TomInSkokie wrote:

Kennyz wrote: he did call me a couple of naughty names on twitter, even attaching my picture to one of them while encouraging his followers to "watch out" for me.

Sounds as if GEB is the guy to watch out for.
He won't be getting any of my business.

Unfortunately,after reading those tweets, I have a similar feeling as you do TIS.

If you want to stay away from grahamwich because it's expensive and the food isn't good, I'm with you, but I wouldn't avoid it just because he was mean to me on Twitter. In fairness, I "started" the exchange with a tweet that was not without snark. The place was pretty dead at prime lunchtime, and between that and the lousy pickles, I noted that when it comes to Grahamwich, I'm ready to "stick a spork in it". The cheap, flimsy sporks they give out, by the way, are useless tools when trying to eat the pickles, which are not shaped for easy consumption by hand either.

Kennyz wrote:If you want to stay away from grahamwich because it's expensive and the food isn't good, I'm with you, but I wouldn't avoid it just because he was mean to me on Twitter. In fairness, I "started" the exchange with a tweet that was not without snark. The place was pretty dead at prime lunchtime, and between that and the lousy pickles, I noted that when it comes to Grahamwich, I'm ready to "stick a spork in it". The cheap, flimsy sporks they give out, by the way, are useless tools when trying to eat the pickles, which are not shaped for easy consumption by hand either.

It's fine that you didn't like the pickles, but I read on the YummyChitown.com blog that you then went nuts and gouged an employee's eye out with a spork? That's not cool, in my book.

cilantro wrote:

Kennyz wrote:If you want to stay away from grahamwich because it's expensive and the food isn't good, I'm with you, but I wouldn't avoid it just because he was mean to me on Twitter. In fairness, I "started" the exchange with a tweet that was not without snark. The place was pretty dead at prime lunchtime, and between that and the lousy pickles, I noted that when it comes to Grahamwich, I'm ready to "stick a spork in it". The cheap, flimsy sporks they give out, by the way, are useless tools when trying to eat the pickles, which are not shaped for easy consumption by hand either.

It's fine that you didn't like the pickles, but I read on the YummyChitown.com blog that you then went nuts and gouged an employee's eye out with a spork? That's not cool, in my book.

Kennyz wrote: The cheap, flimsy sporks they give out, by the way, are useless tools when trying to eat the pickles, which are not shaped for easy consumption by hand either.

Yeah, the sporks are pretty ridiculous and that is the only kind of utensil they will provide.

It is especially annoying because some of the sandwiches (at least the short rib) do not come cut in half. The only time I visited, I wanted to go halfsies with my dining partner and we were provided with nothing to cut the sandwich in 2. Nor did anyone in the staff offer to do it (to be fair, we had already been served....but it was not particularly busy).

ziggy wrote:

Kennyz wrote: The cheap, flimsy sporks they give out, by the way, are useless tools when trying to eat the pickles, which are not shaped for easy consumption by hand either.

Yeah, the sporks are pretty ridiculous and that is the only kind of utensil they will provide.

It is especially annoying because some of the sandwiches (at least the short rib) do not come cut in half. The only time I visited, I wanted to go halfsies with my dining partner and we were provided with nothing to cut the sandwich in 2. Nor did anyone in the staff offer to do it (to be fair, we had already been served....but it was not particularly busy).

The times I've had it, the short rib has always come in 2.

I think the sporks are actually pretty fun, but they should also have a few plastic knives.

About 6 of my fellow workers and I went there for lunch last week, thinking the crowds had about died down. From in-the-door to out-the-door took maybe 15 minutes. We ordered the shortrib, bahn mi, grilled cheese, veggie wrap, and turkey; for sides, the pickles, chips, and popcorn.

Expectations were very high, based on lots of internet acclaim and fawning (except for a terrible Time Out review, which we were quick to dismiss as an anomaly). Turns out, the Reader also had similar feelings, and ours ended up aligning with them - a solid 'meh.'

Nothing was bad. The short ribbers reported flavorful ingredients, tasty sauce, and a good composition. But the strange 'pile atop a hot dog bun' construction left a lot to be desired. The veggie wrapper thought hers good, not great, and with strange ingredients (wasabi peas?) that detracted from the overall composition. The turkey sandwich was deemed too sweet, and the bahn mi (mine) was good at the first bite, and gross by the last. The slaw and roasted pineapple on the pork belly were deliciously fresh, sweet, tangy, and saucy. The pork was tough in places, flabby in others, and not the best overall. But the bread was the deal-breaker for me - although stated to be french baguette, the texture was much more akin to stale, cheap ciabatta - chewy, rubbery, crumbly, gross.

The popcorn was the favorite side, although it seemed to have been out of the popper too long to be still light and crispy - it had gone the way of dense chewy, but the addicting parm & truffle flavors kept us all coming back for more handfuls. The chips were underwhelming - good, as far as potato chips go, but nothing to justify a $5 price tag. And the pickles...ours definitely tasted pickled, almost overwhelmingly so. The brussells sprouts and pearl onions were all gobbled up, but the anonymous white vegetables (celery root? turnip? rutabega?) - one too soft and one too hard - were left in the bottom of the box.

