If you live or work in the Western burbs of Chicago, you need to go eat at Zenwich at 416B N York Street in Elmhurst. Now. Today. Seriously, if the thought of picking up food at Panera on North York in Elmhurst ever crosses your mind, just drive 3 blocks further North and eat here instead. You will not be disappointed.

I am not typically a sandwich fan. Most sandwiches are bland at best. Zenwich sandwiches are the exception, and they are a culinary revelation. I could tell from my first bite of their zingy Mu Ping specialty sandwich that every component was unbelievably fresh and made from scratch. The Mu Ping is grilled caramelized pork, carrot and daikon relish, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro with homemade (yes, you CAN tell the difference) mayonnaise. The perfectly salted and lightly spiced chips were paper thin, crunchy, fresh, not at all oily, and obviously made on-site. The homemade coleslaw was crisp and delightful, although more traditional American than Asian in flavor. On my next trip I tried the Banh Mi which is very similar to the Mu Ping but made with Vietnamese Ham - YUM. My most recent trip included the Crab Cake sandwich with baby greens and a garlic basil sauce. If I haven't just made you hungry, you are dead inside. They also have well-executed 'Classic' sandwiches such as turkey, ham & cheese, BLT, and egg salad for unadventurous customers, but their 'Specialty' sandwiches with fresh Asian flavors are the main attraction here.

You will not find many restaurant reviews on my blog because I almost never make it to restaurants. Two reasons- 1) my kids are a pain to bring with and it's expensive to hire a babysitter 2) The cost threshold to find a place where the food is better than what I make at home is very high. I need to go somewhere like Vie in Western Springs in order to outdo myself in the culinary department and that's a serious cash outlay in addition to that expensive babysitter. With lunch sandwiches priced between $4.50 and $6.95, Zenwich is an exception to that cost threshold. I'm not going to be making any better sandwiches than this any time soon.

Zenwich is brand new, having only opened two months ago. These are tough economic times for fledgling businesses, and this is a small family-owned start-up in a low-margin industry. Now I wish Panera and McDonalds no specific ill-will, but I really like to support creative small ventures whenever possible, especially when they are this delicious. Please, I'm begging you- go give Zenwich your business. I need them to stay open so I have somewhere to buy fresh, delicious food for my family that I don't have to make myself. And tell them Chef Wylie sent you. I like to curry good favor with fellow chefs and restaurant owners in the area.

Zenwich
416 B N York Street
Elmhurst, Il 60014
630 359-5234
630 359-5459 fax
eatmyzenwich.com

They are open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays, and they have just extended their weekday hours from 11AM to 8PM to accommodate some dinner traffic. Dinner items are available after 4 PM.
Delivery available after 3 PM with $20 minimum purchase.

My delicious Crab Cake Sandwich. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.