub.