Tuesday, February 26th - Cafe Phillips

Not even kidding - this is the dullest Tuesday ever. The weather sucks, there's nothing going on - about the only work related thing I've done today is go over some "state of the credit markets" slides from a presentation. Work is slow.

So, I had a place suggested, called Cafe Phillips. Its a sandwich place. But they do fresh carved sandwiches. Since I have no choice but to subsist off of sandwiches in this new neighborhood since apparently that's all anybody ever wants for lunch, I give them a shot.


Wow what an inspiring storefront. Also, there's a Land Rover out front and those cost a lot of money. So if people who have a lot of money are eating here it must be good, because people with a lot of money have good taste and they buy nice things. So I step in, around 12:30, and I think there are two other customers. Note: the Greek Deli probably had a line of 50 at this point in the day. But, true to the word I heard, they do have fresh carved sammiches. I usually like a turkey sammich in this fashion, but, for reasons not fully understood, I chose roast beef. Which brings me to another point about sammich places and lunch places in general: you need to go in with a strategy. If you don't keep your wits about you, its all too easy to order something you don't really want. How often have you gone into a strange city, and ended up ordering something just downright bizarre and terrible, because you lost your cool, and, although you've never liked a fried cod and artichoke sammich, you decide to order it anyway. Too often, friends. Too often. Which is why when traveling with friends, have them order your food for you, assuming they're local. Its just easier.

So I bring it back to my desk.

That's a big roast beef sandwich. Total, including a diet coke, was $8.07. Acceptable. Went with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and provelone - cheese cost extra. And then I bite into it. First thing I noticed was that I expected a hotter sandwich. And maybe moister. The flavor of everything was good, but the tactile part of lunch was lacking. And really, it was just normal wheat bread. Basically, this amounted to above average belly filler, but far from anything I'm craving. I mean, I prefer this to something at Breadline, because that place sucks. But really. If this is what I have to look forward to at lunch, I'm not going to be looking forward to lunch. Its that simple. I mean, dang. Really? This? This is what my lunch is coming to?

Tuesday, February 19th - Brown Bag

OK, this is going to have to be a quick one. I'm still at work, trying to put together the report from hell. I spent most of the day fighting spreadsheets. Not fun. So I had to quickly leave and grab something from Brown Bag (18th between H and I).


This is one of my favorite places, and has been since the old office. The noodles suck, but the sandwiches are pretty good, and the build your own salad goes pretty well. I usually opt for the salad, but today it was cold, and I wanted a nice hot sandwich. I got the San Francisco sandwich today.

Sourdough bread, with roast beef, dijon, red peppers, and artichokes, all nicely toasted. Not typical, so there are creativity points there. I like that - if I have to get a sandwich, I want something toasted, and I want some creativity. It was delicious, and it wasn't crowded. Sometimes it can get a little full, but they do a pretty respectable job of moving people in and out. Final tally (including a diet coke) was $9.02. Acceptable. Its a delicious sandwich, its quick, it will continue to get high remarks from me.

Now, back to the salt mines. Might be a late one tonight. But hopefully that will make for an easy day tomorrow. And that I don't get ripped in my review. Always a fear with a property like mine.