Potbelly Sandwich Works

Potbelly Sandwich Works: Irving, TX

Potbelly (aptly named) is a nice, homely kind of place to grab a quick lunch on a weekday, or to go to for an idyllic one on weekends. They offer really good sandwiches, salads, soups and smoothies. The sandwiches are made fresh with good portions of meat; though the vegetarian sandwich is pretty good too. Shakes / Malts / Smoothies are heavenly and very satisfying in the searing Dallas heat.

Fortunately there's not a cornucopia of choice, which always confuses me. The method is quite simple. Select your sandwich, select your shake, enjoy.

Food: **** Ambiance: ** Price: $$
Last visited: mid 2008

Sunrise Cafe

Sunrise Cafe - Mira Mesa, San Diego

Sunrise Cafe is a small cafe located in a strip mall very near the Qualcomm offices in Mira Mesa. They serve coffee, bagels, sandwiches etc. The main draw is without doubt their Gyro. I kept dreaming about having Gyros from Sunrise cafe months after I had left San Diego. They are that good. The meat - even though I am sure they order it and don’t prepare it themselves - is amazing, the pita is darn good and the cucumber sauce that comes with it is among the best.

The cafe has limited seating .. probably just enough for 10-12 people, but theres additional seating outside - and being San Diego you can sit out all year through. The coffees are good and they offer some good flavourful concoctions. Among pizza - theres a limited variety but somehow it appears healthy (though pizza and healthy don’t really go together). There are other items available but I used to have the Gyros every time I would visit the place .. so I have no idea how they taste. But other patrons always seemed happy so I guess they must be good too. I have spent a few long lunches there .. chatting with friends or reading the magazines which are surprisingly current and also include Time and Newsweek.

Go on Tuesdays - thats when the Gyros are for 5 bucks in the lunch special.

Food: **** Ambiance: * (its a cafe after all) Price: $
Last visited: mid-2006

Erik's Deli

Erik’s Deli - Sunnyvale

Erik’s Deli has more than a few locations across the Bay Area and yet it manages to give you that ‘family-owned’ kind of atmosphere. First up - this Deli is all about sandwiches. They are sumptuous! I was introduced to this gem by a colleague on the first day of my job in the Bay Area. I have been a fan since. Needless to say its packed during lunchhour.

They offer a variety of sandwiches [$5 - 6] - veg, chicken, turkey, beef. My personal favourites are the ‘Turkey walnut pesto’ and the Thanksgiving special .. with cranberry sauce. A very memorable evening spent in the Muir woods with a bag of Thanksgiving special sandwiches and a bottle of wine comes to mind. The salads and soups are worth trying. Erik also offers combos - the half s/w combo and the square meal .. pretty good stuff for the money.

Erik’s Deli
Food: **** Ambiance: *** Price: $$
Last Visited: Early 2007.