G Sandwich, Wood-Roasted Meat Sandwiches by the Owners of Kapnos in 14 UP

[LauraB]

I stopped into G Sandwich today to pick up lunch.  This is the new sandwich shop by day/tasting menu by night/gravy menu on Sunday nights place that Mike Isabella has just opened next door to his Greek restaurant Kapnos.  I arrived shortly after they opened at 11:00 and was among the first to order.  I waited maybe 10 minutes for my order to be ready.  In that time I determined that I was quite glad that I was ordering take-out and not planning to eat in the restaurant.  The music was deafening -- I can't imagine trying to carry on a conversation. 
 
It took me 15 minutes to walk home and the food did not seem to have suffered at all in the interim.  We both loved our sandwiches.  He had the Cubano Panino (pork collar, swiss, pickles, prosciutto cotto, yellow mustard); I had the Spring Lamb (tzatziki, romaine, pickled onion, dill).  The lamb sandwich was served gyro-style, but the amount of the filling was such that it would have been extremely messy to eat that way, so I used a knife and fork.  All of the roasted meats used at G are cooked at Kapnos, and it showed.  That lamb was so succulent!  It may have been a bit fattier than I would prefer, but wow, that fat was tasty!  The other ingredients provided nice complimentary flavors and the dill really stood out, but in a good way.  My husband loved his Cubano and that's saying something since he is a bit of a Cuban sandwich snob, having spent a lot of time in Miami.  I'm not saying that this is an authentic Cuban sandwich, just that someone who's pretty picky about that genre endorsed it. 
 
In addition to the 12 different kinds of sandwiches they make, G also offers 8 marinated vegetable sides, 4 salads, 2 soups, sweets, house-made sodas and iced teas and a small list of alcoholic beverages, including 4 beers, 2 wines and 2 cocktails. 
 
We've been eating a lot of carry-out foods in the past 10 days, as we moved and are still living in chaos.  During this time we have also had sandwiches from SundeVich and Taylor Gourmet.  I have to say that after this one experience, I'd rank G above both of these: way above Taylor and somewhat above SundeVich.  It may not be fair to compare after just one visit, but when I'm looking for my next sandwich, I'm going to G.

[Night Owl]

Was here yesterday for a late lunch -- we got the lamb sandwich (photo) and the roasted suckling pig sandwich. Like LauraB, I found the lamb sandwich challenging to eat by hand, but did it anyway. Juicy and warm against the crunchy, cool veg and yogurt dressing, very nice. But I found the lamb itself too salty (and I love salt). I had a taste of the roasted suckling pig sandwich, which was really delicious -- the apple in there is lovely with it. The cooked greens in it made a clean bite a little challenging, but overall a great combination of flavors.

We sat at the counter, so I watched the sandwiches being made. The chicken parm looks slammin'. Maybe since we were there later (around 1:30/2p), I didn't notice a noise problem. Overall a good experience. Worth checking out.

[DonRocks]

[i'm initializing G Sandwich in Italic based on the strength of your two reviews.]

[Night Owl]

He had the Cubano Panino (pork collar, swiss, pickles, prosciutto cotto, yellow mustard)

LauraB, did his Cubano have chicharrones in it? Mike Isabella gave us a sneak taste of the chicharrones when we were at Kapnos the day G opened and they were amazing. I asked him last night where they were on the G menu because I didn't see it on there, and he said the chicharrones are in the Cubano, just not listed on the menu. Seems like kind of an odd concept because wouldn't they not stay as crispy? Would love to just eat them on the side...

p.s. You and I have probably been at the same restaurants at the same time since we both live in the same 'hood!

[LauraB]

LauraB, did his Cubano have chicharrones in it? Mike Isabella gave us a sneak taste of the chicharrones when we were at Kapnos the day G opened and they were amazing. I asked him last night where they were on the G menu because I didn't see it on there, and he said the chicharrones are in the Cubano, just not listed on the menu. Seems like kind of an odd concept because wouldn't they not stay as crispy? Would love to just eat them on the side...

p.s. You and I have probably been at the same restaurants at the same time since we both live in the same 'hood!

Night Owl, my husband says he doesn't remember.    I did not have a bite or peer inside, so I can't say either.

Yes, I've noticed that you and I seem to be making the rounds of the same restaurants!

