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The Best Veggie Sandwich in OC

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I like sandwiches.  In fact, I think Liz Lemon said it best when she said “Can I share with you my worldview? All of humankind has one thing in common: the sandwich. I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.”  Cheers to that LL.

Many of my other friends are sandwich aficionados as well, which led us to having Sandwich Day where we each make a delicious sandwich to share.  If you are a sandwich fan, this day is for you.

The one sandwich I feel often gets neglected is the veggie sandwich.  I’m talking about a sandwich with lots of fresh veggies piled high with some sort of spread.  While I have enjoyed many a cheese and fruit combo, or an Italian deli sandwich, I was never overwhelmed with the veggie sandwich.  Until now.

Enter Zinc Cafe’s Mixed Vegetable Sandwich.

I know the picture below doesn’t do the sandwich justice, but this baby is filled with eggs, peppers, celery, radish, fennel, arugula in between two slices of ciabatta covered homemade aioli spread and a special olive tapenade.

I don’t know what it is about this sandwich, but it’s delicious.  I always start to eat it saying there is no way I can finish the whole thing, and the next thing you know the sandwich is devoured.  And to all the meat eaters out there – this sandwich is just as filling and satisfying as one with meat in it would be and would even make Liz Lemon proud.

So if you ever find yourself in Laguna Beach or Corona del Mar, pop into Zinc and try the Mixed Vegetable Sandwich.  You won’t be disappointed.

And if anyone knows of another fantastic veggie sandwich in OC, please share in the comments!

C’est Si Bon!

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The east coast has Au Bon Pain, Europe has Pret a Manger, and California has well, neither of those.  After falling in love with Au Bon Pain (only to find out that there were no locations in the west), I was determined to find a bakery/sandwich shop that had the same feel.  Enter C’est Si Bon.

C’est Si Bon is located in Newport Beach on PCH and is tucked away in a small strip mall.  Parking is limited and there’s almost always a line of locals eagerly awaiting freshly baked bread, homemade pastries and other goodies C’est Si Bon has to offer.  After hearing coworkers and friends alike rave about this bakery/café I knew I had to check it out.

cest-si-bonCredit: OCRegister.com

I cruised in during the week mid-morning and was surprised to see how packed it was.  Some people were ordering loaves of bread for the week while others were seated at the small tables inside, relaxing with a cup of coffee and a pastry.  The place also seemed to be full of Newport Beach locals which is always a good sign in my opinion.

C’est Si Bon offers made to order sandwiches, giant loaves of bread, and an assortment of desserts.  There is also a small section in the bakery where you can by jams and giant jars of nutella (which required strong resistance on my part).

The baked goods were calling mine (and my coworkers) names so we decided to get a bunch of different things and share including a cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookie, raisin scone, and palmiers (also known as elephant ears).

While all of the items were delicious, I LOVED the scone.  It was light, fluffy, not too sweet and had yummy plump raisins.  I nearly devoured it all in a few short bites until I realized I was supposed to share.  Honorable mention goes to the palmiers which were light and crispy and dusted with sugar.

While this is not exactly the same as Au Bon Pain or Pret a Manger, I really liked the vibe at C’est Si Bon and thought they had a great pastry/sandwich selection.  I’d definitely come back on a nice sunny day and enjoy a scone (or two) while sitting outside with a cup of coffee.

Now we just need to work on C’est Si Bon getting a few more locations in the OC….

C’est Si Bon

149 Riverside Ave
Newport Beach, CA 92663