CHIReview
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Tribecca's Sandwich Shop
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Chicago has sandwich shops like Florida has golf courses. They’re all over the place. So when one captures our attention, that means it’s pretty great. And Tribecca’s, a small counter-service spot in Avondale, makes slightly subversive sandwiches that we’d run through a wall to get to.
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Tribecca’s began as a pop-up, then joined the rush of post-pandemic homesteaders who became official when restrictions were lifted. The menu has nine sandwiches to choose from, and it all seems pretty straightforward. You’ll see a Cubano, tuna on sourdough, a Maidwrong…what was that? A Maidwrong? And what exactly is a Horseshoe? Hold on, half of these sandwiches are vegetarian.
On closer look, the cute, pastel menu zigs when you expect it to zag. You’ll find Cubanos made with tofu, unexpected condiments like mustard butter and steak sauce aioli, and desserts glazed with “whatever locally grown fruit we can get.” It’s a little like hanging out with someone wearing chinos who turns out to have a full back piece.
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Unexpected elements can be fun, so long as the result tastes good. We haven’t eaten a sandwich from Tribecca's that we didn’t fall in love with. The aforementioned Maidwrong is a play on the Maidrite—an iconic steamed loose-meat sandwich created about 100 years ago in Iowa. Tribecca’s savory iteration has juicy seared beef with caramelized bits, agrodolce onions, muenster, and a steak sauce mayo that gives the condiment purpose beyond gathering dust in the pantry. And this potentially sloppy masterpiece is so precisely constructed that somehow all that unfettered meat doesn’t end up on your lap.
Each sandwich seems to be designed by a civil engineer. The perfectly pressed Cubano has smoky chipotle aioli and mustard butter acting as the mortar in between layers of ham and tender pork. Tofu versions of the Cubano and the Horseshoe (an open-faced burger topped with spicy cheese sauce and fries) are as savory and texturally satisfying as the meaty originals, and we still don’t understand how the panko-fried cauliflower tastes just like a Burger King crispy chicken sandwich, and we mean that as a compliment. Our only complaint is that Tribecca’s only has a few seats, and the warm sandwiches should be eaten right away for optimum enjoyment. If they’re full, we suggest you eat them on the curb outside the restaurant, in your car, or better yet—just move next door.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Maidwrong
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Horseshoe
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Cubano
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Crispy “Frosted” Cauliflower
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Loaded Baked Potado-nut