I stopped by for a sandwich on my way back to the office today. The ham and camembert sandwich on whole grain was delicious, just as good as I remembered from my last meal there (several months ago). I know they are opening a new store on Michigan Avenue which will have more seating, but unfortunately it is farther from my office and I won't be visiting it.

I really must stop at Hannah's Bretzel more often -- the sandwich, with a handful of almonds (my choice instead of chips), was the perfect lunch.

Suzy

sdritz wrote:I know they are opening a new store on Michigan Avenue which will have more seating, but unfortunately it is farther from my office and I won't be visiting it.
Suzy

Where in Michigan will the new store be opening? Any idea when?

SSDD

sdritz wrote:I really must stop at Hannah's Bretzel more often -- the sandwich, with a handful of almonds (my choice instead of chips), was the perfect lunch.

Hannah's has become a once-a-month lunch treat for me. I try to bring my own lunch most of the time, and when I don't I try to eat cheap. Hannah's is not a cheap sandwich by a longshot, but it's worth the money. Occasionally, I'll skip the specialty sandwich and go for the soup with some ham and a bretzel--a tad cheaper and very satisfying.

headcase,
I've heard about their Michigan Ave. plans but I do not know the particulars. Next time I'm there, I'll ask.

Best,
Michael

"This month Hannah’s is opening in Illinois Center at 233 N. Michigan Ave. Hours will cater to the business crowd: Monday through Friday 7am to 5pm, closed Saturdays and Sundays."

from: http://www.consciouschoice.com/2006/12/ ... g0612.html

I'm on a negative roll...

Anyway, I found Hannah's to be incredibly pricey, bland and meager sandwiches. I didn't try the soup however.

Not excited about its addition to the Illinois Center (my building). If I want to spend more than necessary on a decent/average sandwich, I'll go to Sopprafina for a panini.

ab wrote:Anyway, I found Hannah's to be incredibly pricey, bland and meager sandwiches. I didn't try the soup however.

If you find the sandwiches bland, you won't like the soup.

smellen wrote:"This month Hannah’s is opening in Illinois Center at 233 N. Michigan Ave. Hours will cater to the business crowd: Monday through Friday 7am to 5pm, closed Saturdays and Sundays."

from: http://www.consciouschoice.com/2006/12/ ... g0612.html

Well that is considerably closer than the original location for me. (I work @ Aon)

I was just in the Illinois Center Pedway today, I didn't notice any obvious storefronts, but than again I wasn't really looking.

Thanks for the 411

SSDD

I was just in the Illinois Center Pedway today, I didn't notice any obvious storefronts, but than again I wasn't really looking.

I went looking for it today, and found it, but it's not open yet. It's down a bit from Cosi (must be...East? of Cosi).

LSqMike wrote:

I was just in the Illinois Center Pedway today, I didn't notice any obvious storefronts, but than again I wasn't really looking.

I went looking for it today, and found it, but it's not open yet. It's down a bit from Cosi (must be...East? of Cosi).

I saw it the other day while heading over to Potbelly's. It's between Delmonicos (sp?) and Citibank in that space that is always used for temporary vendors.

Ok, someone help me out here. I like Hannah's, but something puzzles me. They make the claim "since 1477". Now, I have trouble believing that Hannah's was an institution in Bavaria all this time, but it's possible. The website makes a reference to Swabian Bretzel since 1477. So maybe the Bretzel was invented in Swabia in 1477. Fraulein Bretzel looped some dough together in 1477 and made history? Then I suppose I could open a coffee shop and say, "since the 9th century", or whenever someone started brewing coffee.
It seems like a splendid effort to be pretentious. But the cheddar with cucumber with honey mustard will keep me coming back.
Sorry, slow day, back to my cave.

I want to check out Hannah's Bretzel for lunch, but where do you recommend we go for seating? Are there any outdoor areas where one can sit and eat? I can only think of Riverside Plaza on Madison. Thanks.

Daley Plaza?

cilantro wrote:Daley Plaza?

oh yea.
Any ideas for something closer to the River? Thanks.

So I grabbed a soup and sandwich from Hannah's Bretzel today. As usual, the sandwich was out of this world (I'm really into the ham and camembert right now) but the soup was bizarre. It was their cold cucumber soup, which is usually really good, but today when I brought it back to the office and took off the lid I was confronted with just a big bowl of foam.

Seriously, I had a bowl of cucumber foam. Molecular gastronomy on my desk. Does anyone know what would cause such a thing?

Josh,

Chilled soups of this type are often blended, which can result in a considerable amount of foam. My guess is that an inexperienced person made the soup while another inexperienced individual ladled off a serving of foam for you, right from the top of the storage container.

Just guessing here.

$9 for two sandwiches Groupon deal - http://www.groupon.com/deals/hannahs-br ... newsletter

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Groupon is only for the Michigan Ave. location. At least it seemed that way in the main message, but perhaps the fine print notes otherwise.....

miss ellen

You're correct - Valid only at 233 N. Michigan Ave. location.

Visited Hannah's Bretzels on Wells & Washington for the first time on Wednesday 11/25.

I had the Serrano Ham with Manchego cheese. The ham was extremely chewy.. to the extent that it was not possible to bite a piece off the sandwich without pulling the entire slice out. The fig chutney and bread were great though.

