Let’s talk about sandwiches.
I don’t know if it’s been the cold weather lately or the kale bender I’ve been rocking the last month (kale salad! kale as pasta! kale burgers!) but all I want right now is sandwiches. Delicious things in between crusty, fluffy bread. Straight and to the point. So that’s what I have done, Friday through Sunday. Sandwich city.
And lucky for us, Chicago has never ending options of almost anything. Here is my roundup of sandwich glory:
JP Graziano (West Loop): Let me count the ways I love this Italian grocery. 1- this place is the real deal. JP Graziano’s isn’t trying to be authentic, it is authentic- it’s been in business for over 75 years, specializing in high-end Italian meats and cheeses and still feels like the old school Chicago operation the founder who emigrated from Sicily dreamed up. 2- the sandwiches are made to order, with each ingredient being sliced seconds after you make your decision so fresh is an understatement. The veggie sub with roasted eggplant nearly changed my life and the dudes sitting behind me on the cute little outside patio were losing their minds over the Mr. G (provolone, prosciutto, salami & soppresata). A thousand thumbs up.
The Butcher’s Tap (Lakeview): This space was originally a butcher’s shop so it’s return to locally sourced, fresh from the farm, non-processed deli meats and cheeses makes sense. You can build your own or choose from their specialty sandwiches…and let me tell you, my husband and I have done the legwork, none of them are bad. Simple, good food…and the 80 beers on tap aren’t bad either.
Dinkel’s (Lakeview): To complete my weekend trifecta, I headed to Dinkel’s for a breakfast sammie. This is the only place possibly in the world where I don’t mind waiting in line. Everyone is so friendly and happy to be loading up on donuts/cakes/cookies and they play music that reminds me of what it must have been like when Dinkel’s opened in 1922 so it’s generally a really pleasant time. The hidden gem in this place is their cafe; egg sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, all on Dinkel’s wide variety of amazing bread, made-to-order in a little back kitchen. I went for the veggie baker’s sunrise (white cheddar, avocado, spinach, egg and pesto on six grain bread). Now I can safely say I love everything about this place.
Honorable mentions:
If there was more time or more stomach space this weekend, I also would have paid homage to Xoco for a torta, Panes for the Turkey Turkey (my goodness, that tomato bread) and The Corned Beef Factory to get my husband, well, corned beef and some honey drizzled donuts puff for me…
{Ed. note: working late in the office tonight, Jimmy John’s was procured. Because sometimes, you just need a sandwich. Fast.}