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This is a bright, cheerful restaurant that looked very promising. When we arrived, we ran into friends who had already been served, so we got a look at the Pork and Brie sandwich and the Forager Bowl, which appeared fabulous. The beer selection is very limited, not even a real IPA, and the beer and wine portions are small. But OK we were here for the food, and ordered two Pork and Brie sandwiches between the three of us. The roll, being a Sparrow’s Hoagie Roll, is the most perfect vehicle for a sandwich you will ever experience, light, crusty, delicious. There should be a Noble Prize for Baking, just so it can be awarded to Sparrow for this roll. The pork was very nice, although I’d be more inclined to call it ham. The brie, well, there wasn’t a lot, so I don’t have much to say. Arugula is not my favorite, but it made a fine green for the serving. And the potato chips were wonderful. But, while not mentioned in the menu, both halves of the roll were slathered with the most intensely sweet “pepper jam” or something, hard to say since all you could taste was sweetness. The sandwich is way too sweet even for a dessert, and completely ruined the experience for me, although one of my companions said they liked the jam. I ate 1/2 of the sandwich after removing one side of the sticky, bright red roll, so ended up with a meager meal indeed. It could have been a great sandwich, without the jam.

• The University Club – Madison – Menu with Prices – 803 State St, Madison
• Rise Up Bakery – Menu with Prices – 861 N Higley Rd #109, Gilbert
• Falstaff’s Local – Menu with Prices – 311 Park Central W, Springfield
• Cremesh European Restaurant – Menu with Prices – 7232 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton
• Ninth Square Market – Menu with Prices – 72 S Orange St, New Haven
• Resurgence Brewing Company Chicago St. – Menu with Prices – 55 Chicago St, Buffalo
• The Honey Baked Ham Company – Menu with Prices – 3515 W 57th St, Sioux Falls
• Serious Texas Bar-B-Q ® Timberline Rd Fort Collins, CO. – Menu with Prices – 2001 S Timberline Rd, Fort Collins
• TANE VEGAN IZAKAYA – Menu with Prices – 2065 S Beretania St, Honolulu
• Smokin Yard’s BBQ – Menu with Prices – 900 W 1st Ave, Denver
• Tiffy B’s Eatery – Menu with Prices – 4366 Old Shell Rd, Mobile
• Savanna Salad Bowls & Sandwiches – Menu with Prices – Market, 3 S Orange St, Wilmington

The University Club – Madison – Menu with Prices – 803 State St, Madison

This is a great place to visit for breakfast or lunch. It is open to the public. It has that Old World vibe with wood beams, large windows, and real linen tablecloths. This is a place to go to dine when you want to take your time, relax, and just breathe. I took my mom here as a lunch treat. They had a special menu to honor Mardi Gras, but we ordered off the regular menu. We each ordered a cup of the Vegetable Squash soup ($3)and we shared the Turkey and Brie Pannini with roasted red pepper, moustardo and served on pretzel bread ($11). We chose sweet potato fries as the side that would accompany our sandwich. We both ordered ice tea ($2). When I asked our server if the soup was a clear broth or a cream base, she quickly went to the kitchen and found out that it was a clear broth.A variety of breads were served in a bread basket before the soup arrived.The soup came with crackers in small white bowls. The squash and vegetables were well seasoned and the broth was hot, rich and satisfying, especially on such a cold day. Our sandwich was served next with a side of sweet potato fries and a spread/dipping sauce. The sauce was a smooth mayonnaise base with a hint of heat. The Pannini reminded of the kind you can get in a Europe bistro. The sandwich was flattened so that all the ingredients are compacted into a wonderful bite. The sandwich had a slightly sweet taste from the moustardo and roasted red peppers. The turkey was tender and the brie added that creamy richness that melts in your mouth. All in all, a great success as a sandwich. I wish I knew the name of our server, as she was quick and charming. The service was top notch. So, if you want to take a break, I strongly suggest this wonderful, old world restaurant.

