Bread is Pain

When I saw the location was under construction, I had my doubts. The name, for one, is ridiculous. This particular location on Atwater has a poorly distinguished entrance from Nickel’s, which is a restaurant I would really rather never even step foot in again. It’s with much luck that I even ended up inside to begin with. I was pleasantly surprised.

Greeted by brown bag order forms, lottery pencils and a multi-panel menu, we tried to make a selection. Each category – salad, pizza or sandwich – comes with its own corresponding bag. The method seems simple enough, though wholly unnecessary. I end up grabbing several bags before I find the sandwich category, check off the box for the Cuban sandwich ($7.99) and write down my name. Shannon orders the vegetarian pizza ($6.99). We both add jalapeno peppers for an additional 30 cents. Provolone, roasted zucchini, eggplant, onions and red peppers are among other additions, that sit easy for little more than a quarter each. Every sandwich sits around the $7-8 mark and is baked in a “fire brick” oven. This puts Sacwich in a category similar to Quizno’s, which is something that I appreciate, preferring the flavor of baked sandwiches.

At the till, after submitting our brown bags, we’re confronted with more decisions: dessert, drinks and combo options. I decide to get the combo, sampling a multi-bean salad that looked quite appetizing. I also get a beer ($4.49). Shannon decides on the nutella tiramisu ($3.99) and gets a diet Pepsi ($2.49). I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen such an accessible cooler that has Bud Light next to Diet Coke for anyone to reach.

We sit on the patio while waiting for our food to be prepared. The wait isn’t exactly comparable to typical fast food, but it’s definitely quicker than a restaurant. In my opinion, the wait is worth it, though I can see it being tedious on a busy workday lunch. The bean salad I consume while waiting certainly looked more appealing behind the counter, being rather plain and bound by a sludge of dressing typically found in canned legumes.

The owner comes by and, somehow mispronouncing my name, hands us our meals. The “batta pizzas” offered are simply open-faced ciabatta sandwiches. This definition of pizza seems to be nearly exclusive to Sacwich, and while it was certainly good, it is hardly an appropriate moniker. The Cuban sandwich was quite impressive. For fast food, the chicken was extremely moist and succulent, and tasted more truly like a grilled chicken breast than compressed chicken meat bound by starch, salt and “grill flavor”. Hands down there is no comparison between this and your usual sandwich shop fare in that department. Aioli and basil is a nice touch, with Gouda, romaine, tomatoes and bacon making up the rest. The ciabatta is surprisingly satisfying and altogether filling without feeling heavy like eating a 12″ submarine. Certainly this is not a true Cuban sandwich by any means, but quite delicious nonetheless.

As we sit and enjoy the weather while waiting for show time, the owner comes by around again and offers us a free espresso. I accept graciously and am truly surprised at its quality. It is a nice complimentary touch and certainly one of many attributes that could win over new customers. While there are plenty of good places to grab a quick bite when at the Scotiabank Place Cineplex, I haven’t really had much luck around the AMC Forum 22. Now that Sacwich has opened in Place Alexis Nihon, there’s no need to worry.