[KeithA]

I stopped by and tried this place for the first time today for lunch. I had the wood-roasted goat sandwich and found it to be pretty good, but in need of some tweaking to be great. The menu's description says roasted goat, harissa, lemon potatos, and oregano.  In fact, the harissa is more of a mayo spiked with mildly spicy harissa and my sandwich also had pickled onions (delicious - but I love onions) and fresh herbs (parsley, mint, and dill - see Night Owl's picture of the lamb sandwich).  First, the bread was very good - nice large sesame studded sub roll which looks like they use for many of the sandwiches except the lamb which apparently is on pita (see comments above). The ingredients were super fresh and definitely given a lot of thought.

As for the tweaks (and yes I'm being picky): maybe this is just my experience as I haven't eaten a lot of goat, but the meat was tender with only a small amount of fat but it wasn't as flavorful as I was expecting.  The texture/consistency was similar to pulled roast lamb, which I love, but it didn't have that oomp from gamey lamb or richness you get from beef.  So maybe it was just goat or my guess it that it needed more seasoning.  The fresh herbs were nice but they overpowered the flavor of the meat so one bit I tasted lots of mint and then lots of dill.  The potatos were lemony and rather soft so they blended into the sandwich - but they ended up being this extra unnecessary filler.  So if I were making this sandwich, I would keep the bread, spice up the meat itself, give the mayo hints of lemon another with the harissa, keep the pickled onions, and cut back the herbs to just a pinch or two vs. the tablespoon on so use (there wasn't alot but they were very fresh and strong - full leaves, not chopped). As for the herbs, maybe drop these and switch back to fresh oregano.

I also got a side of the spicy marinated mushrooms which were only so so. They are cold and probably taste better warmed up per the Mushroom Panino on the menu. The mushrooms were a mix of good types with lots of mustard seeds and bits of cherry pepper (mostly just added color, not flavor) - but again not so seasoned and I didn't detect any spicy heat at all. Note that the online menu is already being adjusted as the blistered peppers were not on the instore menu and other small changes.

Regarding the noise, it is all hard surfaces and I can see how it could become very loud if it was full (it was mostly empty when I went), but I think the real issue is Mike Isabella's music tastes - heavy metal. I think they were playing a medley of Metallica today and it was similarly loud/rough sounding music when I went to Graffiato.  While I even like some of that music, it surely doesn't create a calm experience. I think it may be a misguided attempt to create a lively atmosphere but there is plenty of up tempo music that can achieve that which sounds less grating/off putting to many diners.

Overall, despite my picky complaints, I do think it is a nice place putting out quality food, and I look forward to trying the other sandwiches.  They are made to order so it does take 5-10 minutes even when there is not much of a line.

[Justin Bittner]

Could be they are using young goat, in which case it isn't really gamey or strong flavored. For example the goats you get from a farm such as path valley or Eco-friendly are young and very mild tasting, where as some goat you would pick up frozen at the H-mart is gonna be very strong because its from an older animal.

[LauraB]

I stopped into G again yesterday and picked up a Roasted Turkey sandwich with spinach, giardiniera and lemon-thyme mayo on a toasted whole-grain type bread. It sounds boring, but it was delicious! It was warm when I got it, but I had to run an errand on the way home, so it was awhile before I unwrapped it. By then it had cooled off. I'm guessing it would have been even better if eaten immediately. The giardiniera added a nice vinegary punch to the flavors.

[DPop]

I stopped in for lunch and left a bit underwhelmed after reading these positive comments

The Chicken Parm provided an excellent first bite, with a nice crunchy texture and acidic tomato sauce held up by a nice semi-soft roll. Things swirled down hill from there. When I placed the sandwich back into the foil wrapping, I noticed my hands glistening in a slick coating of grease. Not just a little dribble that had dropped out of the sandwich, mind you, they were covered. I found this odd in that I would not expect a chicken Parm to to give off this amount of clear, saturated fat after one bite. Undeterred, I plodded forward into the sandwich and was disappointed to find the middle a mess of tomato sauce and breading. What happened to the chicken? I would catch a saturated bite here and there, but it seems that the majority of the chicken got squeezed outward, leaving the first and last bites of each half of the sandwich to be far superior to everything in the middle. The definition of a mixed experience for me, as those 4 end-piece bites were really quite good.

The Chicken Noodle Soup with a soft egg was not exactly disappointing, as it was as advertised, but not something I would order again at $5.50 for no more than a cup of broth, a few chunks of chicken, and some rigatoni. Also, and this was a result of taking it to go, but the soft egg when covered and sitting in the broth for a bit gets totally overdone, leaving the yolk in the egg to be hard and inedible.

