My rule of thumb when I travel is to not eat at any place I can get at home. Well, let's just say, it leaves me with tons of options. Don't get me wrong...Stillwater is trying. There's a lot more to choose from than when I first moved here. In just the past 2 years I would say there are at least 10 new restaurants, and there have been 3 new openings in just the last 2 months. The major problem is that there's only one real restaurant on the west side of town, where I live...El Vaquero. It's alright, and I can see it from my house. But for what I would consider the more affluent side of town, with several relatively new hotels nearby and a brand new apartment complex, that's really bad. We were supposed to get a couple of new restaurants on the west side right before the economy crashed, but obviously that never happened. The city made a major push for residents to complete the most recent Census, because businesses want to see at least 50K people before they come into town. Filling out the Census is probably the easiest thing in the world...10 questions, and the first 3 ask what's your name. But Stilly only had about a 70% response rate. That drives me nuts, because the same people that don't do the Census are likely the ones complaining loudest about the lack of variety.
I find myself saying "I wish we had this in Stillwater" a lot. Potbelly Sandwich Works is one of those. On my first full day back in Maryland after the NYC trip, my dad and I were out running errands and stopped at the one in College Park for lunch. Of course I had to branch out from my standard turkey sub. They had a sign on the door advertising their new mediterranean sandwich. I felt the need to eat something relatively healthy, and it sounded really good.
What I really like about Potbelly is that you can basically create your own sandwich, add lots of good veggies, and they toast all the sandwiches.
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| Zippy Hummus, Feta, Artichoke Hearts, Crispy Cukes and Roasted Red Peppers |
I had never heard of this brand of chips, but they were really good. A little thicker than regular chips, with great crunch. The vinegar was a little strong, but it went well with the sandwich.
You can't eat at Potbelly without getting a milkshake. It's made with real milk, and they add a cute mini cookie on the straw. I always get the Oreo shake, and I've never been disappointed.
It's thick, creamy and delicious...everything a real milkshake should be. Plus they add a couple of mini oreos on top!
Yes, I realize that there's a Which Which in Stillwater, and I've heard it's pretty good. But I still miss Potbelly, and given the choice I would have to go with my old favorite. Well, maybe if Which Which could do the yummy milkshakes I might change my mind.
