The Best Damn Sandwich: Nosh Restaurant & CafeDate: 7/17/2019 SPRINGFIELD – Nestled in a cozy, brick lined alleyway behind 1341 Main St. in Springfield, on Market Street, sits Nosh Restaurant and Cafe – an industrial-style eatery that is both homey and quaint, eclectic and modern.
For readers who may not be familiar, the Reminder Publishing staff has a column called, “The Best Damn Sandwich” that we usually feature on our Dining and Entertainment page. With a lot going on over the past month or so, we haven’t had time to all get together, go out to a chosen eatery, and review our choices. With one of our Staff Writers, Stephanie Trombley, leaving the office for a new opportunity (we’ll miss you, Stephanie!) we chose to host her going away outing doing what we know best – eating sandwiches together.
This brought us to Nosh, a cafe that features unique cold and hot sandwiches, soups, baked goods, coffees, desserts and salads. For those who may have dietary or health restrictions, Nosh also offers many vegan options.
Staff writer and Prime Editor Debbie Gardner describes the atmosphere of nosh as “warm and friendly, with a decor that’s reminiscent of a neighborhood bistro in the Back Bay of Boston or one of the walk-down eateries in New York City.” Gardner added that the “colorful menu,” which is hand written and inscribed on chalkboards in a rainbow of colors. She noted that this made choosing a meal “both fun and a bit of a challenge – there’s so much to look at!” As Gardner implied, Nosh has outdoor, bistro-style seating as well as an indoor dining space. The outdoor space is adorned with twinkle lights, cozy bistro tables, and a few brick booth-inspired seats that are decorated with whimsical pillows.
Reminder staff writer Sarah Heinonen liked the tables, which were slabs of sealed wood sitting atop metal piping. She stated that the environment of Nosh “successfully walked the line between charming and hipster.”
On to the food.
Each member of the news staff selected a different sandwich. I chose the, “Hot Friggin Goat,” one of Nosh’s vegan options, which featured goat cheese, fig jam, onions, tomato and spinach. I’m a big fan of goat cheese, so I was thrilled when I received my sandwich which was generously covered with the creamy spread. The fig jam wasn’t overpowering, and the combination of all of the ingredients was quite complementary.
Reminder Publishing Managing Editor G. Michael Dobbs took the easy way of selection out – he asked one of the staff members what her favorite sandwich was. She said, “The Green Monster,” and he said, “Please.”
The Green Monster is a hefty barbeque chicken and bacon sandwich with cheddar cheese, onions, avocado and spinach – therefore the green distinction – with a not-too-spicy chipotle ranch dressing. The sandwich was toasted in a Panini press before serving. Dobbs also had coleslaw on the side, which he said was a nice complement.
“My advice is to bring your appetite.” Dobbs added, “The Green Monster is satisfying, filling and quite delicious with all of the ingredients working together.”
Trombley only slightly stepped out of her usual “Thanksgiving–style” sandwich (for those of you who follow our sandwich column – you would know Stephanie generally choose sandwiches that are turkey with cranberry and stuffing), and chose a variation of it: “The Pig in the Sombrero.” The sandwich contained barbeque pulled pork, stuffing, cranberry sauce, chipotle, cheddar and onion.
“What I expected to be a messy meal turned out to be a perfectly put together sandwich with just the right amount of each ingredient,” Trombley said of The Pig in the Sombrero. “The pulled pork was not drowning in BBQ sauce, but had just enough to give a uniquely tangy charm among the sweetness of the cranberry sauce.”
Heinonen chose “The Golden Finger” which is topped with honey mustard, chicken, bacon, avocado, spinach, onions, tomato and cheddar. She explained that the aroma of the sandwich was “wonderful” and that it “smelled so fresh that the word “green” sprung to mind.
“It had a nicely balanced flavor, with no one ingredient overpowering another,” Heinonen said. “Nosh’s side options of cucumbers, coleslaw, or veggie slaw intrigued me. I decided to try the veggie slaw which was a nice take on a familiar side, with shredded carrots and red cabbage in an oil dressing. It was colorful and less heavy than a mayo-based slaw.”
Our last sandwich to review was Gardner’s selection: the buffalo chicken sandwich. This sandwich offered buffalo chicken, cheddar, onions, tomato, black olives, spinach, chipotle and ranch.
“I’m usually not the kind to go the spicy route, but I stepped out of my food comfort zone. Yes, it had some heat, but not so much that I couldn’t handle it! A generous drizzle of Buffalo sauce coated slices of cooked chicken tucked between a layer of thin sliced tomato, crisp red onion and chopped black olives on the bottom, and fresh spinach leaves and melted cheddar on top,” Gardner said of her choice. “A light eater, I took half of my sandwich home and shared it with my husband. More of a foodie than me, he said the ingredients were, “nicely balanced, none of the flavors overpowered the other,” and that the Buffalo sauce had just the right amount of heat.”
All in all, each of us enjoyed the atmosphere and our meals at Nosh. One of my favorite touches was how the sandwiches were served – in recycled pie tins from former bakeries. I look forward to my return to Nosh, whether it be with members of the Reminder Publishing staff or with friends and family. As Dobbs described, “Nosh is a great addition to the already vibrant downtown Springfield lunch scene.”
|
