A&E

The name of a business can say much about what kind of establishment it is. It can be cute like frozen yogurt hot spot Pinkberry or fancy like the gourmet Triangolo or misspelled. My first thought upon approaching ‘Wichcraft was that proofreading should be mandatory for everyone. Once I walked inside, it became apparent that the curious name came from their main product—sandwiches.

The large menu board features a selection of most unusual sandwich fillings. There is smoked ham, avocado and butter sandwiches for breakfast and even stranger is the grilled fontina, with black trumpet mushrooms and truffle fondue sandwich. Even the most adventurous diners will find the idea of a gruyere cheese and caramelized onion sandwich unusual.

While perusing the menu, I began to resent my mother for stuffing plain ham sandwiches into my lunch bags instead of marinated eggplant with chickpea puree and watercress.

The grilled sandwiches were flattened on the grill and packed a burst of flavor into such a compact meal.

The casual dining area is nothing spectacular, furnished with dark brown wooden chairs and tables, but it has that cozy, slightly extravagant Starbucks atmosphere, but without the pretension. The prices are on the high side—most sandwiches range from approximately six to 10 dollars, but the sandwiches are made of meticulously from high quality ingredients.

Portions are also smaller than what is expected for such pricey fare.

The beverage list replaces the usual Coke and Sprite with S. Pellegrino Limonata a sparkling lemonade, and various sodas such as Izze in flavors like sparkling blackberry and grapefruit. The drink selection is not only pricey at around two dollars, but also very trendy.

Service may be fast, but there is not enough time to squeeze a meal at ‘Wichcraft into a Stuyvesant student’s 40-minute lunch period.

Sophomore Seth Bixler said, “If it weren’t so far away from school, I would come here for lunch everyday […] the food is amazing.”

Other customers seem to be in agreement, as the restaurant has gotten so popular that it now has a total of 12 locations in Manhattan. I didn’t see a single cauldron while eating there, but somehow, ‘Wichcraft’s sandwiches have cast a spell over everyone.

‘Wichcraft
397 Greenwich St. and Beach