Rise Up Bakery – Menu with Prices – 861 N Higley Rd #109, Gilbert

Just because my doctor told me cut out the sweets for awhile, doesn’t mean I still can’t come to my favorite bakery. I have been wanting to try their sandwiches for awhile now and today finally had the chance. And I was not disappointed!! I tried their Londoner which has roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes and Rise up sauce. Not sure what the sauce is but very yummy with a hint of sweet. Beard options are white, wheat, sub roll or lettuce wrap. I choose the sub roll and just as I figured, the beard was soft, tasty and all natural like all their beards. You can also make it a combo which comes with any drink out of their fridge and potato salad or chips. I snagged a bottle of water and the potato salad. I will never go to those “other” sandwich shops. This is my place now. My next visit I think I’ll try the Italian sandwich.

Falstaff’s Local – Menu with Prices – 311 Park Central W, Springfield

My new favorite place! The atmosphere is nice, not too loud, and if you want to bring the kiddos, I think they would be fine. Happy Hour was awesome as the Home-cut Chips with Jalapeño Ranch is Free during this time and the Beer is tasty! I would recommend the Reuben sandwich and most definitely, the Garlic Parmesan Fries. I mean c’mon, if you’re going to drink beer, you gotta go all in with the food! I really like the atmosphere as it’s not to loud or too bright. The Staff was awesome and friendly and helpful when it came to Beer selection. I would totally recommend this place to anyone who asks. I plan to come back often.

Cremesh European Restaurant – Menu with Prices – 7232 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton

What a gem! We went with another couple and had a wonderful meal, everything as good as it could be. A wonderful wine and draft beer list. One person in our party had the potato pancakes as an appetizer and said they were the best he’d ever had. I had pork schnitzel with Jager sauce (creamy mushroom), with mashed potatoes & red cabbage. Two people had roast pork that was so tender you didn’t need a knife. The 4th person had the special that evening of pork goulash. Each dish was carefully and expertly prepared, so flavorful and delicious. Each couple had shared a dessert, cremesh and apple strudel. The apple strudel was perfection, not too sweet, flaky pastry, served with ice cream. The cremesh is a puff pastry with custard, that was out of this world. I just can’t say enough about how wonderful this restaurant is. We highly recommend it and will be going back soon. Thank you Pavel for a wonderful, memorable evening!

Ninth Square Market – Menu with Prices – 72 S Orange St, New Haven

Totally unassuming little mini-mart on Orange St. They have a deli counter. I’ve wandered in here for lunch before, but their $10 credit card minimum has sent me packing. Today… i was carrying cash. $7.16 later i walked out with a small bag of Utz Chips, a can of arizona iced tea, and a grilled chipotle chicken sandwich fit for a king. The sandwich was on a grilled hard roll, slathered with chipotle mayo. When he put it on, he used a big spoon and i thought it was gonna be WAY too much, but it was just right, and you could see the big chunks of fresh chipotle peppers. The chicken wasn’t a whole breast, it was shaved on the meat slicer, so each bite was perfectly even. The lettuce and tomato held onto a seasoning blend he sprinkled on, which complimented the sandwich nicely. I couldnt’ understand a word of the language this guy was speaking (i think it was Lebanese), but he sure as hell knows how to make a good sandwich…

Resurgence Brewing Company Chicago St. – Menu with Prices – 55 Chicago St, Buffalo

First visit to this second location, so I will give it three stars to be generous. I want them to up their food game and change my mind. The space itself is gorgeous, large rooms with exposed pipes and one of the dining areas (where we sat) is right next to the brewing equipment. Great light fixtures and a bustling space. Little “alley like” area with cornhole and some other seating for a somewhat beer garden feel, but nothing like the outside seating at the OG location. We came for dinner and unfortunately were underwhelmed. Poutine to start–nice thick gravy, good amount of cheese, a bit salty bc the fries were already seasoned. Might get again, but would rather try charcuterie or the pretzel next time. I got the buffalo fried chicken sandwich and if I was basing my review just on that, I’d give two stars at most. The piece of chicken was measly. I don’t mean to sound gluttonous, but I’ve had a larger (and tastier) chicken sandwich from Chik Fil A. The bun overshadowed the chicken. And it didn’t really taste like fried chicken, more just buffalo hot sauce flavor with a tiny bit of breading. At $13, served with fries, nothing to write home about. My partner got the pulled pork and it was completely sauceless and lacking the pickles mentioned in the description. She had to ask for sauce to even be able to taste the special Resurgence beer bbq sauce. The roll couldn’t handle the moistness of the pork; a heartier crusty roll would be better suited. But if they can’t put together a bbq sandwich or a simple fried chicken sandwich, maybe they should stick to just apps and drinks and not have a full food menu. The beers we shared in a flight were amazing and of the quality we have come to love with Resurgence. So no qualms there. But the food and along with the somewhat “space cadet” type service we got, makes us feel this was a lackluster experience. We’d go back to maybe get some beer and a snack or the special desserts, but otherwise we will stick to the beer garden at the Niagara street location.

