The Linden Store - Wellesley, MA

A Wellesley staple since 1933, if you haven't had a sandwich from The Linden Store, where have you been?  Living under a rock?  

At the office I used to work in, everyone was in on ordering lunch when it was from The Linden - and they don't deliver, but it was worth the trip.

Now, let's break it down.  You can't go wrong with a Linden Special - similar to an Italian but with marinated sweet peppers and fewer meats - and of course their Italian is fabulous.  When you go in for a sandwich, you can see them slicing your meats for your made-to-order sandwich.  It is always bustling and there are several folks behind all the counters and usually a line.  At lunch time, be prepared to wait.

I usually prefer dark meat in my chicken salad, but theirs is all white meat and it's so good.  I like to order a chicken salad sandwich on a wheat wrap with tomatoes and banana peppers, myself.

They have a daily sub special that used to include a Meatball with Provolone alternative on two or three days but it is so popular that it is now an alternative special every day of the week.

They recently renovated their building as well as revamped their breakfast menu, which is so exciting.  I am not a morning person, but if Linden breakfast is a motivator, I will get up.  They have delicious breakfast sandwiches and smoothies and now omelettes and pancakes!  Unfortunately, I only have a photo of breakfast but that is probably because I was waiting for it to cool. 

The Linden Store 

 

The Hangover Pub - Worcester, MA

Do you love bacon?  Personally, I could take it or leave it, but at The Hangover Pub, it is their passion.  There is bacon in just about everything, even the salad and the drinks!

Now if you, like me, are a person who researches a restaurant's menu before visiting, let me give you this disclaimer - a friend and I decided to visit The Hangover Pub after watching a segment recorded by a popular restaurant critic which showcased Pork Belly & Goat Cheese Rangoon, a Fried Chicken Po' Boy, a Double Bacon Burger made with Wagyu beef and a huge slab of local bleu cheese as well as a handful of other delicious dishes.  So you can understand our frustration when none of those three items were on the menu.  (This is actually not the only time this has happened to us, so now I am more diligent about checking seasonal menus.)

Although I had my heart set on the above mentioned burger, I ended up ordering their Brisket Burger (which as of this post still appears on their menu.)  It was very flavorful and nicely cooked.

We started off with a couple of appetizers - "Mancandy" and House-Made Parmesan & Bacon Potato Chips. 

"Mancandy" is 4 strips of house-made slab bacon candied and blow-torched, served in a glass with maple syrup for dipping.  For someone who doesn't love bacon, it was surprisingly good.  A nice balance of salty and sweet.  

As for the potato chips, I have to say we were once again disappointed by the expectation the video gave us and what we really received.  In the video there is diced bacon all over the top of the chips; we had a few pieces lingering at the bottom.  Of course, things are staged to make them look more appealing on camera but I would think you'd at least try to serve the same quality when it counts.

The Hangover Pub