Potbellied

Out of nowhere, NYC acquired four Potbelly Sandwich Shops, with a fifth on the way.  From the day the "coming soon" signs were plastered on storefront windows, I could hear a constant buzz around the city.  The name alone intrigued me, but my excitement was put on hold when I saw the menu.  This did not look like anything special.  There are just a few sandwiches available and none of them have funky ingredients like avocado.  How boring. 

Nonetheless, I couldn't shake the constant prattling I heard from Chicago transplants who seem to have lived on this stuff alone.  Today I decided to go with an office buddy to the nearby Rock Center location to see what I have apparently been missing.  The line was astounding, but it moved incredibly fast so it wasn't long before I was up at the counter, ordering my Italian (capicola, mortadella, peperoni, salami, and provolone).  The bread to meat ratio is good and aided by their toasting the bread.  Much better than Subway, which seems to be all carb, no meat.  There are a bunch of toppings to choose from that are different and in some cases better than at a normal sandwich place.  I recommend the hot peppers as they are crunchy and go beyond a plain jalapeno. 

I'm not sure what it is, but I am now a Potbelly fan.  It could have been the toasted bread, hot peppers, or reasonable price of $6, but I enjoyed it.  Best sandwich ever?  No, but when it comes to no-frills 'wiches, I'm glad Potbelly has stood up to Subway.