Best Damn Sandwich: the Bread Basket, week twoDate: 3/16/2020 RUSSELL – Going to the Bread Basket in Russell felt like going home to me. As someone who was born and raised in the backwoods of upstate New York, the stretches of trees between homes and seeing Mennonite women serving sandwiches felt familiar, nostalgic even.
Prior to ordering, myself and my coworkers took a walk around the store, looking at the many homemade offerings that were for sale. In the end, my coworkers bought some bread (which they later raved about and made me envious) while I bought some maple cinnamon buns.
After surveying their many sandwich and grinder options, I ordered the Boss’s Blast which is described as ham and Swiss cheese. I, however, opted for the hot pepper cheese on my sandwich, which I got on toasted white bread with tomato, onion and lettuce.
Our sandwiches were quickly prepared and served. As they were delivered to the table we all noticed how picture-perfect they looked, as though they could be used in an ad. Sometimes, in my experience appearance and flavor do not necessarily match. This was not the case for the sandwiches at the Bread Basket, everything looked as good as it tasted.
Typically, I don’t eat a lot of cold cut sandwiches because of how salty the meat can get. This was not a problem for the ham on my sandwich, either that, or the flavors were so well balanced I didn’t notice.
The homemade bread was flavorful and delicious. Just one bite in you could tell this was not your run-of-the-mill store-bought Wonderbread. This was bread that had been mixed, kneaded and baked in small batches and with care. Additionally, the bread was toasted perfectly. I’m a stickler about toasted bread as I don’t like it too crunchy, but you don’t want to be eating floppy bread. The bread was crisp, crunched when bitten into, but had give so it didn’t make a crummy mess or break easily.
You could tell that their produce was fresh. I’ve often had sandwiches where the tomato is slightly soggy, like it’d been refrigerated, but this was not the case. I’m also used to red onions on sandwiches, but they used regular onions, something certain people I know would appreciate as they find the flavor of red onion overpowering.
Later, after getting back to the office we cut into the cinnamon buns. As soon as the lid to the container was opened you could smell the sweet maple smell. One thing I hadn’t realized at the time of purchase was how massive the buns were! They were thick, coated in a generous layer of frosting and came in a pack of four.
Like the sandwich, you could tell they were homemade, and were incredibly delicious. I would recommend their sandwiches and baked goods, especially if you have a sweet tooth like I do!
The Bread Basket, at 815 Blandford Rd. in Russell, is the perfect place to go if you’re craving homemade, quality food. It’s well worth the long drive into the Hilltowns to get some fresh air and delicious sandwiches.
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