March 8, 2014

BRUSSELS SANDWICH LEAVING

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Lucia is going to have a heart palpitation when she reads that heading. I’m not saying that in an exaggerated way meaning she is going to feel scared. I mean she’s actually going to have a physical reaction.

I’m wondering if there’s anything I’ve done at Clover that’s made people more happy than that sandwich. It was the first sandwich I’ve had a hand in designing in a very long time, and it was my answer to the endless taunts the poor Brussels Sprouts have received over the years. That’s the correct spelling by the way: “Brussels Sprout.” I know, it’s strange. But stranger still has been the derision this poor vegetable has received. I’ve always loved Brussels, since I was a little kid. I think it’s one of the most delicious vegetables in the world. So why is it always on TV, radio, etc. being made fun of as inedible? It always sort of pissed me off. Now we have a sandwich that is turning everybody from little kids, to State Troopers, to Harvard Professors to the wonders of the Brussels Sprout.

So what are we going to do with this sandwich. It was built around Autumn ingredients: Mass-grown brussels, VT Grafton smoked cheddar, garlic. And now we can’t get brussels locally anymore, we’ve depleted the supply. But the sandwich is just so ridiculously popular. It’s been outpacing the Chickpea Fritter in some locations.

Back to Lucia, Brussels biggest fan. By biggest fan I mean that she’s eaten as many as 3 in one day. Lucia has printed up our new (not so secret) menu cards with a little easter egg: Brussels Sandwich, MIT truck only. She sort of asked me about this after the fact. The proposal is that the MIT truck runs Brussels year round.

I guess the cards are already printed. And like so many of the ideas my team at Clover present to me, it’s pretty brilliant.

Don’t worry, the switch hasn’t happened yet. But prepare yourself. Tuesday is the last day for Brussels at the restaurants. From now on you’ll become a Brussels pilgrim to the MIT truck (20 Carleton St., Cambridge, MA, close to Kendall Square T stop).

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