hannah's bretzel

it was one of those tuesdays when christina and i were almost late for our japanese class and we took the first bus we saw that was heading in the direction of our destination. i suppose you could call it a blessing in disguise cos that was the day we bumped into hannah's bretzel as we rushed to class.  so we made plans to try it out before our next japanese class. 

i did a lil google search on hannah's bretzel when i got home and most of their sandwich descriptions made my mouth water and it was a difficult task to narrow it down to two (yeah i always plan ahead for food.. lol). they are committed to provide organic ingredients where one can check the organic percentage of each sandwich (as well as nutrition facts) on their website. on top of that, they boast to be the first quick service green restaurant in chicago in which they received the chicago magazine green award.

the restaurant were clad in red and white paint with matching furniture. the words "Über sandwich makers" is proudly displayed on one of the walls. there are benches by one of the walls adorned with pillows and cushions. i really like the casual feel of the place :)

it was a quiet evening with just another person waiting in line ahead of us which gave us time to decide what to get. christina and i decided to share our sandwiches and what we came down to were the sergio's special and the organic grass fed sirloin. as we were placing our orders, we couldn't help but notice this wall of chocolates on our left. it was like yummy temptation waiting to happen.

with every sandwich, we get a choice of side. four options: house chips, tamari roasted almonds, soy nuts or roasted vegetables. i picked the house chips (crispy and yummy!) and christina went with the roasted vegetables. 

sergio's special |  french madrange ham and swiss gruyère cheese with avocado, sliced jalapeños and a tasty mango chutney on organic bretzel baguette . 40% organic . 482 calories . ($8.59)

love! the combination of flavors were fantastic. let's see we have the savory/saltiness of the ham, that subtle nuttiness of the cheese, creaminess of the avocado, slight spicy bite of the jalapeño which is cooled by the sweetness of the mango chutney all piled between their signature bretzel. the bretzel had the textures i love in a bread: firm but soft and at the same time slightly doughy with a hint of saltiness. imagine all of that in a single bite. yummmmmm...

brb in a few: adding sergio's special to my list of favorite sandwiches i've ever had. :)

organic grass fed sirloin | with swiss gruyère cheese, vine tomatoes, organic field greens, caramelized organic onions and horseradish aioli on organic bretzel baguette . 68% organic . 523 calories . ($8.99)

good amount of succulent, tender sirloin slices that pair oh-so-well with the sweet caramelized onion (which i love) and the horseradish aioli which i would gladly spread it on any sandwiches. the horseradish aioli had a lightness but with a subtle bite which was great but didn't mask the flavors of the other aspects of the sandwich. roast beef sandwiches are my usual go to sandwiches and this was a simple classic done right (very much so) with their slight personal twist.

one thing though is that the sandwich isn't cheap especially for the size of the sandwich. but if you take into consideration their commitment in using organic ingredients, it kinda make sense. i suppose as long as my belly was full and happy, i am satisfied..hehe.

regardless, hannah's bretzel is the place to go for fantastic classics and also taste their other sandwiches which features their personal spin on flavor combinations. i would definitely love to go back and try their other sandwiches that sounds equally as delicious as the ones i've had. even, the vegetarian sandwiches sound awesome. i don't usually crave for sandwiches but when i do, this would be one of the first destinations that would come to mind. :)

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others