“You’re like a female Joey Tribbiani“, one of my friends remarked when I was in Philadelphia over the holidays. What she meant was I’m nuts for sandwiches (not afraid of romantic commitment). American expats returning to the homeland might feel their hearts skip a beat at thought of consuming (semi) authentic Mexican food, cheese steaks, Coolwhip, Reese Peanut Butter Cups, soft pretzels, hash browns and a big plate of maple syrup-drenched buttermilk pancakes, preferably containing pumpkin.

Me? I could barely contain my excitement for a meal that is made more complicated than it needs to be in France. A meal that is too often neglected, abandoned, cast aside by urban professionals too “busy” to slow down and eat. Lunch. With several professional experiences in Paris under my belt, I feel I can say with some authority that lunch is one of two things: a lengthy, sit-down meal with far too much red wine to be deemed appropriate for returning to work, heavy sauces and a formule (fixed menu) that includes a rich, sweet ending; OR a rushed hop to the corner bakery for a sandwich coated with butter or mayonnaise with soggy lettuce and unripe tomatoes or an overpriced salad from one of those trendy make-your-own places (late adopters, clearly) before rushing back to the office to inhale your lunch in front of the computer. I’ve also experienced the offering at company cafeterias which can be well-balanced but also copious, much more than I’m inclined to eat midday. That and I’m too easily tempted by dessert stations with bowls of whipped cream.

So when I stepped off the plane onto U.S. soil, I immediately began thinking about the multiplicity of options I could choose from for lunch during my trip. True to memory, I wasn’t disappointed. A veggie burger wrap with melted gruyère and fresh vegetables. The above grilled chicken with spinach and aged provolone on a 7-grain baguette (surprisingly, it WAS just as good as the whole grain baguette I’ve had in Paris) may be more of a classic sandwich but I dare you to find it in Paris. Anywhere. Almost better than that was a hummus and avocado on grilled pita with tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke pesto, and a crisp veggie salad w/ fresh herb vinaigrette. Add to that homemade pumpkin gruyère soup, mini crab quiches and a delightful turkey, cheese and roasted red pepper sandwich on home-baked wheat bread, and I was reeling after 12 days. 

And now, after returning to Paris on Monday to a readjustment that proved more difficult than I anticipated, I’m once again faced with lunchtime disappointment. As a non-pork eater, those ham and cheese sandwiches swiped with butter on a baguette from the bakery just don’t have enough noon-time bang. So to anyone looking for a business idea that I will get behind, I propose “Simply Sandwiches” that go well beyond French OR American classics to offer a finely curated selection of sandwiches that might be enjoyed by individuals all over the world. Chew on that.

{photos taken at Continental Midtown, Philadelphia.}