November 12, 2022
During my many lockdown walks through Fitzroy, I noticed lots of people loitering around a bright blue sandwich shop; more recently Michael noticed the same phenomenon in Brunswick. It looks like Nico's veg*n options have expanded with time and we've joined the queue for a couple of weekend lunches this month.
Up on the right is the most notable veg*n option, the vegan schnitzel ($15). The schnitzel looks deceptively thin within such a stacked sandwich, but there's actually plenty to sink your teeth into and it has an ultra-crispy crumbing. And don't let the volume of cos lettuce lead you to thinking that this will be bland: it's a festival of condiments with salad cream, nori, koji chimichurri, dill pickles and basil. There's a standard slice of plasticky vegan cheese too.
Nico's salad sandwich ($13, pictured above left) is stuffed to bursting with butter lettuce, cucumber, red onion (OK, I picked this out), tomato, sprouts, dill pickles and a sharp cheddar. It had me nostalgic for the salad sandwiches I'd make at my grandparents' place as a kid, and that I've had since in country bakeries, even though none of those have included sesame tofu dressing, Kewpie mayo, and koji chimichurri like this one.
Both sandwiches used a sourdough loaf that was super-soft, but hardy enough to hold the fillings together. The last vegetarian option that we've yet to try is a truffle mushroom melt ($16) - we haven't been ready for the richness of black truffle paste and two kinds of cheese.
Between Nico's and Rusty's, I wonder if there's a little sandwich trend rising (with Smith & Deli well ahead of the curve). Perhaps it's the natural blend of the decade-old reign of the burger and more recent wellness kicks. I'm more interested in this than either of those predecessors! And even if it's just a little local coincidence, I like it.
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Nico's
1 Piera St, Brunswick East
Accessibility: Nico's has a wide, flat entry. Furniture is a series of medium-spaced, medium-height tables and backless stools located outdoors. We ordered, paid and picked up our food from a medium-height counter. We didn't seek out toilets.
I wish we had good vegan sandwich shops, or just options, here in Brisbane. I love a sandwich. But everything is burgers.
ReplyDeleteYes, we're lucky to have a few such shops in Melbourne! I have long admired the sandwiches you make at home though. :)
DeleteI am hungry and its yours fault.
ReplyDelete