Chain Gang #3

Because of what some have started to call "Stormageddon" here in the northeastern US this February, I have found myself stuck at the Hampton Inn next to the Philadelphia airport for two days to end out this week. The hotel has no restaurant, of course, and the only thing within walking distance is the Ruby Tuesday next door.

Now, I haven't been to a Ruby Tuesday restaurant in a while and may have just missed the memo about their improved menu, but I'm guessing, instead, the cooks at this location must have just been on-the-ball today. There wasn't a shift change between my lunch and dinner visits, so I couldn't tell if that was a factor. For lunch, I had a turkey and avocado sandwich on a delicious pretzel bun. The chunk of turkey they gave me was grilled to perfection with some amazingly scrumptious seasoning. The warm avocado topped it off for a very surprising experience.

Image courtesy RubyTuesday.com

Dinner started out with a Sam Adams seasonal ale, which just so happened to go very well with the Chicken Fresco entree.

Chicken Fresco
A fresh, all-natural grilled chicken breast topped with vine-ripened tomatoes, lemon-butter sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. With steamed broccoli and white cheddar mashed potatoes.

The chicken was grilled right on the outside and incredibly moist on the inside, the balsamic vinaigrette had that certain sharp taste that seemed to mix perfectly with the beer, the steamed broccoli couldn't have been cooked better, and the mashed potatoes...what I would give to have some more of those mashed potatoes!! Absolutely brilliant, all around.

If you find yourself in the area, especially if you're snowed in with nowhere better to go, I hope you get a chance to experience this food at its best.

P.S. Skip dessert; my Blondie for 1 came with partially-melted ice cream and a slice of brownie cake that was burnt on the inside from whatever microwave they used to heat it with.

It's All in What You Order

Today was a case in point in knowing what to order. I got off my plane in Philly knowing that I was hungry and craving Pizza but if I go for the full cheesy, meaty, greasy Sabaro slice it’s never a happy ending. I walked up, fully expecting to pop a tums on my connecting flight, and saw it: a veggie pizza of my dreams. Broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, peppers... all on top of the fluffy yet greasy and crunchy crust that I was craving. I won’t kid myself that it was healthy, or that I should put my antacids away, but damn if it wasn’t a decent compromise.

And isn’t that what we’re looking for so much of the time? The option that isn’t going to stick in your gut, that’s going to give you a couple of vitamins, yet will fill that comfort food need that traveling brings out in even the best of us.

Chain Gang #1: Potbelly

Yeahyeahyeah, chainsarethedevil.com, but I thought this might be a good time to expound upon my love for certain restaurants with multiple locations scattered across the United States. And I thought we might cleverly call the series the Chain Gang. OMGPUNZ! So here is entry #1:


Inspired by AH's gentle nudge, I'm going to debut on the PM food blog with a post about my favorite sub shop in the entire universe, Potbelly Sandwich Works (which I incorrectly refer to in the possessive as Potbelly's, just like grandma used to do). The first restaurant started out as an antique shop on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, and since 2003, Potbelly's has been adding locations both in and outside of Chicagoland. According to their website, the PB's empire currently reaches 12 states and one national capitol.

Anyway, ABOUT the FOOD. Potbelly subs (and acoutrement) are so good, I have been known to drive as many as 30 miles out of the way when a craving hits. Most of the subs are served hot (don't worry, this is no Quizno's, which I loathe and is a whole 'nother story), but a few, like the PBJ and chicken salad, are cold. My favorite is the classic Turkey Breast served with melted swiss, but the perennial favorite, especially for MEAT-LOVIN' MEN, is the Wreck, with salami, roast beef, turkey and ham. They've also got an I-talian with mortadella, capicola, pepperoni and salami. All of it is sliced nice and thin and positively LOADED on the yummy, fresh-baked bread. PB's has only got a few veggie options (including the aforementioned PBJ, which is not just for kids), but those they do offer are d-lish-us, just like the rest of the menu.

Ok, so we've got our meat, and bread (I recommend wheat for the road, of course, for regularity), which is all hunky dory but this kinda sounds like 'Bway, right? So, devastatingly wrong. The thing that sets Potbellies apart are the mmm mmm good fixins that complete your scrumptious sando (I know, right, why aren't I writing ad copy for a living????). Of course, you can choose from the classic lettuce/tomato/onion/pickle/mayo/mustard/oil/vinegar/seasoning, but I heartily recommend the hot pepper mix that keeps me coming back and back and back and back. OMG! They are so good! It's basically a mixture of carrots, cauliflower, red peppers and jalepenos that are more or less "pickled" to make the sandwich pretty darn spicy. But something about this mixture brings out the flavors of the individual elements of your sandwich more than mask them like plain jalepenos tend to do. So pretty much Annie+hot peppers=LURVE.
***WARNING: if you have tastebuds like a baby, these might be too hot. If I were to rate them on a scale of 1 to 7, I'd give them a 6***

BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE! In addition to amazing sandwiches and pretty darn good salads (with unconventionalforfastfood yet tasty toppings like artichoke hearts and chick peas), PB's also has to-DIE-for desserts. Think hand-dipped shakes and malts (whuzzat? asked one of my Seattleite friends in college...drinkable Whoppers, I told her) and delectable almost-raw oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I love these cookies so much, I made the cashier bake a little of the next day's dough when they had run out yesterday. I'll wait, I said. They're almost raw anyways.

So there you have it: America's best sandwiches, accompanied by America's best cookies, all for the low price of under $10.