Fast Foodie: Sandwich De Paris

No. 12 seeds are the not-so-silent sleepers of the NCAA Tournament winning at least once in the first round 21 of the last 23 years against No. 5 seeds. Consider the mid-major Sandwich De Paris a poised No. 12 seed. The establishment is off the radar ("in the burbs" as some would say), but maintains a steady clientele of Medical Center professionals. The place was relatively empty when I arrived at 2 p.m. one day and again at 1 p.m. the next. The rush, I've come to understand, arrives squarely at noon. When pressed, the cashier recommended I try one of three top selections — California Club ($7.50), French Ham (cured in house, $7.25), and the hot selection, the Avocado Chicken ($7.95). Prior to my visit I had appreciated the Avocado Chicken's looks while browsing Sandwich de Paris' daily-updated Facebook page.

The chicken breast is topped with grilled onion, tomato, avocado, cilantro, and house-made mayonnaise. Every sandwich comes with a choice of chips, salad, or soup as a side. Wanting something light to complement the sandwich, I went with the salad. Tucked in a French baguette, the hot interior made the crispy-edged bread feel softer on my palate. The sandwich's ingredients were perfectly packed, providing a melody of flavors with each bite. The tender avocado complemented the warm strips of white meat. In fact, it tasted like a substantial chicken fajita, but with mayo instead of salsa. Because the Avocado Chicken only comes in full size, I'd recommend selecting a side order to-go for later snacking. I'm interested in trying the Italiano ($7.50) served on their homemade focaccia bread, and one diner prefaced ordering the Daily Special's O'Corned Beef sandwich by saying, "Let's try this bad boy."

Speaking of sides, my salad was drenched in balsamic vinaigrette, but at least the greens weren't iceberg. My plastic fork wasn't succeeding, requiring a surgeon's dexterity. At one point, the struggling fork and surplus of dressing caused a splash to my shirt. (Question: If you trust diners with a salad bowl then why can't they be trusted with real silverware?) But save for the salad fiasco, No. 12 may be an inaccurate seeding, because I certainly wasn't upset by the the time the final buzzer sounded. — Ryan Sachetta