It's time to get Bavarian!
Hannah's Bretzel, as you may guess, specializes in pretzel (or, rather, bretzel—the German word for pretzel). (Added benefits are that the bread is organic, whole-grain and free of chemical additives.)
There are two locations of the sandwich makers (down from seven restaurants and one headquarters): at 400 N. LaSalle St. and 107 S. Franklin St. According to brand manager Tatiana Boucher, the closings (in the Loop, which is pretty much a ghost town right now) are temporary. That's good news, because the offerings here are delightful.
Hot sandwiches include The Melty Milano (with turkey, mozzarella, arugula, sweety drop peppers and roasted red-pepper aioli), The Spicy Chicken Melt (with buffalo-style hot sauce) and The Not-So-Cubano Melty (with grilled chicken, bacon, Swiss and Gruyere cheeses, pickles and spicy jalapeño mustard). And I'd grab them as soon as possible, because a lot of the sandwiches are seasonal.
The European sandwiches and combos really caught my eye, and I settled on a delightful sirloin and Gruyere offering with greens, vine tomatoes, caramelized organic onions and housemade horseradish aioli. But there are other tempting options, including Italian bresaola and avocado; Spanish Serrano ham and manchego cheese; Italian prosciutto di Parma and truffled goat cheese; and wild-caught Atlantic salmon. Then there are the more traditional offerings, like Applegate Farms smokey turnkey with Wisconsin cheddar; free-range chicken and avocado; Hannah's Club; and The Marisol (with green goddess dressing, free-range chicken, butter lettuce, Pecorino Toscano, fresh avocado, organic sliced apples, chopped macadamia nuts and fresh dill).
However, be warned: The sandwiches are tasty—but might not be the size you expect. These are what I call "European-sized" sandwiches, so don't expect enormous hoagies.
In addition, there are also sorts of breakfast sandwiches (served until 10 a.m. during the week and all day during the weekends)—and which I will have to try. Some of the selections include sandwiches with organic green eggs and French ham; double-smoked bacon and Wisconsin cheddar; and even almond butter and preserves. And be sure to check out the avocado and organic egg power bowl.
Also, all of the sandwiches can be prepared on gluten-free bread from Hannah's partner, local bakery Defloured.
However, Hannah's offers more. I enjoyed a hearty kale-and-white bean soup, with other seasonal items like alpine winter soup (with organic barley, french ham, double smoked bacon, organic carrots, celery, Yukon potatoes, organic yellow onions, garlic, dill, parsley and cream). As you can imagine, though, these soups will be shelved soon for lighter springtime items.
Sides embrace everything from the healthful to the sinful. There are seasonal fruit cups, organic seasonal apple bread, salt-and-pepper chips, Belgian chocolate brownies and even organic quinoa blondies.
Then there is the wall of chocolate. Conveniently located where people order their main courses, this display showcases dozens of brands of popular and not-so-well-known European candies, including Toblerone, Cote D'Or, Chocolove, Ritter Sport, Taza and Mast (which Boucher said is Martha Stewart's current obsession), among others.
And if you can, eat your meal at Hannah's. The River North location we visited is prime for people-watching (especially during the summer, when the outside area is available) and is perfect for everyone from tourists to those working remotely.
At one point, Boucher said Hannah's Pretzel "is a sandwich shop and so much more." I definitely concur.
See www.hannahsbretzel.com .
Note: This visit was arranged.
