Santorini Sandwich from Pastoral
Item Purchased: Santorini Sandwich
Location Purchased: Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine / 53 E. Lake St. / Chicago, IL
Price: $6.99 + tax
Purchased on: 10/02/08
Review: Though one sandwich from the Chicago Loop’s neighborhood wine shop/bakery was a bit of a disappointment, I left room for improvement by ordering a second sandwich for my girlfriend and I to try. Though a rampant omnivore, I have a very large soft spot in my heart (and stomach) for vegetarian fare, which prompted this choice.
Created atop a perfectly crusty Bennison’s baguette, this sandwich containes the standard ingredients of a veggie deli sandwich. Greens, tomato, cucumber, red pepper and field greens topped with a well balanced red wine vinaigrette lays the foundation. Nothing special yet. Amazing feta cheese with an almost creamy consistency gives the Santorini an edge, but the true show stopper has to be the black olive tapenade. I’m not sure if Pastoral mixes and mushes their olives and capers in house (and if the menu didn’t say vegetarian, I’d swear that there were anchovies in there), but the balance and bite are fantastic.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a vegetarian sandwich that contained tapenade, due to the common inclusion of little salty fish, but Pastoral’s Santorini sandwich may just make me spend more time in the Loop “neighborhood.” Yes, $6.99 is a bit pricey for a bunch of vegetables on bread, but pretty standard for this part of the city.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
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