Grahamwich

Grahamwich is the fast casual sandwich outpost by Graham Elliot Bowles.

Bowles is a high profile chef who ran the four star Peninsula hotel kitchen after stints at Tru and Charlie Trotter's. Many know him from his appearances on Top Chef: Masters and MasterChef, and the young chef harvested plenty of indie credibility in his role as the culinary ambassador at Lollapalooza.

Bowles brings his whimsical style to the Downtown deli. There are house made sodas and house pickled veggies, putting a handcrafted spin on items typically taken for granted.

The main attraction at Grahamwich is sandwiches, of course, but there are fun starters as well. The truffle popcorn migrates over from Bowles' namesake Graham Elliot. It is a rich explosion of black pepper, chives, butter and parmesan cheese buttressed by layers of delightful truffle oil flavor. A large order goes a long way; it could serve three people.

There is always one vegetarian sandwich on the menu. The Mediterranean veggie was made with roasted eggplant and squash, spinach, carrots, tomatoes and onions. The eggplant was spicy and perfectly textured. The focaccia bread added a nice textural contrast to the sandwich.

Grahamwich is reasonably priced for the quality, similar to a neighborhood deli. The decor is fun like its proprietor and his interactive website.