The Lemon Potato Hash was the lowlight of the meal, a side so bad that it must have been an error in execution rather an outright miss in concept. It's difficult to describe the taste of the potatoes.....it was almost as if they were left to brine in a bowl of lemon juice for a few days, and then poured in a pan to cook in that same lemon juice, and then given a squirt of fresh lemon juice before being served. No pecorino or potato taste, just the extreme tartness of citrus and a faint hint of dill. If I was eating this in the shop I would have sent it back, something I rarely do, but it was that bad.

All that said I will give this another chance, as I partially blame myself for ordering poorly and I will probably just eat there when I do so to see how everything is fresh. Definitely not an experience deserving of being italicized in the Dining Guide, though.

[Marty L.]

I just had the pork sandwich.  Very good, not great . . . but humongous.  I don't think I'll need to eat anything more for days.  It would seem to make much more sense if it were half the size and half the price ($13 plus tax).

I stopped in for lunch and left a bit underwhelmed after reading these positive comments

The Chicken Parm provided an excellent first bite, with a nice crunchy texture and acidic tomato sauce held up by a nice semi-soft roll. Things swirled down hill from there. When I placed the sandwich back into the foil wrapping, I noticed my hands glistening in a slick coating of grease. Not just a little dribble that had dropped out of the sandwich, mind you, they were covered. I found this odd in that I would not expect a chicken Parm to to give off this amount of clear, saturated fat after one bite. Undeterred, I plodded forward into the sandwich and was disappointed to find the middle a mess of tomato sauce and breading. What happened to the chicken? I would catch a saturated bite here and there, but it seems that the majority of the chicken got squeezed outward, leaving the first and last bites of each half of the sandwich to be far superior to everything in the middle. The definition of a mixed experience for me, as those 4 end-piece bites were really quite good.

The Chicken Noodle Soup with a soft egg was not exactly disappointing, as it was as advertised, but not something I would order again at $5.50 for no more than a cup of broth, a few chunks of chicken, and some rigatoni. Also, and this was a result of taking it to go, but the soft egg when covered and sitting in the broth for a bit gets totally overdone, leaving the yolk in the egg to be hard and inedible.

The Lemon Potato Hash was the lowlight of the meal, a side so bad that it must have been an error in execution rather an outright miss in concept. It's difficult to describe the taste of the potatoes.....it was almost as if they were left to brine in a bowl of lemon juice for a few days, and then poured in a pan to cook in that same lemon juice, and then given a squirt of fresh lemon juice before being served. No pecorino or potato taste, just the extreme tartness of citrus and a faint hint of dill. If I was eating this in the shop I would have sent it back, something I rarely do, but it was that bad.

All that said I will give this another chance, as I partially blame myself for ordering poorly and I will probably just eat there when I do so to see how everything is fresh. Definitely not an experience deserving of being italicized in the Dining Guide, though.

[Gadarene]

Has anyone tried the tasting menu yet?

[weinoo]

Has anyone tried the tasting menu yet?

Wednesday night - looking forward to it.

[hmmboy]

I am gonna have to disagree with my friend David and give a huge shout out to the chicken parm sandwich here. It was by far the best I have had in this area and rivals some of the best ever (in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn). My sandwich was packed with chicken, the porky tomato sauce spooned on judiciously, and the bread - what a fantastic sesame seeded sub roll - again the best I have had in this area and reminiscent of those found in Brooklyn Italian bakeries. I cannot wait to return, and while I would like to try some of Chef Izzy's other offerings it is hard to imagine not getting the chicken parm again.

[KeithA]

...while I would like to try some of Chef Izzy's other offerings it is hard to imagine not getting the chicken parm again.

Earlier this week I had the lamb sandwich and would recommend giving it a try. Unlike most/all? of the other sandwiches it comes on a house-made pita which is very good and held up well when I ate it with my hands. The lamb was roasted and then reheated on a grill so it was very flavorful but also had some crispy bits (maybe a bit less time on the grill would be better). It is also a generous portion which seems to be the MO at G.  The lamb is topped with tzatiki, pickled onions and fresh dill. Unlike other reviews I've read, I didn't find there to be too much dill, just right. By only minor complaint with G is that they wrap up all of the sandwiches to go even if you are eating there (and they have plenty of seats and tables) - this was annoying with the lamb sandwich because a bunch of the the tzatiki sauce got spread all over the paper wrapper instead of the sandwich - probably not an issue for the other hoagie roll sandwiches. So far I've enjoyed both of my trips to G and plan to return.

