I have been an extremely picky eater my whole life. I have refused to eat foods before I tasted them based on their smell, color, or appearance. I didn’t eat mustard until I was seventeen because I didn’t like the color yellow.
Every kid is picky, but people usually grow out of it and I never did. My pickiness has developed into a bizarre method of eating that has frustrated dates, alienated roommates, and caused shrinks to scribble madly on their legal pads.
When I moved here from Oregon, I inquired one day if there were any good sandwich shops around serving healthy fresh ingredients. I was told about the West End Grocery at 133 Spring Street. “Their sandwiches kick ass,” the unidentified student told me. So I walked to Spring Street and fell instantly in love with the place.
They serve one of my favorite sandwiches in the whole world: mozzarella, tomato and basil on French bread, ($3.50 or $5.00 for a large with optional add-ons for you non-picky eaters). I soon became a regular, stopping by nearly every day, for a sandwich, Fresh Samantha, and a cookie.
They have a huge selection of subs, wraps and sandwiches, including a gigantic meatball sub that Steven Tyler couldn’t wrap his mouth around ($3.95 or $5.50 for a large). They also have a cooler stocked with lasagna ($4.95) and chicken ($4.95) lunches. For dessert, you can choose from homemade brownies ($1.39) and cookies ($1.29-$1.49), ice cream, or candy.
The West End also has some very unconventional combinations. One of the weirdest sandwiches is the sweet potato rollup($4.95). Who ever thought that sweet potatoes, spinach, cheese, and vinaigrette would taste good on a wrap?
For a long time I stuck to my safe cheese and tomato sandwich, but one day last fall, feeling adventurous, I ordered a black bean quesadilla ($3.95, with chicken $4.95). Finding that it was actually really good, I started to order other things when the mood hit me. I don’t think I have disliked any of the sandwiches yet. The only problem I ever have is with a particular employee who, for some reason, always seems to get my order wrong.
The store is relatively small, so it is more like a convenience store with an organic community twist, than a grocer. They have a lot of stuff packed on their shelves, so it is often a good place for me to pick up any items I might be lacking at home. They have shelves filled with pasta, baking goods, cereal, crackers, toilet paper, Tylenol, and Pepto Bismol,(for the possibly hungover USM student…) .
The one drawback about getting a meal is there’s no seating. There are little benches outside, but that’s not comfortable in the winter. However, it’s only a block from Portland Hall down Park Street, so it’s a nice place to go if one wants a break from the notoriously sketchy cafeteria food.
Iris Burke can be contacted at [email protected]
West End Grocery
133 Spring Street
Portland, Maine 04101
874 6426