Double Stuffed Turkey Sandwich from 7-Eleven

Item Purchased: Double Stuffed Turkey Sandwich from 7-Eleven
Location Purchased: 7-Eleven / 1350 S. Halsted / Chicago, IL
Price: $3.59 + tax

Review: Much like the 7-Eleven Smoked Turkey & Jack Cheese Sandwich I have eaten more times than I would like to admit, this sandwich boasts whole wheat bread and a lot of turkey. As an added bonus, there is no turning lettuce drooped on top of the fixin's. Since it was nowhere to be found in the product description, I also thought there was no mayonnaise on this sandwich. Unfortunately, squeezed between the off-yellow (almost beige) cheese product and the mounds of deli sliced turkey, there was a bit of normal 'naise. Yuck.

7-Eleven has packets of ketchup, packets of mustard, packets of relish... and packets of mayonnaise at their condiment bar. Why can't they just leave the damn stuff off of their sandwiches? Not everyone likes egg yolk gunk on their sandwiches. (of course, if I had it my way, they could leave off that disgusting cheese-like-substance too).

I'm nitpicking though. This sandwich is mostly bread and turkey. For a budget lunch, this isn't too bad.

Just be sure to grab a handful of mustard packets on your way out.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

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Primo Panini from Massa Cafe

Item Purchased: Primo Panini from Massa Cafe

Location Purchased: Massa Italian Cafe / 807 W. Roosevelt Rd. / Chicago, IL
Price: $6.59 + tax

Review: Grilled panini bread. Check. Tender grilled chicken. Check. Crispy bacon. Check. Fresh avocado. Check. Swiss cheese. Check. Warm and soggy lettuce. Che... What the hell?

Everything was going so well with this sandwich until I realized that Massa heated up the lettuce along with everything else, reducing it to the consistency and texture of a re-used tissue. Note to Massa: heating up lettuce is only okay some of the time, but not usually on a sandwich.

Everything else about this sandwich is great. The fresh avocado tastes like a nature made guacamole and the combination of bacon and chicken (strike that... the combination of bacon and anything) makes any sandwich better.

With every sandwich purchase at Massa, you receive a free bag of Vitner's potato chips. Vitner's brand chips are neither here nor there. They taste like any other potato snack product. Their mascot, however, is something to be pondered. Named Vinnie, the Vitner's mascot is on the front of every bag of chips. He is pictured as a cool saxophone player with sunglasses on. Out of the horn of Vinnie's saxophone flow five potato chips. Now, I'm sure Vitner's designer meant for the potato chips to represent musical notes, but I can't help but think of them as something else. See, Vinnie is, himself, an anthropomorphic bag of potato chips. With puffed cheeks and eyes hidden behind his large sunglasses, it looks as if Vinnie is vomiting into his saxophone and spraying his potato innards all over the place. I may have a perverse mind, but my friend Josh views Vitner's Vinnie in the same way, so you can't use this as evidence.

Fortunately, eating Vitner's potato chips doesn't elicit the same response from me.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

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Breakfast Sandwich from Bridgeport Coffee House

Item Purchased: Breakfast Sandwich from Bridgeport Coffee House
Location Purchased: Bridgeport Coffee House / 3101 S. Morgan St. / Chicago, IL
Price: $3.25 + tax

Review: I live equidistant from Bridgeport Coffee House and a Dunkin' Donuts. Those of you who have read the site for a while may remember that I was somewhat addicted to DD's Breakfast Sandwiches, but when given the choice, I'd take this handmade creation any day. Though similar, the ingredients used at Bridgeport Coffee House are not kept in single-wrap modules and filed in drawers, but in refrigerators and on the counter like they would be in your kitchen (well, maybe not your kitchen... I see that ramen cupboard). You get to choose from four types of cheeses, three types of bagels and a plethora of toppings for your sandwich. I chose cheddar, bacon, eggs and tomatoes for mine. Like Dunkin' Donuts, the sandwich is microwaved to warm it up, but Bridgeport Coffee House takes the time and care to put the tomatoes on after the nuking. This small step gives this inexpensive sandwich a fresh taste that is rare in the convenience breakfast sandwich world.

I'm not sure where else I can score a fresh and tasty breakfast for $5.00 in Chicago. I'm not sure I need to worry about it, though. I'm just a short walk from this great neighborhood cafe, and I like it that way.

Rating: 4.25 / 5

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