[DonRocks]

The Chicken Parm provided an excellent first bite, with a nice crunchy texture and acidic tomato sauce held up by a nice semi-soft roll. Things swirled down hill from there. When I placed the sandwich back into the foil wrapping, I noticed my hands glistening in a slick coating of grease. Not just a little dribble that had dropped out of the sandwich, mind you, they were covered. I found this odd in that I would not expect a chicken Parm to to give off this amount of clear, saturated fat after one bite. Undeterred, I plodded forward into the sandwich and was disappointed to find the middle a mess of tomato sauce and breading. What happened to the chicken? I would catch a saturated bite here and there, but it seems that the majority of the chicken got squeezed outward, leaving the first and last bites of each half of the sandwich to be far superior to everything in the middle. The definition of a mixed experience for me, as those 4 end-piece bites were really quite good.

I am gonna have to disagree with my friend David and give a huge shout out to the chicken parm sandwich here. It was by far the best I have had in this area and rivals some of the best ever (in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn). My sandwich was packed with chicken, the porky tomato sauce spooned on judiciously, and the bread - what a fantastic sesame seeded sub roll - again the best I have had in this area and reminiscent of those found in Brooklyn Italian bakeries. I cannot wait to return, and while I would like to try some of Chef Izzy's other offerings it is hard to imagine not getting the chicken parm again.

After reading the bipolar comments of David and Mark, I just had to try the Chicken Parm ($11) on my first-ever visit to G Sandwich.

I had no preconceived notions, and very little idea what to expect when I walked in. A block south (on V Street, I believe), there are a few free 15-minute parking spaces, and I challenged the clock, racing up, ordering my sandwich, and racing back.

While I waited, I ordered a Diet Coke ($2.50?), and only then did it become clear to me that G Sandwich is really pushing upscale soft drinks, and isn't a place you walk in and buy a 79-cent fountain drink, or can of Sprite. In Vancouver, there's a mini-chain called Meat and Bread, and although G Sandwich is a bigger, more ambitious restaurant, it reminds me - in spirit - of this little gem in Vancouver (which you should absolutely try if you go).

I waited, and waited, and my 15 minutes had expired before I got my sandwich, but I made it back to the car without a ticket, carefully prepared my "table" for the ride home, and headed down 14th Street.

So, where is the deciding vote cast on the Chicken Parm? I'm siding with Mark on this one: my sandwich was not good, not great, but just about perfect - meaning that I can't think of one single thing that I would change about it to make it any better. I'm no "Chicken Parm Expert," and I have no doubt that the execution of David's sandwich was off, but man-oh-man, I don't know how I'm going to pry myself away from getting this again the next time I come.

The chicken itself tasted like it was wood-roasted, even though it's not in the "Wood Roasted Sandwiches" section of the menu (yes, I'm well aware that it could be cooked sous-vide and finished on the grill); the tomato sauce seemed long-cooked and laced with - dare I say it? dare I? - okay! Porky Goodness!; the cheese was screaming with texture, and the roll was as sturdy and tasty as advertised. Do not hesitate to get this sandwich.

Absolutely maintained and officially initialized in Italic in the Dining Guide.

[Rhone1998]

G will be offering special sandwiches each month created by guest chefs, and November's comes from the Source's Scott Drewno.  It's billed as "house-made kielbasa, Italian beef, sauerkraut, and spicy giardiniera", though I'd swear it was less giardiniera (pickled Italian veggies, right?) and more the sort of soft, roasted vegetables you'd find at the bottom of the pan you use to roast a chicken, soaking up fat and meat juices.  No complaints, I thought that worked very well and made for a homey, satisfying sandwich.  Overall it's a very good sandwich (haven't had a bad one yet at G), aside from the throwaway "Italian beef" which is one very thin slice of well done roast beef without any discernible flavor.

[Seanchai]

We stopped in yesterday for lunch and of course had to get the chicken parm.  I grew up in pizzeria-infested Queens, NY and so of course consider myself an expert on the Italian-American sandwich.  While very good, the one at G does not scale the heights of greatness.  Bread, sauce, and cheese were all excellent; my slight issue was with the chicken itself.   The chicken breast had perhaps been pounded a little too enthusiastically as the texture was very dense.  Tasty?  Absolutely with none of the grease issue above; just not transcendent.

Not to bury the lede, but what WAS transcendent was the meatball sandwich. Everything was clicking here on all components and the meatballs themselves were perfect with a trace of lemon zest that worked with the acidic sauce to really lighten the hero I mean sandwich (having NYC flashbacks).  This meatball hero (yes, I give it that NYC honorific) I would get weekly if I lived closer.

