Craft Sandwich Creations at Mason Sandwich Co.

According to Wikipedia," a sandwich is a food item consisting of one or more types of food such as vegetables, meat or cheese, placed between two slices of bread. "Sometimes, you crave a quick bite at lunch or dinner, other than a slice of pizza that is casual, quick, satisfying and of good quality. Enter Louis and George Brindley, the culinary team behind Mason Sandwich Co. In Eastchester, the sandwich has been elevated to a new level by brothers Louis and George Brindley and their father George Brindley Senior, with the opening of Mason Sandwich Co. where creativity rules. Louis has worked in the kitchens of The Metropolitan Opera House, Fortina in Armonk, and Savona in Scarsdale. According to him, "We serve comfort food with a unique twist. Our menu, which varies with seasonal availability, is constructed with the ingredients people love to eat. We offer, catering and take out in addition to eating in our 38 seat venue. Eventually, we expect to add breakfast as well as delivery to our services. In the future we hope to open more sandwich shops. Given the opportunity, Louis Brindley would enjoy serving Danny Meyer, the venerable restauranteur.

The atmosphere at this compact space is welcoming and very informal. Black and white tile floors, a large picnic table and benches, several tables along the side wall, stools at the counter and at the front window supply the seating. The Brindley brothers can be found preparing their delights at the open kitchen towards the back. Above the counter is the daily blackboard menu, announcing the soups, salads, beverages, and special of the day. The staff is friendly and efficient.

My recent visit was late in October and the festive Halloween mood permeated the space. A youthful spirit was in the air and Halloween decorations added a fun element to Mason Sandwich Co. We started with a bowl of soup suited to the season, an unusual pumpkin soup. It was a thick puree flavored with sage and studded with spiced walnuts. A swirl of marshmallow fluff added a sweet touch to this savory soup. It seemed to say, marshmallows can appear in other forms rather than just on top of your sweet potato Thanksgiving dish.

There were about two dozen sandwich choices, one more interesting than the next. We loved the shrimp po' boy, a true taste of New Orleans. Served on a large baguette, the large shrimp were nicely seasoned and layered with lettuce and tomato. A delicious Old Bay remoulade sauce topped this sandwich. Crispy cod was our next treat. Served on a bun, the beer battered dipped fish perfectly cooked, nice and crisp on the outside and moist within. Red cabbage slaw was a fine accompaniment. On a future visit I probably would request the tartar sauce on the side, rather than on top of the sandwich to get the true flavor of the wonderful crisp cod. The beet city sandwich was a vegetarian delight. The paper thin slices of agrodolce fresh beets were layered with arugula, fried goat cheese and hazelnut gremolata. This was a beautiful and very tasty combination of textures and flavors. Potato rolls, sesame buns, baguettes, country white and multigrain breads are appropriately combined for each sandwich. Nothing is boring here. I can't wait to try the very popular chickwich with buttermilk fried chicken, spicy maple syrup and homemade dill and bread and butter pickles, as well as the 53 rd and fifth, New York City style cart chicken with yogurt sauce and harissa, and El Cubano for a taste of Cuba. Even BLT, grilled cheese and Mason Burgers have creative touches at Mason Sandwich Co.

The week after my initial visit, I stopped by to take out some other choices. The porchetta with roasted pork, broccoli rabe and melted provolone was rich and delicious and the smoked brisket with sweet pepper relish and slaw were both winning combinations and hit the spot. I was pleased to note that each was carefully packed, and by the way, the homemade potato chips that were in the take out bag were divine.
From the salad selections, I sampled a superb beet salad. An abundant serving of chunks of fresh agrodolce beets combined with arugula, goat cheese and hazelnuts and was most satisfying. Also offered are Caesar, arugula and quinoa salads. The blackboard menu offers several "plates". I felt very healthy with a bowl of ancient grains to offset my fried cod. The combination of quinoa, freekuh, roasted cauliflower, chick peas, spinach and pomegranate tossed with a curry vinaigrette was the perfect combination of grains and vegetables.

To complete your meal, try one of their creative milkshakes with interesting flavors such as Nutella, oreo, butterfinger, strawberry shortcake, fig or apple cider. Craft soda from Harmony Springs is available, as well and beers will probably have arrived by the time you are reading this article.

Enjoy the crafty creations at the fun filled friendly Mason Sandwich Co.

Mason Sandwich Co.
33 Mill Road
Eastchester NY
(914) 776 2766
http://masonsandwiches.com
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 8 PM

Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (Serves 2-4)

For the salad
4 cups cooked quinoa (follow package directions for cooking this grain)
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, in julienne
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled or in small chunks

Place all ingredients in a non reactive bowl. Set aside and prepare the dressing.

For the dressing
1 cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsps. honey

Any extra dressing can be refrigerated.

Judie Dweck has been writing about restaurants and food for many publications. She teaches creative cooking to children at Scarsdale elementary schools. Through the years, her articles have appeared in Jack and Jill Magazine, Spotlight, The Pleasure of Cooking and The Scarsdale Inquirer. She balances her restaurant tastings with daily ballet classes.