Virtually any Sandwich place, from Subway to Jimmy John’s to
this delightful find on north College Avenue in Fayetteville has a veggie number you
can call lunch or dinner. The trick is
to get them to leave off the mayo and the cheese. Most places I’ve visited have been very
accommodating.
TJ’s gives an added twist in their Garden Guru – it’s hot.
Steam actually rose from inside the sandwich when I placed it open-face
for the photo. Adds a whole new
dimension to the “veggie sandwich”.
Jules (but she goes by Julie) takes great pride in her work,
having trained under Chef Todd over at the seafood emporium Mermaids. TJ’s was Todd’s brain child, further expanding
his culinary contribution to Fayetteville.
The décor is ‘50s retro, with red plastic pedestal seating
and lots of aluminum furniture – clean and sparkling and just ready for me to
sit down and enjoy my meal. So I get my
warm bundle of foil over to a cozy table and unfurl a sandwich that can stack
up to any deli creation in New York’s lower east side.
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| The Garden Guru - it'll warm your tummy and your heart |
The roasted red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms
and – wait for it – artichoke hearts have been sautéed in extra virgin olive
oil, and topped with a sun dried tomato black olive relish that pulls it all
together. This casserole for the soul is
served on a crispy fresh Vie de France hoagie – but it’s one I could get my
mouth around, unlike some insurmountable loaves that have arrived on my plate
over the years, threatening to give me lock jaw.
Not much else on the menu comes in under the vegan flag, as
the pre-made pasta salad already has feta cheese in the mix, and there’s cream
and butter lurking in the tomato bisque, but hey, there’s always Lays potato
chips and a big cup of sweet tea. So if
you find yourself out at TJ’s with friends who are ordering turkey and ham and roast
beef, no need to feel like the poor relation.
The Garden Guru is sandwich royalty.
P.S. Sandwiches are half
price on Wednesday!