[KeithA]

Earlier this week I had the lamb sandwich and would recommend giving it a try. Unlike most/all? of the other sandwiches it comes on a house-made pita which is very good and held up well when I ate it with my hands. The lamb was roasted and then reheated on a grill so it was very flavorful but also had some crispy bits (maybe a bit less time on the grill would be better). It is also a generous portion which seems to be the MO at G.  The lamb is topped with tzatiki, pickled onions and fresh dill. Unlike other reviews I've read, I didn't find there to be too much dill, just right. By only minor complaint with G is that they wrap up all of the sandwiches to go even if you are eating there (and they have plenty of seats and tables) - this was annoying with the lamb sandwich because a bunch of the the tzatiki sauce got spread all over the paper wrapper instead of the sandwich - probably not an issue for the other hoagie roll sandwiches. So far I've enjoyed both of my trips to G and plan to return.  

Went back to G on Monday and had the lamb sandwich again. Unfortunately, not as good as the first time. The lamb was still very good but the cook was too heavy on grilling the pita and the meat and too light with the dill. So instead of a crispy but pillowy pita, I had a very crisp (see brown burn marks) pita and drier meat.  Due to these cooking errors the sandwich was pretty similar to your average gyro but with better meat and not as great as my first visit when it really tasted restaurant-quality with the homemade bread and herby fresh dill.  Still worth getting but next time I'll need to keep an eye on the grill to make sure it isn't overcooked.

[Rhone1998]

So you now have two choices for a chivito sandwich if you find yourself standing at 14th and W Sts NW.  I wonder if any other intersection outside of Uruguay can claim that?  The G Sandwich version has sliced steak, mortadella, ham, mayonnaise, lettuce, and supposedly olives though I didn't see/taste any, all on a soft roll.  It's a very good, juicy sandwich, though slightly one dimensional in the sense that the mayonnaise and (imaginary) olives don't give it quite the tangy kick that the meats need (and that the escabeche on the Fast Gourmet version used to provide).

[LauraB]

I picked up lunch at G today after not having been there in awhile.  This time I tried the roasted cauliflower sandwich and really liked it a lot. The cauliflower was thinly sliced, perfectly roasted and accompanied by romesco and pickled vegetables which added a nice tang.  Like many of their sandwiches, it was served on a great sesame seed roll -- I don't know where they get this bread, but I think it's excellent.  It stayed nice and crunchy down to the last bite.

Another item I really like at G is their house-made potato chips.  I rarely eat potato chips but I make an exception for G's because they are so fresh, not real greasy, and have a nice black pepper bite.  Usually they have quite a number of bags of them lined up on the sales counter.  I have learned, though, to inquire as to whether they have any fresh-made and they've always been happy to put some of the fresh ones in a bag for me.

[KeithA]

I picked up lunch at G today after not having been there in awhile.  This time I tried the roasted cauliflower sandwich and really liked it a lot. The cauliflower was thinly sliced, perfectly roasted and accompanied by romesco and pickled vegetables which added a nice tang.  Like many of their sandwiches, it was served on a great sesame seed roll -- I don't know where they get this bread, but I think it's excellent.  It stayed nice and crunchy down to the last bite.

I tried the cauliflower sandwich today and while I agree it was a well made sandwich with quality ingredients, it was only so so. I guess I shouldn't have expected so much from cauliflower as the main element of a sandwich (we make roast cauliflower at home regularly and I love it as a side dish)- unless you are a strict vegetarian I'd recommend trying one of the other options here as this one was only good for the first few bites and then grew boring and the condiments only helped so much.

[Mark Dedrick]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I don't see another option on the site. On Saturday night we tried out the tasting menu at G. On the whole, we had a very good experience, and I'd recommend it. Cost is $40 for four courses, and we also sprung for the $29 wine pairings (I think on that last one, it's at least in that ballpark). Service was fantastic. The room felt like a fine dining restaurant rather than like a sandwich shop, which I was curious about. It's also extremely loud, which is not a complaint I normally make.

First course was a selection of charcuterie, some pickled vegetables, cheese, zucchini fritters, a mushroom frittata, and a crostini with green beans. The wine was a prosecco. Everything was very good, and it was a nice start to the meal. The standouts were the zucchini fritters and the crostini. We also did the add on of the stuff squash blossoms (first of the season as they mentioned several times) for $15. They were stuffed with calamari and sausage. They were very good, the calamari was completely lost, and as a result was probably unnecessary.

Second course was pasta, with a choice between sweet pea tortellini with guanciale and a buccatini carbonara with sweetbreads and fava beans. Both were delicious. The sweet pea tortellini tasted fresh and bright, and I really enjoyed the pasta in the carbonara.

Third course was a choice between the roasted hanger steak and "scallops casino". Again, both were delicious. The hanger steak was cooked beautifully, as were the scallops.

