100 Montaditos

This place is Liz Lemon's fantasy. 100 Montaditos means 100 sandwiches, and in Spain, those sandwich combinations are magical. The pub-like interior had a slight fast-foody twinge, being that it is indeed a chain, but they sell beer too (in JARS!) so it was the kind of chain I wish I had access to.

I mean, consider some of these options: anchovies with blue cheese; sausage with tortilla española; cured ham and manchego; bacon and cream cheese, potato salad, shrimp, tuna, red pepper and anchovy?? This is why I love to read menus- they represent possibilities, and also cultural difference in terms of creative combinations.

The cheapest, one ingredient sandwiches start at 1 Euro, and they are the staples of the Spanish diet: aged cheeses, cured meats, tomato concoctions and various seafoods. Then at 1e20, they begin forming partnerships; finally at 2 euros, we have the complex artisan blends that we have come to expect at our local sandwichery. While I might be intrigued by the shiny ingredients that read off like a farmer's market, often the simplest sandwiches are the best. But this makes for great reading material.

I also like how there aren't any dessert options (besides the chocolate sandwiches)- just "dessert" for one euro. It looks like an It's-It! Sign me up- literally- put a little check in the postre box because I will take one of those.