(Frank's Special @ Frank's Catering & Baked Goods)
Tragically I work in the west end far away from the sandwich mecca that is downtown. Some days it's easy to get away from work and grab a quality sandwich from a well known shop, other days it's considerably harder and I have to assess what's available near me. What is near me is a combination of stinky shawarma, bad chinese, and the ever ominous fast food chain. However, once you narrow your eyes, adjust to the glow of the fast food neon sign you can see there are some lunch opportunities and that's how I found Frank's Catering and Baked Goods.
Located in a strip mall beside a gas station and a police station and across with a Tim Hortons and a grocery store it's no wonder Frank's goes unnoticed. But if you do go around lunch time you see that mix of contractors and city vehicles in parking lot which is usually a good sign that there's good food for a good price available. Once you get through the door the first thing that caught my eye was the rows and rows of tarts - butter, maple pecan, chocolate, lemon, raspberry - they looked huge! I then forced myself to look away and saw the sandwich menu - typical Italian style cold cuts - capoccolo, mortadella, salami, prosciutto, soppressata with turkey, chicken, roast beef and ham options. All the sandwiches are served on either a portuguese (big crusty white bun) or a whole wheat bun which are actually provided by the bakery across the street. Of course, beside the cutely named popular sandwiches (The Mighty Casey, Lulu's Veggie to name a few) you can choose your own meat combination, cheese and toppings.
Yes, you can expect a line around lunch. With the meat from every sandwich being sliced to order it takes a little time however, the crew at Frank's will have you laughing and the wait won't seem long. Besides, if you truly are starving you can grab a butter tart or two to tide you over while you wait for that monster of an Italian sandwich wrapped in butcher paper. For $5.00 per sandwich and $1.50 per tart it saves me from taking the 417 to that other well known Italian deli in Ottawa.