There were probably six different choices for dessert. We went with the chocolate cake with salted carmel gellato and the chocolate gellato sundae. No complaints with either. The cake was rather similar to the Kit Kat at Central.

Anyhow, for the price I'd recommend it. It's a really nice meal, and great service.

[zoramargolis]

I stopped in for a lamb gyro a couple of weekends ago--recommended by the cashier when I was undecided between lamb  and goat. the meat was deliciously juicy and crusty, but the sandwich tasted under seasoned and flat. Despite being very busy, the staff gladly accomodated my request for salt and harissa, and after I added a bit of both, the sandwich sang to me.

[cjsadler]

Anyhow, for the price I'd recommend it. It's a really nice meal, and great service.

Did the tasting menu a couple months ago and totally agree with this.  A nice deal for the price.

[New Foodie]

We have a reservation for the tasting room for tomorrow night and were debating whether we should go there or somewhere else (especially since the menu wasn't updated until yesterday). But everything looks delicious on the menu, and the few reviews I've read have been positive, so I'm looking forward to it.

Price for the meal certainly seems to be a good deal at $40. Trying to decide if it's worth doing the wine pairings or if we should just order a la carte.

[Mark Dedrick]

I doubt you'll be disappointed. We really enjoyed our entire experience. We went with the wine pairings and found them to be a good value for that sort of thing. 

[New Foodie]

We hit up G's Tasting Room last Friday, and although it maybe wasn't the most memorable meal, it was very good, and I think a good value overall ($40 per person + $29 optional wine pairing).

Our Antipasti included salami, prosciutto, pickled carrots, mozzarella di bufala, crostini with pea puree, vegetable frittata, roasted zucchini, and goat cheese fritters. I loved the variety, and this may have been my favorite course! My only slight gripe was that I wish it was served with at least a small portion of bread to eat with the charcuterie and cheese. We both loved the frittata with roasted vegetables. So flavorful. This was served with a sparkling wine.

For our Primi we had one of each option - Radiatori (artichoke, whipped ricotta, tomato relish) and Goat Cheese Gnudi (ramp pesto, guanciale, bone marrow). I was shocked that I actually preferred the radiatori dish (I am a sucker for goat cheese and marrow), but it was just a nice, seasonal, springy dish. The gnudi were melt in your mouth tender, but the dish needed something to counterbalance the "mushiness" of the gnudi, sauce, etc. I also didn't really taste any of the marrow. This was served with a dry rose.

We also shared the two Secondi dishes - Seared Sirloin (carrot, asparagus, jus) and Roasted Striped Bass (beluga lentil, calamari, smoked potato). The online menu had listed the second dish as having seared sea scallops, so we were a bit disappointed it have bass, but the fish was perfectly cooked and ended up being good. The sirloin was also tasty, but we both found ourselves reminiscing more fondly about the antipasti and primi than either of the secondi dishes. I can't recall which wines were poured with this, but it was two different reds.

With a choice of 5-6 different Dolci, we ended up with the Chocolate Mousse Cake (caramel gelato) and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (olive oil gelato), both of which were delicious. I don't know if they make or source their gelato, but the caramel was awesome. I would buy a pint of that. The mousse cake almost reminded me of the infamous Richard "kit kat bar" but without the hazelnut component. These were served with a sparkling moscato.

The place is LOUD, but there is enough separation between most tables so you don't feel like you are listening in on other conversations (or at least we didn't). Service was good...with the exception of one oddity. There was a table within my eyesight that was about a half a course ahead of us. And I noticed the waiter kept refilling their wine glasses (with the pairing choices...not from their own bottle) during the courses if someone finished before the end of the course. However, we were never offered more than our initial pour. I didn't necessarily need any more wine, and I felt like the amount we received was fair for the price, but it was also a little annoying to see another table nearby (friends of the chef? critics?) clearly receiving something above and beyond.

 

[Rhone1998]

LauraB, did his Cubano have chicharrones in it? Mike Isabella gave us a sneak taste of the chicharrones when we were at Kapnos the day G opened and they were amazing. I asked him last night where they were on the G menu because I didn't see it on there, and he said the chicharrones are in the Cubano, just not listed on the menu.

Chicarrones are offered as a separate menu item now, in paper bags on the counter with the potato chips. They are great...airy and greaseless with a touch of chile powder and lime. $3 a bag.

