Rating: 3 stars
People
seem to really love Adriana’s. At least that was the impression that I got from
trying to find street parking. Rushing in from the cold I’m greeted by a clean,
but simple looking restaurant. White walls, blue checkered tablecloths, and
throwaway silverware are a staple of this place.
Adriana’s
is only open from 10:30 to 3 pm, so if you go during prime lunch hours be prepared
for a lengthy line to place your order but it moves pretty quickly. A pleasant
lady sits behind the counter, writes out an order number, and hand you the torn
off receipt. Some of the baked goods looked tasty, but you pay before you even
walk past them which I found to be an awkward configuration. (There’s also a
window after the baked goods, they could have just set up the cashier there).
The
sandwiches are a little on the expensive end (about 8.50 plus tax), so I had
some high expectations. After looking at the gigantic menu I finally settled on
the “Nana’s Favorite” a sandwich served on hot roast beef, salsicca, red sauce
and provel. I like provel, but for those
of you who are no Saint Louis inclined they can also go gorgonzola and
provolone.
After
about a five minute wait we went to the counter to pick up our order. You do
have to keep an ear open as they shout out the orders and during lunch it can
be noisy.
Sitting
down at our table, I was greeted by something that looked fairly delicious: lightly
toasted bread dribbling with red sauce and bits of meat poking out. Before
taking any photos I sunk my teeth into this thing and was… disappointed.
The
first thing I noticed was that my sandwich was lukewarm. It wasn’t cold by any
means, but it definitely wasn’t piping hot which would have contributed my
overall rating. I mean nothing is more delicious on a cold winter day then
biting into a warm, steaming, sandwhich. The bread was delightfully soft and
the edges were nicely toasted which might have been my favorite part of the
entire meal. The sauce was thin, but tasty with just a hint of oregano and the
natural sweetness you get from tomatoes. The cheese was melted on the inside
and while not being anything specials helped bring the entire sandwhich
together. Which left us with the meat.
Each
sandwich had a 8 inch slice of salsicca sausage sliced down the middle and
placed facedown on the bottom bun. The salsicca was nothing special, about the
same I could buy from Schnucks. I doubt it was made in house, and it was a
little bland, like they boiled it instead of steaming or grilling it.
The
“roast beef” turned out to be a small slice of some meat that looked like it
has been partially shredded around the edges. It was a little dry and
tasteless. I’m not saying that they had to layer the thing with roast beef, but
I could have bought better quality meat from the deli section at a Sam’s club.
I
know people will think I’m picking on this beloved establishment, but I’m not.
It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great, especially for the price. If the
sandwiches were 3 dollars less or the meat or sauce were of a little better
quality, or the sandwich hot then it might have nudged another half star out of
me.
If
you’re on the hill and really craving a sandwich with red sauce then by all
means check this place out, but if you’re looking for something to satisfy a
“really good sandwich craving” this place is just off the mark.
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