The Goodwich

The Goodwich isn’t the first sandwich shop with culinary ambitions. There are many places that make sandwiches meant to push boundaries, some the brainchildren of celebrity chefs. We’ve never been to one that does it nearly as well as The Goodwich. Its sandwiches are inspired by such American classics as egg salad, patty melt, or grilled cheese. But here they are reconsidered, and they taste completely new.

Take the “reuben-ish” sandwich: thick-cut corned beef on marble rye oozing with Thousand Islands, kraut, and Swiss cheese. The twist here is simple, but important: fennel in the kraut. The licorice taste harmonizes with spices in the beef and completely realigns the flavor profile.

Instead of a Louisville hot brown, the Goodwich has a cold brown, which is not an open-faced sandwich and isn’t broiled. Its bacon is thick, the turkey is as tender as lunch meat and as thick and flavorful as carvery.  The sandwich’s “gruyere fondue” is an excellent mornay sauce, creamy and slightly spicy from paprika. The fact that these elements are cool completely changes the way the sandwich eats.

The Goodwich says its sandwiches are “stacked-rite.” This means that careful effort is made to ensure that they don’t fall apart when you eat them and you get a taste of every ingredient in every bite. It’s one thing to conceive of a sandwich, but simply adding it to a menu doesn’t make lunch happen. These are expertly crafted sandwiches. 

Dessert is a must. Every day The Goodwich bakes something special. Apple pie is some of the best we’ve ever had, its crust glazed, its apples soft and gooey with expertly balanced spices. “Fluff ‘n nut” is a re-imagining of the Fluffernutter, a Massachusetts sandwich of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, almost more like a candy bar than a sandwich. Buttery white bread, toasted golden with brûléed fluff, Nutella and a praline crunch: simple enough; so why can’t we stop eating it?