Shelley Taylor

QUIZNOS

1400 W Washington Street

Sequim

M-Sat 11-9

Sun 11-8

$

681.4321





This ain't no high falootin' restaurant column, so in addition to fancy schmancy and restaurants with actual waiters, I'll be reviewing take out and fast food establishments as well.



Quiznos is known for their submarine sandwiches and their special twist is placing the sub on a veritable toasting conveyor, warming the whole enchilada (so to speak). The result is a bun that's warm and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. And their buns don't tend to overpower the sandwich contents.



Located in that corner pocket of stores to the west of Walmart - right next door to the government owned liquor store - the place is basically brand new, the bathrooms are spotless, and the decor has an Italian slant with large graphics reminiscent of advertising posters from early in the 20th century.



This Quiznos recently underwent a manager/owner change last spring and the family that owns it now gets the concept of "customer service." I understand that concept was foreign to the previous owners.



The new staff is cordial and makes sure to greet you when you walk in the door. And they definitely have a crowd pleaser with manager Brandon, a born restaurateur who knows how to make a customer feel special. In fact, one of the customers must have overheard me asking "reviewer" type questions and made a point of coming over to me. "You know why I keep coming back here? One day I came by and it turned out they wouldn't be open for another half a hour. They saw me peering in the window and about to walk away when they opened the door for me and told me to come on in."



Now that's the way a customer ought to be treated!



You can build your own sub, of course, but they have Specialty subs featuring prime rib, turkey or chicken with all manner of combinations including mozzarella, cheddar, or swiss cheeses, bacon, guacamole, and sauteed onions. And lots of different sauces: honey bourbon mustard, chipotle mayo, smoky Baja sauce, roasted red pepper, and Alfredo. You can also add a variety of salad-type dressings.



Their Signature Classic subs include traditional and classic Italian with salami, pepperoni, capicola, and ham. An all veggie version is available for those who won't eat anything with a face.



For the smaller appetite, they offer Flatbread Sammies: Sonoma turkey, Italiano, alpine chicken, and bistro steak melt nestled inside their warm pocket-shaped flatbread.



And once you get your hands on your submarine, they have a hot pepper bar with lots of choices for those who like it spicy.



To go along with your sandwich is an interesting selection of chips that prominently feature Mrs. Vickie's brand including jalapeno and sea salt & malt liquor varieties.



They even have their own twist on soups. Their always-on-the-menu broccoli cheese and chili is served in a toasted gourmet sourdough bread bowl. Sounds good on a blustery day, doesn't it? And now they're offering seasonal soups. When I visited I tried the Mushroom Bisque which had nice small chunks of mushroom, a not-too-thick consistency, yet a little on the salty side.



I'm always on the lookout for a great salad, and the salads here measure up to almost any "real" restaurant around. My fav is Chicken Caesar. They use fresh chopped romaine and moist and tender chicken pieces, and they can add tomato and red onion if you wish. I like the fact the dressing is served on the side, so I can control the calories. One way I do this is to dip my fork in the dressing and then spear the greenery. I know I've been a good girl if there's dressing left in the cup. Other salads include raspberry chipotle chicken with bacon, red onion and chipotle dressing, classic cobb, and "Black & Bleu" full of Black Angus steak and bleu cheese crumbles and served with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Other salad dressings: honey mustard, reduced fat buttermilk ranch and fat free balsamic vinaigrette. All salads come with triangles of their warmed yummy flatbread tucked around the border. I like the flatbread just as it's served - lightly brushed with olive oil and herbs. But they'll make it without the olive oil if I'm feeling adamant about eliminating extra calories.



Beverages include bottled water, colas and house raspberry lemonade. And they offer some nice bottled beverages for the health conscious: real fruit juices and the Sobe brand of fruit juice combos.



For the sweet tooth: chocolate chip, cinnamon sugar, and oatmeal raisin cookies, warmed if you like.



While they'll do catering for "sports parties, office gatherings, birthdays, graduation celebrations, neighborhood picnics, and family reunions," as well as box lunches, it's a convenient stop for lunch for one or two. And the option of extra high tables and bar stools gives it a quaint bistro feel.



A Port Angeles Quiznos is in the early construction stages.