The Honey Baked Ham Company – Menu with Prices – 3515 W 57th St, Sioux Falls

Very good! It’s not on the menu any longer, but I get the Turkey Bacon Blitz which is the perfect mixture of savory and sweet. Today the bread was especially soft but the sandwich is always great. My husband had the club sandwich which he said was packed with meat and very tasty. The meal came with a pickle and plain potato chips which I don’t care for except in this case, where it nicely enhances the sweet/savory flavor profile.

Serious Texas Bar-B-Q ® Timberline Rd Fort Collins, CO. – Menu with Prices – 2001 S Timberline Rd, Fort Collins

If you’re from Texas…don’t get too excited…it’s not that serious! This is a “get in, fill your belly with meat, and get out” type of place. That’s why I come here, it’s pretty good for that, and that’s what you should expect. There is a small parking lot for this location and it is designed to cater to lunchtime folks, for the most part. At lunchtime, there will likely be a line to the register where you order your food. There are some pretty decent options and the prices are reasonable. I like to get the Texas taco (meat, potatoes and cheese), the pulled-pork sandwich, or the loaded potato option. The loaded potato has pulled-pork, queso, sour cream and some other delicious crap piled on…it’s wonderful! There are some bottled beer varieties and soft drink options. The service is always friendly and you can get through that line pretty quickly. You will pick up your meal as you check out at the register. There are several picnic tables in the dining area and an outdoor patio as well. Each table has a roll of paper towels attached, a couple bottles of their standard BBQ sauces, and you will pick up your plastic utensils from a dispenser by the soda machine. The meat is smoked nicely and pretty delicious! This is not upscale, not a full service place, designed as a franchise, and all that works pretty well. Despite the name, don’t take it too seriously, and just get your meat and eat it. Great lunch option!

TANE VEGAN IZAKAYA – Menu with Prices – 2065 S Beretania St, Honolulu

When my friend suggested we have dinner at a vegan sushi place, I was first confused and honestly not that excited. I mean, if I’m not vegan, why avoid the best part of the sushi (the fish!)? I was happily surprised at how tasty each dish was! Nasu Agebitashi ($7): A simple starter for the night. Marinated eggplant served chilled. It has a sweet soy sauce taste to it. Not too salty and bold. Philadelphia Roll ($8): This roll is the vegan version of the usual. They change it up by substituting the smoked salmon with smoked tofu. I was “ok” with this dish. It definitely didnt stick out like the other rolls. The texture was also not my favorite (the tofu was firm, yet mushy.) The smoke was nice though. Sweet Potato Roll ($6): This is probably my least favorite of the night. It was exactly as how it is written, fried sweet potato wrapped in sushi rice. It was too much starch for my taste. Sunset Roll ($13): This roll was obviously inspired by the very popular Spicy Tuna roll. Instead of tuna, they use tofu as the protein! They topped it with avocado and a spicy sauce on the side if you want an extra kick. And for a fun aesthetic, they have a small flame at the end of the dish. This flame is not used to enhance the food in any way (we checked with the server). Half Moon Roll ($15) This roll was loaded with toppings! The sushi is a fried sweet potato roll, but they deep fry the whole roll after that. Then they top it off with smoked bean curd, pickled mango, onion, tomato, and sprinkled of shiso, yuzu, and jalapeno. This wasnt my favorite roll, but one of us really liked it. I dont particularly like sweet things with sushi so the mango threw me off. Eggplant Nigiri ($6/2 pieces): This was such a simple sushi nigiri, but it was so tasty! The eggplant was nicely marinated and the miso was a nice touch. Its definitely not the most inventive sushi, but it was made great! This was probably my favorite of the night. Yuba Nigiri ($6/2 pieces): I love yuba so I wanted to try this sushi. The firm texture of the yuba was great! However, the flavor for me was just a bit short. I wish I could taste the yuba more (maybe the rice took that away? Im not sure). Ambiance: The decor was great inside. Very contemporary and Japanese inspired. You can definitely tell its a Japanese restaurant. Lots of wood furniture and decor. The lighting was not too dim or too bright so it was comfortable. Parking: Passing the restaurant there is a small parking lot. The signs on the stalls are missing the restaurant’s name, but you can park there! We checked with the company and they said it is just not updated yet. If the lot is full, hopefully you can find street parking on Beretania, Young St, or somewhere close. Overall: The service was great! The server was kind and even suggested us to try the nigiri sushi; we almost didnt order any, but glad we did! The food was mostly very tasty and impressive, however the price is a little high in my opinion. Fresh fish is the most expensive part in the sushi, but these rolls excluded them and still priced pretty similarly. Maybe because produce is expensive in Hawaii? I would probably go again!

