Bloomington Sandwich Co. - Bloomington, IN

118 East Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408-3330
Bloomington Sandwich Company

The Bloomington Sandwich Co. (BSC) is my favorite sandwich shop in the state. (I only go to Shapiro's for the Reuben, whereas I have loved every sandwich at the BSC). It was a rainy Saturday afternoon and we came back to Bloomington to play in a fraternity basketball tournament (it was rained out, so lunch was our next best option). Now the BSC used to be located the square, but it has since moved to Kirkwood. The first time I ever ate at this restaurant was after I graduated college (one of my biggest regrets in college). I know I would have been a regular, if I had known that this place existed. Based on the BSC Bloomingpedia page, the BSC was started by Mike and Carole Moy in 2005. If my memory is correct, Mike is from the Chicago area. I know this because we had a conversation about the Italian Beef Sandwich on the menu, and my affinity for giardinera. The Italian Beef is only one of the reasons I fell in love with this restaurant. The first being, the Reuben... It ranks #5 on the All Time Reuben List. Here is where Mike and I have a discrepancy. I have told you I order the Reuben NY Style, with cole slaw instead of sauerkraut. Mike refers to it as New Jersey style. He said that he had some dudes from jersey come into the store and they said that the cole slaw style originated in NJ. Of course they would say that. Anyone that went to IU could spot said "dudes from jersey" from a mile a way. You know the type, with their "shirts before the shirts", Yankees flat bills, orange skin, bottle service at Sports. Because those dudes annoy me to no end, I will not let them take credit for the cole slaw on the Reuben. It will always be NY Style in my eyes, because New Yorkers are so much better. 

So why is the Reuben #5? It's not stacked with corned beef like the other Reubens on the list, but it is the total package. The meat is tender, juicy and delightfully seasoned. The rye bread is toasted to perfection. There is a perfect amount of cole slaw and 1000 island dressing, so it isn't runny and messy. The Swiss cheese is melted just right. It just tastes fresh. I honestly think I could eat about 3 of these in one sitting because they taste so darn good, but just the one with a side dish will leave you satisfied. I chose the potato salad. It is nothing spectacular, but it does the trick. Beyond the sandwiches and service, the one thing that sold me on the BSC was the tasty treat they give you at the end of the meal. It is just a sample of their many flavors of Italian Ice, but after your meal, just a sample is enough. 

Round 2

RFS and I went back to Bloomington to meet with our fraternity advisor before we went to Columbus, IN for a wedding. KM had never been there before and he is a B-town native, so we had to go. Was I tempted to get the Reuben, absolutely. I had to opt for something different. I must say that the Combo meal that the BSC offers is one of the best I have ever seen. For the price of just a sandwich, you get a 1/2 sandwich, EITHER potato salad or Cole Slaw, then pick from the following: chips and drink, fries, side salad, cup of soup, cup of chili, OR chips and salsa. I decided to go with the BSC club: Bacon, Turkey, Ham, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo on toasted sourdough bread. I went with the Caesar side salad and potato salad for my sides. Once again, the potato salad is just your run of the mill potato salad. The Caesar salad didn't wow me either, but I was feeling a salad, and hadn't had a Caesar in a while. It was just chopped Romaine lettuce, croutons, and shredded Parmesan cheese. As I stated before, the meat they use at the BSC is so fresh. Really any option you choose, you are guaranteed a freshly sliced stack of meat and fixins. The lettuce is crisp and you really get a bite of each ingredient every time. I also like how they don't put too much mayo on the sandwich. I only like small amounts of mayo on my sandwiches. I know I mentioned I would go on a Sandwich hiatus, but I had this entry queued up. Be on the lookout for Mother Bear's Pizza, Sensu, and Hotcakes Pancake Emporium. 

"I am proud to be an American. Because an American can EAt anything on the face of this earth as long as he has two pieces of bread." - Bill Cosby