Hot dog carts and fast-food fare have nothing on the new generation of urban sandwich artists who are popping up around the Bank Street business core. These eco-conscious, independent, food-loving entrepreneurs believe in creative and healthy fare to inspire the appetites of time-pressed cubicle dwellers. All four contenders advertise their use of local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and all offer a unique, fresh take on the humble sandwich.
| The Place |
The People |
The Sandwich |
The Art |
The Experience |
The Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowich 155 Bank St. 613-695-8828 bowich.ca |
Samantha Hall, who co-owns Bowich with her brother, Gavin Hall, makes everything from scratch each day. | The lemon-rosemary braised artichoke heart and ricotta sandwich, made to order and grilled on a panini press, is a marvel of creativity and great flavour. The kicker is homemade pine nut and currant relish and tangy sourdough bread. Amazing. Cost: $11 |
Love that the sandwich is cut in three sections, each individually wrapped with a sleeve of parchment paper for easy, mess-free eating at your desk or on the go. All tucked into a cute cardboard box with room for a tiny salad with lemony vinaigrette. |
Slow food — prepared slowly. Better for those who are not in a rush: everything is made to order. Funky modern furniture makes this adorable space a cool place to lounge. | Sandwiches here are top-notch, made from superior ingredients that are thoughtfully prepared. More like what you’d get at a gastropub than a café (with prices to match). The place to go for a lunchtime splurge. |
| Bread & Sons Bakery 195 Bank St. 613-230-5302 |
Yoav and Karen D’Vaja challenge clichés by combining hippie sensibilities with a passion for good eating. | The Heavenly Havarti Sandwich — aka the Simple Sandwich — with cucumber, tomatoes, sprouts, red onion, and homemade rustic roasted sunflower seed and olive tapenade on fresh slices of sourdough bread. Cost: $5.75 | Simple can be deceiving. This homely cheese sandwich really satisfies, with delightfully fresh, clean flavours — each ingredient sings. Bread is, of course, baked fresh in-house. | Grab and go. Everything is ready-made but fresh as can be. You can browse various veggie pizza slices, breads, pastries, and sweets and help yourself before heading to the cash. Tiny eat-in counter, but mostly takeout. | Proof that veggie sandwiches don’t have to taste like toppings and that really fine bread makes the sandwich. This is a good-value lunch that makes you feel good. |
| Grounded 100 Gloucester St. 613-567-1234 |
Pals and partners Amir Rahim and Gabriel Pollock say they set out to raise the bar on the uninspiring sandwich/salad /soup scene. |
The California club boasts roasted chicken breast, double-smoked bacon, tomato, avocado, and homemade roasted red pepper aïoli — everything gets almost sealed inside the crunchy bun once it’s grilled on the panini press. Cost: $8 | Attention to detail. Everything is made to order. Love that they sprinkle the warm panini with a touch of coarse sea salt. Menu printed on adorable takeout brown bags. Great coffee too. Homemade soups and desserts. | Large open kitchen lets you watch the cooks at work. Baskets of produce on display give it a market-fresh feel. Fun, artsy, funky decor is created out of a mishmash of reclaimed materials. A groovy downtown oasis. | Would have liked some grill flavour to boost the bland chicken, but it is tender and makes a fine canvas for this upscale club. Curious to return for the popular $10 daily hot homemade lunch special. |
| Lunch 121 Bank St. (two other locations nearby) 613-216-5431 thinklunch.ca |
Co-owners Timothy Van Dyke and David Tugwell borrow the UK model of grab-and-go local, eco-friendly lunches. | The Cuban Chicken is served ready-made from a temperature-controlled cabinet. Free-range, organic, grain-fed chicken breast, sliced into pieces, is marinated in lime and pepper and topped with corn-tomato-black bean salsa. All of it wrapped in a warm whole wheat tortilla. Cost: $6.45 | No gloppy sauces and a light hand with seasoning keep this healthy-tasting squishy-soft burrito-style sandwich very light. Feels more like fuel than something you’ll need to sleep off at your desk later. | Sandwich options are separated into hot and cold sides. All ready-made but with the option of white or wheat for the wrap. Funky, friendly neighbourhood café vibe with tall window seating upstairs. Serious coffee and loose-leaf teas available. | Quick, healthy, and satisfying, but nothing memorable about the Cuban Chicken sandwich — apparently one of the most popular. Overall, it’s the least inspiring of the bunch, but still a huge notch up from fast food. |