Feel the love

A love letter, slightly faded with age, a bit wrinkled, creased from being folded and refolded… are those water spots… or tears? It’s dated April 1, 1998, and addressed “to the best customers any business could ever ask for.” Given the date, the reader is assured “… this is no joke.” After 23 years, the SANDWICH GARDENS was closing temporarily “to make way for a bigger and better River Park Square.” The letter, handed out to 1,000-plus regular customers, ended with a note of thanks signed by the staff, plus a coupon for one free lunch, “only good at our new location” — which they anticipated would open a few months later.

But funny things happen in the restaurant biz.

The business remained open at their Heart Institute location and continued to do catering over the years. Finally, this month — more than a decade after closing the downtown location — Sandwich Gardens has indeed reopened in the new, bigger and better River Park Square. So far two customers have received their free lunch, but many more have stopped in to say hello and reminisce.

As a first-time visitor, I had a lot of catching up to do. Faced with 16 specialty sandwiches plus wraps, salads and more, I chose the Turkey Supreme ($7 as a combo with soup and a drink). Starting with soft French bread from Alpine Bakery, generously covered in cream cheese, tomato slices, lettuce shreds, perfectly thin deli-style turkey and sliced avocado then topped with a second slice of bread, my half sandwich was so big I thought I’d received the whole one by mistake.

My clam chowder was rightly thick and creamy with clams throughout and diced potato adding to the texture, seasoned with celery, parsley and salt.

“The recipe is one we’re continually refining,” says manager Peter Parker, who started working as the manager of Sandwich Gardens in 1975, “five days after they opened.” Ten years after the closure of the downtown shop, he’s happy to be back.

“We make all our own soups, cheesecakes, brownies … as much as we can from scratch, with our own recipes, so it’s always perfect — the way I like it,” he says with a characteristic smile.

Without the coupon, lunch isn’t free. But it is reasonably priced, and flavored with years of good memories.
— M.C. PAUL

The Sandwich Gardens, on the second (Skywalk) level of River Park Square, on Main Ave. in downtown Spokane, is open Mon-Sat 7 am-9 pm, Sun 9 am-6 pm. Fax 838-3399, or call 838-3376.