My LP had the roasted portabella. Great individual ingredients, but overall, a very bland sandwich ( I took two bites.. my opinion was the same as hers ).

Maybe they were having an off day.. or did not have the regular folks working (This was the day before Thanksgiving).

Overall, a disappointing experience, but maybe I'll give them one more try someday.

I recently wrapped up a few weeks of work in the Loop area. It had been ten years since I had last worked in the Loop and a lot has changed food-wise mostly for the better. What's the deal with all the falafel places, lol. I had heard about Hannah's Bretzel so had pretty high expectations. I ordered the spanish ham and cheese. My impressions are that the individual components are of high quality..good serrano ham and manchego cheese. But, somehow these great individual components didn't come together to create a symphony in my mouth. I think that the fig jam over-powered with sweetness and didn't complement the main components well. The shaved fennel is a nice touch. I would like to see something citrusy or more acidic paired with the main ingredients but that's just me. I also would prefer a little crunch or toastiness on the bread component. Overall, I was a little underwhelmed by my ten buck takeout sandwich. I did get a sample of the daily soup which was asparagus and that was great.

I'm eating the German Black Forest ham and Swiss Gruyere cheese served with sliced cucumbers and a spicy whole grain mustard on organic Bretzel baguette right now. I have to say it's a pretty good sammie, the ham has a nice deep flavor, the cucumbers add a nice textural crunch and coolness that balances well with the mustard. At $9.00 I won't be eating here every day but once in a while is nice.

I never knew this place was right around the corner from my office, thanks LTHers.

i've noticed some changes at hannah's over the last few months... not necessarily changes for the better. I go to the one on 233 n michigan.

I used to get their half sandwich/soup combo. it was a good deal, but what made it even sweeter was their half sandwich was often really more of a 3/4 sandwich. Now it's decisively half, and because humans are involved in cutting the bread you can sometimes get the shorter end of that stick. for a $10 1/2 sandwich+soup I don't like to be skimped on... But that doesn't bother me really, as it was more of a perk of almost an insider secret that's now gone...

their soups... they often have a tomato basil soup with crunchy croutons... it was pretty out of this world. now the crouton has been replaced with a soggy slice of baguette. it's just not the same. it lacks the flavor that the crouton added, and it's a wet soggy mess. i thought the first two times it may have just been an off day, but it seems they've really actually switched it to this. if they want to provide a small piece of bread instead of croutons, they should on the side (not to mention i see them cut up and throw away more "mistake" breads than any other establishment i've ever seen...). but why take a piece of perfectly good bread and let it soak in the soup and get soggy while i walk back to eat it? it really has taken the soup from fantastic to meh.

A third location is on the way at the corner of Dearborn and Adams. The web site lists it and there is a sign in the window. I do not know how close this is to a reality, but if it happens, it will be a nice new option for those of us in the southeast loop.

Jonah

From Hannah's PR firm today:

Hannah's 131 S. Dearborn location will be giving sandwiches away during the free hours indicated below, but Hannah's official regular hours will begin next Thursday or Friday.

FREE LUNCH AT HANNAH’S

MONDAY 11.29
12:30pm = 25 customers for lunch sandwich + side + beverage
1:30pm = 25 customers for lunch sandwich + side + beverage

TUESDAY 11.30
8:00am = 25 customers for breakfast sandwich + beverage
12:30pm = 50 customers for lunch sandwich + side + beverage or large soup + bretzel + beverage or salad + beverage
1:30pm = 50 customers for lunch sandwich + side + beverage or large soup + bretzel + beverage or salad + beverage

WEDNESDAY 12.1
8:00am = 25 customers for breakfast sandwich + beverage
11:30am = 100 customers for lunch sandwich + side + beverage or large soup + bretzel + beverage or salad + beverage

ALL THREE DAYS
FREE BRETZEL HAND OUTS ON ADAMS = numerous Bretzels per day on 11.29 / 11.30 / 12.1 will be handed out in front of the store.

I finally made it to Hannah's Bretzel since I'm working near one in the Loop at the minute. We arrived at the 131 S. Dearborn location (actually on the side of the building, I think on Adams?) at probably 12:10 and there was a line to the door. However, it moved pretty quickly, and we were ordering within 10 minutes. I got the pesto mozzarella, and my friend got the tofu. My friend paid, so I don't know how much it was with tax, but on the menu, my sandwich was close to $8 including a small bag of chips.

Overall, I thought the flavors were good. The bretzel was really tasty and did indeed taste like a soft pretzel. I like it a lot. The sandwich fillings had good flavor, there were also sundried tomatoes and arugula on mine, which spiced it up a bit. I was impressed that there were so many vegetarian options.

The downside? I'm still a little hungry after lunch (and I'm not someone with a massive appetite). The sandwich was probably an inch shorter than I expected, maybe more. Definitely smaller than the sandwiches at Potbelly or Jimmy John's. So, since it's more expensive than any other sandwich, and doesn't actually fill me up, I don't think I'll be going back in a hurry...

Bumping this to note that a new Hannah's is set to open at 400 N Lasalle (at Kinzie) this fall. Just a block away from my office so I'm pretty excited.

http://www.hannahsbretzel.com/news/21/4 ... _fall_2011

The special for October is a brat sandwich (can't remember the name) that's got a brat (surprise), mustard, sauerkraut and caramelized onions. It's one of the better brat sandwiches I've had in a while.

Jonah