Maybe it comes down to value. Had I paid $8-10, I might have judged this a pretty good sandwhich, certainly creative and out of the norm, and somewhere I'd likely return for many more office lunches. But when I shelled out $17 for it, well it just doesn't compel me to return all too soon.

I had the Banh Mi and house root beer yesterday. My impressions: meh!. The sandwich was good but messy to the point of being largely inedible half way through. The pork belly was cooked properly and in nice big chunks but seemed to not be all that flavorful. Also, a nice smear of pate would have been welcome and authentic. The root beer was acceptable, but I've had many better and more interesting artisan root beers around the country.

Walking out, I couldn't help but think to myself that--for about 2/3 the cost--I would have been much happier if I'd marked a coney dog, a double steakburger and a can of pineapple crush at Devil Dogs.

I just can't see myself returning.

I made my first and last trip to Grahamwich today. The line was quite long, snaking around like the letter "S" between the cash register and the door. Eating inside was out of the question--first, the room was almost unbearably hot, as my partner noted--"Its way too hot to eat in here; just not comfortable" he said. Because we only live a 3 minute or so drive away (yes, we drove the SmartCar there), we decided to get the food to go and eat at home. (By the way, someone should monitor the persons sitting at the one (and only) communal table. One guy was sitting there, food gone, using his computer as if he were at a Starbucks, and two others were sitting their idly chatting away, food long gone, while others stood patiently hoping to get a coveted seat.)

I got the taco, my partner the grilled cheese and a soft drink and we shared a popcorn. I'm sorry, but $31 for a taco, grilled cheese, and softdrink + popcorn is really out of line.

When we got home, the taco was barely warm, and by the time I finished eating it, it was bordering on cold. My partner's grilled cheese, however, was still quite hot, indicating it wasn't only the trip home that caused the taco to be lukewarm.

"Meh" as above best describes my taco. The tortilla didn't taste fresh, and the outer edges were dry. Kind of mealy and bland. The pork was ok but lacking in flavor. I commented to my partner we would have done a lot better by going to Big Star. His grilled cheese, I thought, quite good; he thought it ok but not remarkable. I did enjoy the popcorn, but it was cold, almost as if it had been refrigerated before serving.

Its odd to view the throngs of people waiting for this food, paying a dear price for it, I presume because of the 'celebrity chef' aspect (akin to a comment I made re Xoco). To me, it was fine, average, but for the price, I can do much better. Next time, it'll be Big Star or the like.

I just saw in the Eater that GE is starting a grahamwich food truck called the "Grahambulance."

Oh, I get it.

Went to Grahamwich today from Albany Park. My friend and I arrived at 11:30 am to find the back table full, but no wait at the counter.

All sandwiches are $10. I considered the bahn mi, but something told me to pass as I already get excellent bahn mi near home @ Nhu Lan. So I had the Smoked Whitefish on naan. It arrived open-face style--decorated with shredded carrot, almonds, cilantro, a curry aioli, and raisin chutney, all piled atop a ca. 8" diameter naan. Previous LTHers may be happy to hear there was not a spork in sight--I was given an honest-to-God plastic fork.

The Smoked Whitefish was okay--tangy aioli, decent sweet/smoky combo with carrots and raisins vs. the only somewhat smoky fish. It was a good sandwich, but could have been better. I had a bite of my friend's banh mi...for the $10 paid one could do much better (and get 3X the number of bahn mi) at Nhu Lan.

I'm glad I tried Grahamwich and wish GEB success with this franchise, but I don't feel the desire to return.

It looks like Mr. Bowles is taking some of the interwebs criticism seriously. New menu and pricing structure starts April, per his twitter feed. There will also be more seating and delivery/catering.

http://twitpic.com/4f3gbn




Personally, I like the fact that there are different sizes for the sides, and that the sandwich menu is larger and priced differently. I'll give it another try.

Just to chime in (or is that pile on) I went to Grahamwich the first week it opened (I'm a glutton for punishment) with a co-worker. We found the place nice and trendy enough but had several, you might call them complaints...

1) my sandwich (the short rib) was tasty, but hard to eat. it seemed to have been assembled without regard to how you might eat it--especially in a crowded restaurant with a tiny counter... I liked it but at $10 I have never felt compelled to have it again.
2) I can't even remember what I got as a side, which honestly speaks volumes as to what I thought of it...
3) Ditto my drink. Though I do remember liking it enough at the time....
4) the table in the back seemed like a big tease to the rest of the patrons who couldn't get to it. If that's all the space you have for tables--one big table--why bother? Just have more counter space. I felt like the people at the table were some elite celebs and the rest of us we're just the proles. Yet we all paid $10 for a (smallish) sandwich.

Compared to Belly Shack--which ain't cheap--or Buger Bar--not cheap, but not pricey--I can't imagine why or when I would want to back. And I haven't. Maybe the new menu and pricing will lure me back for another try.

