Get it to go from Oakland sandwich shop
South Craig Street in Oakland has a problem. There are a lot of great places to lunch -- Lucca, Union Grill, Lu Lu's -- but there's nowhere to park. Unless you work nearby, or know the secret parking spots, be prepared to drive around circles.
Thankfully, somebody came up with at least a partial solution. A little place called eatunique combines the offerings of a sit-down restaurant with at least some gourmet pretention, with a fairly effective takeout service. You still have to park somewhere, but only for the minute or two you need to pick up your order.
The little restaurant in the tiny, jumbled South Craig Street arcade has a very big menu. Get one next time you're nearby, and call in your order before the lunchtime crush. In about 20 minutes, it'll be ready.
Everything sounds a little bit better on the menu than it actually is. But it's still miles better than the Subway/Quizno's/Qdoba axis of evil, so it's probably worth the effort.
The Autumn Griller ($5.95) features grilled blueberry cornbread filled with melted cheddar, smoked gouda, "tender spring greens" and poached ginger apples, with a balsamic vinaigrette. This sounds amazing. But it's a little underwhelming -- small, slippery from the vinaigrette, very light on the cheese and greens, slightly smushed from the bag. Of course, presentation always goes out the window when you get it to go.
But it's actually quite good. The poached ginger apples dominate the flavor with a tart sweetness that sits a lot better than the usual meat explosion. It seems small, but it's actually just right for a light lunch. Meaning you went feel like taking a nap afterward.
Our crew of sandwich samplers thought the Pesto Chicken Sandwich ($5.95) was fairly good, even after traveling in the bottom of the bag. A perfectly done piece of grilled chicken got some assistance from melty smoked gouda, tomato, greens and a thin but stout baguette. The pesto and cheese were perfect complements.
The Southwest Sizzler ($4.95) also impressed, despite getting crushed in the bag. And the jalapeno cream cheese overwhelmed the sweet bean hummus; it could have done OK without it.
The Turkey Bean Supreme ($5.95) featured sweet bean hummus, smoked turkey, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion and tomato basil bread. We couldn't detect any basil or tomato on the bread; it looked more like regular turkey lunchmeat on sturdy bread.
It seemed to need a condiment of some kind, something acidic to spark a little flavor.
Additional Information:
eatunique
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
Address: 305 S. Craig St., Oakland
Phone: 412-683-9993
I didn't get to try ...
The White Chili Taco Salad ($6.95) is made with ground turkey and white beans, served on a bed of romaine with nachos, salsa, sour cream and guacamole, topped with cheddar shavings. Vegetarians can substitute garden chili.
