Between the Bread

For most of my life, I hated mushrooms, and when I turned the corner into mushroom conversion, I became somewhat obsessed. Lately, 'shrooms have been my go-to sandwich filling if I'm not feeling particularly meaty. The earthy, salty taste and the substantial presence feel so decadent, especially when melted with cheese.

First we have a mushroom panini from DeLessio Market, smushed into cheesy service with zucchini and onions. Like many mushroom panini, this suffered from a slight slippery-ness, but that didn't stop me from eating the whole thing.

Below, we have a rare specimen of pretty decent airport food: a toasted mushroom and red pepper sub from a Potbelly knockoff at Chicago O'Hare. It wasn't quite as exciting as my Schlotzsky's encounter, but after a long flight, it hit the spot.

A good sandwich can't fix everything, but it certainly helps. Recently, during a tough day at the office, I decided to ditch my lunch from home and treat myself. Glancing at the menu for The Golden West, the warm mushroom sandwich with pine nuts and goat cheese called out to me. The home-baked bread alone would be the perfect comfort food.

Garnished with basil, this shroom sammie is similar to the last sandwich I had at Golden West, but better. It's on the menu this week, too, if you want to taste it for yourself. Oddly, last time I sought out a mood-lifting sandwich, it also featured mushrooms. Just a coincidence, I swear.