SUNDAY, MARCH 24 2013: FOUR SANDWICH BATTLES ON THE DOCKET >>>

Sure, most of us look at lunch as an excuse to escape the desk for an hour (or two), unwind with friends and talk smack about everyone else at the office. But to many South Sounders, lunch is the most important meal of the day. This is when deals are well done, potential employees are informally grilled and the dirtiest dirt is dished from the backroom to the boardroom. Have your people call our people.

Of course the sandwich is the star of most lunches, as well as this year's Weekly Volcano food tournament. We have the results from yesterday's games and a preview of today's matches. Be sure to vote for the four sandwiches below.

Yesterday's Results

Game 1: Tempeh Reuben (Darby's Café, 211 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia) vs. Mushroom Panini (Toscanos Café and Wine Bar, 437 29^th St. NE, Puyallup)

Darby's Cafe turned out the troops to propel it into the next round of the tournament, despite Toscanos Cafe's exceptional Mushroom Panini. Darby's wall of hot sauces, shelves full of Wizard of Oz memorabilia and a starring role on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives could have been factors against the Puyallup Italian bistro. With 51.5 percent of the vote, the Tempeh Reuben moves on.

Game 2: Beet & Blue (1022 South, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma) vs. Tempeh Reuben (Wally's Sandwich Bar, 2106 Harrison Ave. NW, Olympia)

Tacoma loves 1022 South. Where else can you drink craft cocktails and discuss fermentation yeasts and ice density? So it's a bit of a surprise that Wally's sandwich Bar with its boxed lunches and build your own option lost by only three votes to the Hilltop Tacoma lounge. However, Wally's has "Sandwich" in its name and creates crazy good sandwiches so you knew the race was going to be tight, which it was. The fancy Beet & Blue moves on to the Second Round to face Darby's Tempeh Reuben on March 30.

Game 3: The Comanche (Rock The Dock Pub & Grill, 535 Dock St., Tacoma) vs. Southwest Chicken Sandwich (Loose Wheel Bar & Grill, 6108 Sixth Ave., Tacoma)

Rock The Dock's Comanche put the hurt on Loose Wheel capturing 61.4 percent of the votes. Inside, Rock The Dock doesn't have the fancy giant wall of pull tabs or the hundreds of televisions found inside the Loose Wheel. However, The Comanche with its grilled chicken breast and zesty white sauce is a beautiful thing.

Game 4: Mom's Sloppy Joe (Crockett's Public House, 118 E. Stewart Ave., Puyallup) vs. Ancho BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (Masa, 2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma)

A trend has emerged in the Tournament of Sandwiches. Guy Fieri. If the host of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives visits drops in on South Sound restaurant, the restaurant and its sandwich has emerged victorious in this food tournament. Yesterday, the trend continued as Crockett's Public House and its Mom's Sloppy Joe edged out Masa's pulled pork sandwich by four votes. Masa will have the last laugh when hordes show up for the Tournament of Sandwiches Championship Party Monday, April 8 and drink loads of margaritas.

Stick a toothpick in them! The following are advancing to the next round:

• Darby's Cafe's Tempeh Reuben
• 1022 South's Beet & Blue
• Rock The Dock's The Comanche
• Crockett's Public House's Mom's Sloppy Joe
  

The daily sandwich battles here on Spew are sponsored by Subway in Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway and Lakewood.

OK, let's check out today's First Round sandwich battles. Vote for one sandwich per battle. Voting for today's sandwich battles ends at 11:45 p.m.