Monday, I found myself with a rare day off from work when lots of restaurants downtown are still open. With Will Shepherd in tow, I went to try one of the places I'd been meaning to eat at but never got the chance.
Brick & Tin has been open for a few months and serves a variety of sandwiches, soups, salads and a tapas menu on Friday evenings. The tapas menu appears light on vegetarian options, but there may have nightly options that are not posted. They have a beer and wine menu if you're having a drinking lunch. Importantly, for me, their website takes the time and trouble to list the sources of their meat, cheese and produce. If their food didn't live up the promise, that would just be lipstick on a pig, but the amazing food combined with a public declaration of locavorism makes the place a solid plus.
I had the Tuscan sandwich, which has roasted portobello mushroom, oven-dried tomato, provolone & walnut pesto. It comes on warmed, baked fresh white bread. The bread had a pleasant crust, not overpoweringly crunchy. An extremely pillowy crumb soaked up the oils and flavors from the sandwich magnificently. I could see trying this on an airier, crustier bread to see how that works, but there's no need to meddle with an already successful dish, for now.
The plate ($7) comes with a small (about 6 oz.) cup of soup. The selections vary and I chose the cabbage and sweet onion puree, which had a swirl of what was probably Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top with service. It was an excellent soup that complimented the sandwich well. Nothing on the plate overpowered anything else on it. Fresh press coffee was as I expected, pleasantly creamy and hot.
For dessert we walked a few blocks over to the new Mix bakery in One Federal Place. The space is absolutely cavernous, and a bit too operating room white sterile. Just had a simple glazed donut ($1) but it was one of the best donuts I have ever had. They serve lunch fare, and will soon have a liquor license and I can't wait to try it.
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