[eatruneat]

My boyfriend and I stopped by for lunch on Sunday. I had the spiced baby goat sandwich, which I really enjoyed. There was a good amount of goat meat and it was tender and evenly distributed through the sandwich. I also enjoyed the lemon potatoes and pickled red peppers on the sandwich. The harissa was not pure harissa but more like goat cheese with harissa. It was not bad but I would have preferred a bit more of a kick to the sandwich. I was only able to finish half the sandwich and took the other half home for dinner last night. Happy to report that it reheated well. I also had an order of the marinated green beans. The green beans were pickled and served with mint, shallots, halved grape tomatoes, and walnuts in a balsamic vinaigrette. This was really refreshing and enjoyable. I love a good vegetable side with my meaty sandwich. My boyfriend ordered the Greek salad with salami dressing (advertised as having been featured in Rachael Ray's magazine...ugh). He enjoyed it and the few bites I had were fine though nothing to write home about. 

[KeithA]

Last week stopped by for lunch and had the lamb chili for the first time. Rather good - it is a mildly hot, tomato base with chunks of good lamb, a mix of beans, some cruchy chickpeas, and a good dollop of their yogurt harissa. Good deal at $6 for a bowl size.  They also now have milkshakes. I opted for the salted caramel nutella cookie shake - which was good but needed a more even ratio of nutella cookies to caramel ice cream. So it had too much caramel flavor and not enough cookie.  I have yet to try the nutella cookies on their own but definitely worth a munch on my next visit.

[DonRocks]

[Note: I think to be fair to the G Sandwich brand, any and all posts about their Nationals Park outlet should go in the Eating In Nationals Park thread. Same goes with Ben's Chili Bowl, etc. These kiosks and counters are so far away from the "real" product that I don't want to mix the two, despite businesses taking advantage of their established names. If any posts here are from the Nationals Park outlet, please let me know so I can move them. By all means, if the sandwich there is lousy, trash it, and trash it mercilessly, but I think it's best to do it in that thread - all businesses there are at a terrible disadvantage (maybe not financially, but quality-wise). See? Aren't a nice guy, Mikester? You should sign up sometime - you might even like it here. If anyone disagrees with this line of thinking, please write me - I'm always open to reconsider, and there *is* something irksome about a business profiting from a name when the product being sold (at higher prices, I will add) is grossly inferior. This is not unlike a known restaurant having a kiosk in Union Station, a Mall Food Court, Reagan National Airport, Whole Foods (either a kiosk or a product for sale), etc. - we have separate threads for each of those, and since they're all in a confined space, they (these massive transportation hubs or shopping centers) can be treated as "one giant restaurant" for our purposes, even though they contract out to multiple businesses. Food Trucks present a similar but different issue - Food Trucks (assuming the business also has a bricks-and-mortar operation) go into the same thread as the bricks-and-mortar operation since they're entirely privately owned and not as strongly constrained as a stadium kiosk. Just please be specific that you're writing about, for example, Chasin' Tails' food truck (yes, they have one) as opposed to their restaurant. If anyone knows of a bricks-and-mortar establishment for any of the food trucks listed in the Multiple Locations section of the Dining Guide, please write me and let me know so I can merge both threads.]

[sandynva]

We had a nice dinner here saturday, each of us had the 4 course "tasting menu." i put it in quotes because i think that if you think of it as restaurant week deal + $5 for an antipasti platter you're more impressed by the value. if you haven't been, you get four courses--a shared antipasti platter, a pasta, an entree and dessert. they put together the antipasti, for the other courses you chose between two options.  Tom S apparently recieved antipasti that included hamachi and foie gras mousse. We recieved a generous portion of three cheeses, three meats, olives, apricots, a beet-bacon arancini, chicken liver bruchetta, and for me they were kind enough to add a falafel ball and chickpea bruchetta. the cheese portions were generous, the olives good, and the falafel really excellent-not dry at all crispy and strongly herby-i have to go back and try their falafel sandwich sometime.

our pastas were delicious and so good that, like i do at graffiato, i wished that mike i would serve them as entree portions. the butternut/pistachio ravioli with brown butter and sage was one of the best versions i've had of the dish--the pasta had the perfect texture, the filling flavorful and creamy but not too sweet, and the sauce was strongly flavored. i don't even like squash ravioli and i wanted a whole plate of these. the pasta in my pasta with cauliflower ragu had the perfect texture and though the sauce was quite simple--mashed cauliflower, cheese, a hint of mint-it was very tasty. for mains we had cauliflower steak with little potato gratin diamonds (the "steak" was very good, and the potatoes like an excellent hash brown) and lamb on a bed of cooked greens over mushroom polenta. the polenta was rich, smooth, and delicious, and the lamb, while good, was a bit fatty.

dessert was ricotta gelato with warm honey doughnuts and a cinnamon sauce (the menu said it was eggplant sauce but it tasted like cinnamon). it was tasty, though there was a bit too much salt sprinkled over it. we also had a slice of maple caramel buttercream cake, which was really good, like a great homemade cake.

the service was good and attentive, and it was definitely a good value. We'll be back though next time i may skip the tasting menu and opt for two pastas instead.

