World's Best Vegetarian Sandwich?

As part of their series on the best sandwiches, Restaurant Hospitality magazine named their best vegetarian sandwich of 2013, the creation of Chef Matthew Topeano from Pain D’Avignon in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Image Credit: J.E. Fee
Image Credit: J.E. Fee

The winning ‘wich is composed of crispy sauteed eggplant, roasted garlic white bean hummus, roasted red pepper and creamy burrata (mozarella and cream). All these ingredients are placed on rosemary pocket bread baked in-house.

“In the vegetarian category, many submitted sandwiches featuring one or two of the ingredients found in this winner, but Pain D’Avignon harmoniously combined several top-notch ingredients and then cradled them in house-made bread. It was the creamy white addition of buratta (a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream) that made the angels sing…”
(Source: Restaurant Hospitality)

Cost is only $8.50, which is very affordable for such a high-end
sandwich.

The Chickpea sandwich from WichCraft in New York City won Honorable Mention. This sandwich was included in a Trip Advisor write-up of the whole restaurant, with a top rating:

‘On a recent weekend, we were shopping in the Union Square area & looking for a great place to grab lunch. What a great find! The atmosphere upstairs was quiet and quaint, many patrons working on computers. A nice, relaxing lunch without the stress of crowds. I ordered the chickpea & lemon sandwich, polishing off with a delicious almond croissant. If you stumble upon this sandwich shop, I promise you will be happy!’ kat11bar, Atlanta, GA

The Hippie Sandwich from STATs in Atlanta was also an Honorable Mention. This concoction is has a strong southern influence:Fried green tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled portobello mushroom,  roasted red peppers, chipotle mayonnaise.

Vegetarian diets include dairy products, but there seems to be an issue with the sandwich selected as the best. Cream is typically high in saturated fat, which is generally regarded as being unhealthy for the heart. As the Centers for Disease Control has stated:

‘Diets high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic disease, specifically, coronary heart disease. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend consuming less than 10% of daily calories as saturated fat.’ (Source: CDC)

People often choose vegetarian foods based on the assumption that they are healthier. However, if they are high in saturated fat, these foods may not be all that healthy. The award-winning veggie sandwich would probably in health terms, if the cream
was left out.

What are some of your favorite vegetarian sandwiches?

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