Smokin Yard’s BBQ – Menu with Prices – 900 W 1st Ave, Denver

Y’all! As a girl who grew up in the south, I have been on the prowl for some good southern BBQ here in Colorado. After trying a few places and being disappointed in the places that “friends” had suggested, I thought that, just like my search for good cuban food, it was a stupid and futile gesture. But then, an employee at Habitat for Humanity Restore mentioned Smokin Yards when I said I was hungry out loud in the store. Who would have thought my tendency to say what I’m feeling out loud randomly to no one in particular would bring me to this southern BBQ haven? I just about lost my stuffing when I saw they had complimentary boiled peanuts. What used to be everywhere in my home state is now rarely seen by my eyes now that I’ve moved to Colorado, except here they were, delicious and free! Being a pulled pork girl myself, I ordered the Carolina pulled pork sandwich with a side of potato salad and fried okra. A lot of things could have been done wrong with this order, but I dived in, saying “Go big or go home, Kaypee!” The cashier proceeded to detail what all of those things meant, and understandably so. We are in Denver, after all. There are a lot of southern transplants here, but not enough to assume a customer will know the ins and outs of BBQ. But I knew what I was about to be sinking my teeth into, so I paid my money, grabbed some boiled peanuts and waited for that mustard-based bbq-sauce-covered pork sandwich to arrive. When it arrived, man, oh, man. First, one look at the potato salad and I knew it was exactly what I wanted. Real southern potato salad with lots of flavor (definitely had some mustard in it, which is my jam) and big chunks of potato! The fried okra came out piping hot. It was just made! And the sandwich, y’all! The sandwich had coleslaw and homemade Carolina BBQ sauce on top. I, of course, added more of the liquid gold to my sandwich, took a bite, and was very happy with my choice. The pork was moist, not a bit of it was dry. It was what I expect from the BBQ that I’m accustomed to. I will be back to try everything else on that menu, which is something I’m jazzed about. Best bbq I’ve had in Denver so far.

Tiffy B’s Eatery – Menu with Prices – 4366 Old Shell Rd, Mobile

Tried this place for lunch since it is new. The food was fine and tasted fresh, the cup of soup I had tasted great. So why the three stars? Value. I felt that 10.00 for the sandwich and side was to high. It was pretty much the same one you would make at home nothing special about it. The sides are extremely small also. My friend ordered a side of potato salad with his sandwich and it was no more than two tablespoons worth. Like I mentioned before the food is good and I want to like this place. I will give them another try in a month or so to see if they have made any changes or improvements.

Savanna Salad Bowls & Sandwiches – Menu with Prices – Market, 3 S Orange St, Wilmington

First time trying it out. Replaced another sandwich shop in the Riverfront Market. Got the pastrami on marble. Sandwich included swiss and avacado ranch. Meal came with potato chips. Container recyclable cardboard and plastic. Tasty sandwich.