[bookluvingbabe]

While Mr. BLB and I were watching tv the other night, a commercial for Subway came on.

I turned to him and asked, "Do you know what I've been thinking about?"

Mr. BLB, "That sandwich at the ballgame? Me too." 

And while his office is right around the corner from the ballpark, it did seem a bit much to buy a ticket to just get a sandwich.

But I am in the midst of a huge work project that had me in the city all day Saturday and I discovered that you can order online from G Sandwich and specify a pick up time. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes.

We ordered --two Italian heroes, a turkey and a spring lamb. BL-3rd grader claims not to have liked the turkey but he ate 70 percent of it and that was after having a burger at 4 pm...  The Italian Hero was just as we both remembered it at the ballpark minus about a pound of mayo.  The spring lamb may have suffered from sitting in the fridge overnight...

It is entirely possible I will be making this exact same detour again on Saturday as my penance for working another weekend...

[Pat]

3 hours ago, bookluvingbabe said:

While Mr. BLB and I were watching tv the other night, a commercial for Subway came on.

I turned to him and asked, "Do you know what I've been thinking about?"

Mr. BLB, "That sandwich at the ballgame? Me too." 

And while his office is right around the corner from the ballpark, it did seem a bit much to buy a ticket to just get a sandwich.

But I am in the midst of a huge work project that had me in the city all day Saturday and I discovered that you can order online from G Sandwich and specify a pick up time. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes.

We ordered --two Italian heroes, a turkey and a spring lamb. BL-3rd grader claims not to have liked the turkey but he ate 70 percent of it and that was after having a burger at 4 pm...  The Italian Hero was just as we both remembered it at the ballpark minus about a pound of mayo.  The spring lamb may have suffered from sitting in the fridge overnight...

It is entirely possible I will be making this exact same detour again on Saturday as my penance for working another weekend...

I really like that Italian sub at the ballpark. I've never found it to be too mayo-heavy, and my husband (who doesn't like mayo at all) hasn't complained.  I like a little mayo on a sandwich like that, which is sacrilege for someone from the Philiy area. (But I do!)  It's particularly good for a ballgame, since it holds up to being made ahead of time and held. I'm sure it's fantastic freshly-made.   

[bookluvingbabe]

Mr. BLB has discovered that instead of buying a baseball ticket in order to get his beloved Italian Hero, he can order ahead, hop on the green line and be back at his desk in less than an hour.  

He ordered two and brought one home for me. 

And I think it is even better the next day.  I had half for breakfast and then foolishly shared the second half with Mr. BLB...

Now we are looking at maps and calculating times and trying to figure out how to make this a stop before either of our summer road trips.  

[KeithA]

This place continues to be awesome! Even delivery - the goat sandwich today was excellent. 

[bookluvingbabe]

I really like that Italian sub at the ballpark. I've never found it to be too mayo-heavy, and my husband (who doesn't like mayo at all) hasn't complained.  I like a little mayo on a sandwich like that, which is sacrilege for someone from the Philiy area. (But I do!)  It's particularly good for a ballgame, since it holds up to being made ahead of time and held. I'm sure it's fantastic freshly-made.   

Mr. BLB claims that Gemelli's in Gaithersburg has even better Italian subs.  He has yet to share so I'm not sure if that is true or not!

[KeithA]

20 hours ago, bookluvingbabe said:

Mr. BLB claims that Gemelli's in Gaithersburg has even better Italian subs.  He has yet to share so I'm not sure if that is true or not!

No idea as this is the first I've heard of that place, but bear in mind it may be an inaccurate comparison. While most, but not all (see lamb gyro) of the G Sandwiches are served on a great sub rolls - they aren't cold cut subs like at an Italian deli (although they both likely have meatball and chicken parm subs).  I typically get the lamb gyro on pita or the baby goat. Also G sandwiches lamb chili and pastas are good too.  G Sandwich also tends to put non-traditional, but delicious ingredients on its sandwiches - the baby goat has potatos, and they use a lot of fresh herbs.  So not to say the other place doesn't have good subs, but for anyone going to G Sandwich and expecting italian deli subs, I would adjust your expectations somewhat (and still go!)