Gourmet sandwiches reached mass DC foodie appeal in 2010.The trend is an offshoot of the organic food movement, at which DC is a central node, and the Vietnamese/French paired Banh Mi (Saigon Subs) sandwiches.
With new eateries spreading to the 'burbs--specifically Leesburg VA with the new Jimmy John's and the still new Jersey Mike's--its time for an end-of-summer throwdown between early pioneers: home grown Taylor Gourmet and NYC interloper Devon & Blakely.
System, Service Before Sandwich
Taylor Gourmet
The Bethesda start up quickly gained favor in the niche market.
Before Taylor, Georgetown's Dean and Deluca was pretty much it for DC's upmarket sandwich offerings.
While all gourmet sandwich places emphasize fresh and often organic ingredients, Taylor did a two-fer at its flagship store with the popular indoor/outdoor architecture theme. Rollaway garage doors opened up the exterior walls on the corner outlet for alfresco indoor dining.
Taylor and other Bethesda stores received appropriate government permissions for the design but ran afoul of the food police in Annapolis who suddenly feared a wave of vermin. Eateries had been open for several years without incident. Shuttered in Maryland, indoor alfresco diners are pointed to Georgetown which continues to have DC's permission to fling open floor-to-ceiling windows.
On a summer afternoon the walls were rolled up for perfect people watching experience. The building design in Bethesda drew many people indoors but the gray on pale yellow writing on the menu board is hard to see.
Worse still, the offerings are so complex and numerous, it's apparently hard for most newbies to jump in and figure out what they might want to try. Over half made a U turn out the door after being faced with the lengthy menu.
Devon & Blakely
No one ever accused D&B of being overly complicated. Its stores mostly serve downtown DC's office workers.
It initially gathered lunchers accustomed to the popular salad assembly stores (Sweet Green, Chopt etc.) with its system: self help choice of prepacked lettuce bowl handed over to the assembler with ingredient specs.
As for the sandwiches, Devon & Blakely runs a tight ship. Premade sandwiches are displayed in the window. Simply point and receive for a quick trip to the cashier.
In most stores, workers are more than crisp.
Don't know what you want with the first glance?
Better get with it!
Classic New York City manners were never so close to DC.
[And don't stand on the left while you're at it!]
Some have called D&B the "sandwich nazis" after the persnickety soup guru on the "Seinfeld" show.
Yet many more prefer the no nonsense/quick approach which makes D&B stores very busy as they almost always sell out all their premade sandwiches. Yeah--hundreds of sandwiches in a couple hours.
Head full of the day's events and the Blackberry is buzzing? Multitasking DC likes pointing to window displays rather than disciphering an encyclopedia of ingredients.
Devon & Blakely wins with its easy in, easy out system. The brusque service even yields a knowing acknowledgment of DC's cut throat business culture. The cashier does smile when you hand over the money though :P!
The Sandwiches
Both Taylor Gourmet and Devon & Blakely have the goods on the innards with surprisingly tasty flavors. Amazing how bland a Subway can taste afterwards.
Both also work the bread thing though D&B boldly ventures into different bread sizes and shapes. Think the mini pumpernickel torpedo sandwich won't be filling? Wrong answer.
Taylor seems to offer only white bread varieties.
A match for unique flavors but an extra chit for D&B's different bread style offerings.
The Verdict
Brain power has better uses than figuring out a complicated sub menu at Taylor's though the chain gets major kudos for recognizing early on that DC was the perfect place for upmarket sandwiches.
Devon & Blakely has inspired more return visits even becoming a destination when taking visitors to DC. Taylor's H Street location was initially discovered when ducked in to avoid a pickpocket (yes--that picture...). Living in NoVa, don't go to Bethesda that often.
NoVa will have more of a chance to try Taylor Gourmet's goods when its new Merrifield-Fairfax store opens at the Mosaic District on Lee Hwy/Route 29 at Gallows Road.
Devon & Blakely is offered the crown of this NHG throwdown though probably has better things to do. D&B has outlets essentially surrounding the general White House area.
You don't know where they're at? Do a little prep work before you go will ya?!
Time is money around these parts.
Note: peeps say D&B's newest at Foggy Bottom has a different 'tude. Being next to George Washington University Hospital and all.
Minting money with the neighborhood euro-international set.
2 comments:
Taylor Gourmet offers wheat bread now. They also recently changed their menu board to improve legibility. I highly recommend their salads in addition to their scrumptious hoagies.
I heard they're in City Vista near Chinatown. Will have to make an effort to stop by sometime though don't get that way often.
Its a wonder why these stores forget about the bread so much! What about Naan/flat bread? I know Taylor is a take off of Philly though.
Cool local entrepreneur story.
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