--Dirk--

Had a great first meal at Grahamwich, from what I presume to be the reconfigured menu.
Pacific tuna- roasted pineapple, wasabi peas, yuzu aioli, sweet soy, on a hawaiian bun. I also got the popcorn, and a vanilla cola.
I really enjoyed the ambience. High ceilings, large back window looking out into a garden.
The food was also delicious- my sandwich was messy but had such a great combination of flavors and textures. I would certainly get it again. The cola was very tasty, but could have had a bit more carbonation. The popcorn, with parmesan, chives, sea salt, cracked pepper, and truffle oil, was delicious but very rich. The "small" size order that I got was massive, enough to take back and share with the office. I would certainly go back to Grahamwich, and will be a bit conflicted on whether or not to stay with the tuna or try something new. Highly recommended.

I've eaten both the Wagyu beef sandwich and the Waldorf Chicken Salad sandwich. Both were meh. I just wasn't impressed by anything - the popcorn was good, I suppose, but I've had GE popcorn at GE, which was a much better experience (obviously).

Wagyu beef - cold and flavorless beef, and overpowering stone ground mustard (slathered on both pieces of bread, perhaps to add some flavor to a bland sandwich). Just a bad sandwich.
Waldorf - not terrible, but just not that good. Have had many better chicken salad sandwiches.

My guess is the tourists are keeping it going.

I can guarantee that if this was some hole in the wall place owned by a sweet old woman, people would be raving about it. In fact it would be nominated for the GNR. Since it is not, people go there not looking for a great time/lunch rather trying to act like Pat Bruno and just dissecting everything about it. "My pickle was good but could have been a little more crunchy " For real people, if you look for things to critique, you're going to find them. Enjoy food. I realize that this is a food blog and I enjoy reviewing and talking about food just as much as the next guy but there comes a point where I feel people over analyze things........

gocubs88 wrote:I realize that this is a food blog and I enjoy reviewing and talking about food just as much as the next guy but there comes a point where I feel people over analyze things........

I think that point is right around the $15-per-person-lunch at a sandwich shop.

jfibro wrote:

gocubs88 wrote:I realize that this is a food blog and I enjoy reviewing and talking about food just as much as the next guy but there comes a point where I feel people over analyze things........

I think that point is right around the $15-per-person-lunch at a sandwich shop.

Again, people want good ingredients or they complain. They get good ingredients but dont wanna pay for them....The prices are listed. You have the choice or not to pay the price. The McChicken is still $1. I just hate that argument. I've heard people say it about Next too, "It would have been the best _____ I've had, but not for the price. I believe when you are evaluating the restaurant as a whole, you should take price into consideration, but price should not interfere with taste

Just my .02

gocubs88 wrote:I can guarantee that if this was some hole in the wall place owned by a sweet old woman, people would be raving about it.

I think that if a sweet old woman suddenly starts sprinkling snack foods like potato sticks, wasabi peas, etc. into sandwiches, it may be time to put her in a home.

cilantro wrote:

gocubs88 wrote:I can guarantee that if this was some hole in the wall place owned by a sweet old woman, people would be raving about it.

I think that if a sweet old woman suddenly starts sprinkling snack foods like potato sticks, wasabi peas, etc. into sandwiches, it may be time to put her in a home.

I don't see how it's any different than Fried Onions on a burger, Popcorn in Ceviche, Or chicharrones in quesadillas?

Or Bugles on a croque-monsieur.

cilantro wrote:Or Bugles on a croque-monsieur.

This is the very reason I like what Graham does......he uses ingredients that "foodies" feel are not up to their level and he isn't sooo serious.

Coworker and I took advantage of the weather today and headed over to Grahamwich for lunch. Was worth the cab ride there. Walked off lunch on the way back. He had the Pork BBQ sandwich with a Vanilla Kola and I had the Grilled Cheese with an Orange Ginger. We didn't share but we admired each other's lunch. He raved about his Pork - the corn bread is actually in the sandwich and he loved the sweetness that came from the root beer. My grilled cheese was outstanding - enough cheese to be perfectly melted and oozing out the sides but not so much that it's overwhelming. The bread holds in the cheese without getting soggy or oily. The marmalade was a nice touch - it was nice to have that added sweetness like the root beer in the Pork.

My orange ginger soda was meh - I couldn't taste the ginger at all. It was like an Orange Crush. You win some and you lose some. Wanted the ice cream but were full from the sandwiches - they do not skimp. Next time, I'll have the Pork. Probably won't get a soda as they have water on the table for people. It was a little pricey but sort of standard for the loop. Look forward to going back and maybe sharing with people next time.

gocubs88 wrote:I can guarantee that if this was some hole in the wall place owned by a sweet old woman, people would be raving about it. In fact it would be nominated for the GNR. Since it is not, people go there not looking for a great time/lunch rather trying to act like Pat Bruno and just dissecting everything about it. "My pickle was good but could have been a little more crunchy " For real people, if you look for things to critique, you're going to find them. Enjoy food. I realize that this is a food blog and I enjoy reviewing and talking about food just as much as the next guy but there comes a point where I feel people over analyze things........

With respect this is ridiculous. With that attitude we'd never evaluate anything or expect excellence from people who've shown they can achieve it.

Has closed as of August 5th, 2013.

mhill95149 wrote:Has closed as of August 5th, 2013.

Article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 0139.story