Lunch Tuesday: California Sandwiches

I spent the weekend at an out-of-town wedding (fish and chips on the road for lunch, Italian for dinner, a second dinner of crustless sandwiches and cake at 9:30pm, and breakfast at the Holiday Inn) and capped off the fast food festivities with an 85th birthday dinner on Sunday that included both fettucine alfredo and Baskin Robbins.

I thought I would start the week with a craving for something light, that I would wake up on Monday desiring something fresh and green and not too filling.

I ended up at California Sandwiches (244 Claremont St.). Normally, I would get the veal ($7.75). Who wouldn’t?  Maybe with some eggplant ($2 extra) and hot peppers (free), and a can of Brio.

But you know, I ate a lot this weekend. So I just got the vegetarian ($4.50), with sweet ($1) and hot peppers. I didn’t even get a Coke slurpee from the nearby 7-Eleven, which is what I drink when I tell people I ordered a can of Brio.

The sloppy, sauce-covered sandwich – one of the joys of California Sandwiches is the open window into the kitchen, where you can watch the cooks ladle tomato sauce straight from the pot on to your bun – came piled high with onions, mushrooms, cheese and the aforementioned peppers.

It’s easily the size of my hand with all my fingers stretched out and each half – you have to ask them to cut it, and I recommend that you do – required both palms to lift.

It was worth every messy bite.

I took the sandwich back to work and everyone who walked by my desk that afternoon didn’t even ask where I had gone for lunch. They just nodded in appreciation.

Those same co-workers also made short work of the side of olives ($3). The container disappeared from my desk in less than five minutes.