I tried out a new place not too long ago. I was looking forward to it, but I left rather disappointed. The food wasn't really bad, but it wasn't really that good either. I expected, at the least, nice bread and a well crafted sandwich. What I got was something that I could have had at home, heck something one of my kids could have made for me... when they were little. Plain, store bough, cheap, white bread does not make for much a "gourmet" sandwich, if you ask me. The filling wasn't all that either, and it didn't even come with lettuce or anything. Wouldn't you at least expect nice bread if they call their shop gourmet?
Yes, I would think a gourmet sandwich shop would have a good quality 7 grained bread, would offer sprouts and avocado with sandwiches. They should make everything with high end ingredients and serve the sandwiches with chips or potato salad and a pickle. Cheap white bread with a sandwich shop that advertises it self as gourment??? Oh Please!
You'd definitely expect nice bread. If I was paying gourmet prices then I'd want meat sliced from the bone too - none of this mechanically recovered rubbish. Vegetarian options that go beyond Cheddar and red onion would be good and I'm pretty sure something for the vegans and the gluten-frees would go down well.
Definitely good fresh baked bread if it's a gourmet shop and crisp salad and sauces. I would expect a selection of bread from wholegrain to seeded at least. I think some places try to get away with saying they are gourmet because customers can choose their own fillings.
I expect fresh artisan bread, lots of different options for spreads, organic greens and meats, and cheeses from all over the world. Not all shops have it all, but you should be able to find good bread, cheese, and some different options for spreads which make the sandwich taste unique.
I expect to pay a premium for a product anyone can make. Sandwiches are easy to make at home! I only like to eat out when it's things I can't make myself. Which is why I go out for Indian and Sushi and eat pasta and sandwiches at home.
Lean, chunky meats and vegetables (outside of pickles) are good. Choices in breads, cheeses and condiments are also best. Bread that is baked in-house (or shipped) daily is better as well. I had a similar experience but I don't know if Jersey Mike's is considered gourmet.
They should definitely have their own unique bread that I cannot find anywhere else - preferably made there, but if not, it should be brought in daily, fresh, with no preservatives. For example, Michael Symon's "B Spot" restaurant near us has special buns made from another local bakery for example, that the bakery itself does not sell elsewhere. While I wouldn't expect them to make their own lunch meats (though it would be even better if they do!), I would expect to see some home made condiments and various foods they've pickled themselves. Once again, B Spot has it's own pickle bar for you to choose from in addition to several home made ketchups, mustards and bbq sauces at your table. Some other sandwich places I've been to make their own hummus, lox spread, roasted peppers, etc... Also, the lunch meats should be of high quality, not that garbage that they sell at Subway.
There is a sandwich shop here called The Sandwich Guy purportedly a gourmet food shop. We went there once and ordered their specialty sandwich of ham and eggs, that's for takeout. I was surprised when I reached the office and started eating the sandwich... it was plain ham and eggs, the ordinary sandwich that we know. Except for the price that is expensive, there's not much difference of that gourmet or a gourmand or whatever.
I would expect several varieties that is of higher quality than a "regular" place. The problem is a lot of these "high end" places are using the same items you would get at a dollar store. Most of the time the stuff on the menu is just made differently and presented in a way that makes it seem more high end.
