Everybody is losing their minds over Porchetta & Co, a tiny sandwich shop on Dundas West. With a limited menu (guess what they serve?) done well, it’s no surprise.
Though Porchetta & Co. isn’t anywhere close to my roaming range for lunch, I decided to make the trek out and see what all the fuss was about. The buzz had been strong since they opened and the waves of main-stream media coverage had just begun. At the time of my first visit, eye magazine had just pushed their review out the door, Globe & Mail was slated for the Saturday, and NOW Magazine was on deck. Despite all this, I pretty much went in with no expectations. It helped that I hadn’t had a proper porchetta sandwich before.
Given my greenness, I decided that basics were in order and opted for their plain porchetta sandwich. Nice bits of crackling, charred and caramelized fatty bits, a little olive oil on the bun, and all that lovely porky goodness. It’s an excellent sandwich, but I didn’t think it was worth the insanity. Except I kept thinking about it. That taste. The textures. And when I could make my next visit?
Two days later, I found myself at their door again. I didn’t think I’d be back so soon, but the memory of my first sandwich lingered and thoughts of my next sandwich compelled me. This time, I took the recommendation of rapini and truffle sauce. To be honest, I thought the bite of the rapini distracted from the delicious nuances of porchetta and that the truffle sauce got lost in it all. Not bad, but the plain sandwich was better to me. Luckily, you can get the rapini on the side, which is perfect, I think.
And speaking of sides, I tried the potatoes. While okay, I don’t really need to supplement my sandwich with anything, so these spuds are off my re-order list.
Also on offer is a soup of the day. Their creamy cabbage soup with smoked bacon was quite nice, not too salty, and had a liberal dose of grainy mustard. Very chowder-like and fortifying against the cold. With the sandwich, a small soup was a bit much for lunch. I managed not to fall into a food coma when I got back to work.
Despite the distance travelled, I didn’t have to wait long to get my food – maybe 5 minutes at off-peak hours – and I managed to snag one of the few stools in the small space both times as well. But I can imagine that during the lunch-hour rush, you’d be out of luck. While I still maintain that this is a bit too far out of my lunchtime grazing area, it doesn’t really matter. Count me in as one who’s lost her mind too. Happily.
[mappress mapid=”13″]
More at Porchetta & Co
[flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=”72157625781111922″]
January 24, 2011 at 5:03 am
sweet pics!