I tend to write about random musings around the village, but over the last year no article has gotten more attention than the piece I wrote about the secret Friday sandwich at Broken Tart.
For those unfamiliar, Broken Tart had an amazing weekly sandwich that they only made on Fridays and, without rehashing the entire article, it was spectacular. It felt less like ordering lunch and more like stumbling into a weekly underground sandwich society. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, Broken Tart discontinued the Friday sandwich until further notice. A dark day for local carbs.
With the Broken Tart sandwich on pause, Carnivore entered the chat with its fried chicken sandwich. There has been plenty of debate about the best chicken sandwich in and around the village, and I always felt like Carnivore’s never got its full credit. Whereas the sandwiches on Roosevelt in Berwyn and Madison Street in Forest Park (IYKYK) were undeniably good, Carnivore’s, in the other hand, felt artisanal without trying too hard. Crispy, flavorful, thoughtfully made, and somehow still chaotic enough to require seven napkins.
Sadly, a couple weeks ago Carnivore announced that, as part of its recent revamp, the sandwiches would also be disappearing from the menu. Another local sandwich giant gone too soon.
But when one sandwich door closes, another opens. Enter: The Onion Roll.
I’ll admit it, my friends have been hyping up Onion Roll for a while now, especially Ekow Mensah, and I just never took the bait. Huge mistake. I’d now like to stand before the people and formally declare that Onion Roll’s Fresh Smoked Lox sandwich is one of the best sandwiches you can get anywhere in the village.
For starters, the bagels are incredible and instantly brought me back to my time in North Jersey, where people treat bagels with the seriousness of constitutional law. The sandwich itself is simple ingredients perfected: a toasted bagel, cream cheese, hand-sliced lox, tomato, and sweet onion. Nothing fancy. Nothing unnecessary. Just balance, texture, and execution.
And perhaps most importantly in today’s economy, this thing is massive. There are no signs of shrinkflation, no tiny artisan portions pretending to be a meal. It’s the kind of sandwich that reminds me of the value we all took for granted in the 20th century.
Vince Gay has over 20 years of experience in education, ranging from classroom teacher to building administrator. The proud parent of two school-aged children, he has been an active member of the Oak Park community for more than a decade.