SAATCHI EATS is a casual insider’s guide to cool food finds around the neighborhood. This week –Sullivan Street temple of all things PB-related, Peanut Butter & Co. Courtney Winegar offers her full report.
Whether you love it or hate it, Peanut Butter is an American culinary icon. Though traditionally the faithful companion of Jelly, Peanut Butter has of course been known to trot out on its own and play the field. That’s why some H/H regulars (@mtnewman, @rockstarbiscuit, @cristina_simone & myself- @iamkinners) visited an eatery where Peanut Butter gets friendly with some rather unlikely ingredients, Peanut Butter & Co.
The restaurant was fairly small, and every table was taken … a promising sign. There was no line, so we were able to place our orders right away & we each selected a sandwich to share among the group. As luck would have it, we managed to snag a table by the time our food was ready—so, we settled in and braced our taste buds for a bumpy (and smooth) ride. Let’s break down the sandwiches in descending order (from favorite to least favorite IMHO):
1: THE ELVIS
Wow. A grilled PB sandwich with bananas, honey and bacon. The Elvis was the siren call that drew us to PB & Co. in the first place and it did not disappoint. Like its namesake, this sandwich turned out to be kind of a big deal. We loved that the bread was toasted because it made the PB, honey and bananas warm and gooey inside the crispy confines of the toast. We chose to add bacon, which felt like a no-brainer, and it added the perfect salty crunch.
2. THE PREGNANT LADY
This was my selection and a close second favorite. I thought I was going to love this sandwich because, duh, it has pickles in it, but when I took my first bite I was disappointed. I don’t particularly LOVE salt, but I really missed it in this sandwich. That is until I added a sprinkling of PB & Co. potato chips (a bag comes with every order). The potato chips turned everything around and launched this last minute miracle to 2nd place status.
3: THE MIGHTY MAPLE
plus potato chips!
Made with Maple PB and crispy bacon, it was easily the most boring of the four sandwiches we tried. Finding it to be a very “been there, done that” combo, I threw a couple of potato chips on this one as well. Boom. Yahtzee. We have a (3rd place) winner.
4: THE HEAT IS ON
When you hear the ingredients of this sandwich- Spicy peanut butter and chilled grilled chicken with a little bit of pineapple jam-you might be as surprised as I (still) am that I didn’t love this sandwich. To be honest, I found its smoky flavor (maybe it was the chicken?) overbearing and I couldn’t enjoy any of the other flavors in this sandwich. That being said, half of our group enjoyed this one; so, as they say, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Overall assessment: A whimsical lunchtime spot that I would visit again (perhaps to try the “Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedy Special” or even just the “Peanut Butter BLT”), but I’d need a little break first.
Go to Peanut Butter & Co. if you want to feed your inner child. Don’t go if you’re expecting PB to be something that its not…fancy. It’s not a drool worthy menu, it’s just plain fun.
Tip #1: Chips = game changer.
Tip #2: Milk. Order it.
Check out the full menu, like Peanut Butter & Co on Facebook and follow@PeanutButterCo!
