Food & Drink Aug 3, 2011 at 4:00 am

The Economic Theory of Sandwiches

Chelsea Deli Kicks Corporate Ass

Paul Constant
The Chelsea the deli was named after (holding the sandwich named after the deli!). Kelly O
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Comments

1
$12+ dollars for an 8" turkey sandwich!? Don't think so. Thanks for the "economic lesson" though. (insert eyeroll)
ReBeLcake on August 3, 2011 at 10:25 AM Report this
2
Yeah... sounds good, but my eyes kept tripping over those ridiculous prices.
santababy on August 3, 2011 at 10:37 AM Report this
3
the genius in the wreck isnt the meat, its the peppers and seasoning, and if you skipped those, you missed out on all the magic.

i mean, potbelly is just a fancy subway, but it is a damn good sandwich for under $6.
alithea on August 3, 2011 at 10:39 AM Report this
4
Let me just say: go to Chelsea Deli and instead of being daunted by the prices, get the six inch. These things are thick.
GregBem on August 3, 2011 at 10:52 AM Report this
5
"And, like every other multi-state chain sandwich shop, the food is roundly terrible."

Jimmy Johns is pretty f'n good

on August 3, 2011 at 11:47 AM Report this
6
as a southend resident who frequently rolls his eyes at the prices in and around Columbia City, I'll say this: Chelsea does deliver the goods. get the smaller version of any sandwich; it's a lot of food.
gi on August 3, 2011 at 12:52 PM Report this
9
It's nice to hear how ignorant those midwesterners are, especially from yet another Seattle transplant. Must be hard to be so smart.
on August 3, 2011 at 8:06 PM Report this
10
@7...and @8, good grief.

the Chelsea sounds delicious! i know where i'm going for lunch tomorrow.
on August 3, 2011 at 10:06 PM Report this
12
Agggh! This is the 2nd article on Columbia City. Then Lottie's got Best Neighborhood Bar in the Weekly. Stay away! We like it here!
on August 4, 2011 at 9:33 AM Report this
13
I can't help but notice that this article tries to gloss over Chelsea's failings and highlight Potbelly's, all under a vague umbrella of trying to explain why corporate sandwich shops are bad. This is an admirable position to be starting from... except that this article completely ignores all of the things that Potbelly does really well, while also completly failing to point out how they are hurting the economy of the area.

For example: in a city full of crammed eateries at lunch time, they actually staff enough people to get you out of there in under 10 minutes from getting in line to walking out with food in hand. And their blue cheese potato salad is heavenly. And oh yeah, the mushroom melt sandwich, yum...

Jimmy John's is also a great quick and easy lunch place. Other Coast is awesome, but it takes forever to get your order and is far more expensive: same for Specialty's, Baguette Box, and Tat's (although not all of those are "local" either).

on August 4, 2011 at 10:30 AM Report this
14
I have to say, I ate that messy 8" meatloaf sandwich after I took it's picture. It was so filling, I ate it in 3 different sittings... that makes it a $4 sandwich, really...

And it was deeeelicious. Mmmm, garlicky meatloaf
Kelly O on August 4, 2011 at 11:32 AM Report this
15
I figure the kid is holding the name sake sammich and deli meat and old road kill are separated buy George Washington!
None the less all I could hear was Hommer Simpson saying Mmmm Sammich! As I read your description.
Who the he'll is George Bush? Is there a sammich called George Bush?
slade on August 4, 2011 at 3:28 PM Report this
16
hello stranger - please PLEASE get a real food writer. i love paul's book stuff but this is barely a food article nor is a good read. sammiches? must we go back four years and recall what white people like? no.
birdy num num on August 4, 2011 at 11:13 PM Report this
17
I know it is fun to bash on anything corporate but this article was ridiculous. I thought The Stranger hated rich elitists more than it liked hipsters in Columbia City? I am sure Chelsea is fantastic but comparing Potbelly to them is like trying to compare Subway to Tat's or any drive through burger to one from Red Mill. It isn't the same league as can be seen by the prices. If you are looking for tasty and inexpensive sandwich that buries actual competitors (JJ's, Subway, or Quizno's) then get any sandwich from Potbelly with extra peppers.
cptnono on August 5, 2011 at 7:18 PM Report this
18
If you think about it, $12 for a quality sandwich is fair. On Wednesday I ate at the sh*t hole called Panera Bread and had a chicken almond salad sandwich. The chicken was bland and void of flavor. The portion was fit for a small child or skinny girl. For $10 I got some average iced tea, a tiny bag of chips and a shitty sandwich. I was hungry an hour later and had to eat a bunch of pork short ribs at my mom's house. I will try this place if I'm in the area.
the big gouda on August 5, 2011 at 10:44 PM Report this
19
these two sandwich shops shouldn't be reviewed in the same article. Of course you're going to think the lower cost one is inferior. Next time maybe a cage match between the Honey Hole and the Other Coast cafe would be good, since their practically next door to each other.
Conrad McMasters on August 8, 2011 at 10:08 AM Report this
20
Potbelly - WTF? Likely the same focus group that thought Fatburger is a good name for a restaurant. Why not call it "Wide Ass" or maybe "I Can No Longer See My Penis I'm So Fucking Fat From Eating This Shit Sandwich Emporium"?

Pickles Deli on Whitbey Island is outstanding and worth a trip just to go there. It's next to the Red Apple Market in a shitty little strip mall just up the street from the ferry terminal. Don't let the exterior fool you, fantastic, chewy bread and great meat. Not as expensive as this place but then I'm sure their rent is quite a bit less than the Weed Building. Great sandwich and really nice people running the place.
on August 8, 2011 at 10:12 AM Report this
21
This place is one of my favorites! Trust me, you only want a half-sandwich. The tuna is always my favorite thing to order here, but I've heard the french dip is great too.
on August 8, 2011 at 1:29 PM Report this
22
The Buffalo Deli on 1st Ave. has the best sandwiches in the city - specifically, they have the best BLT I've ever had and the Kimmelwick on Rye is amazing. Really, half the menu is unbelievable and their full-sandwiches are HUGE, a half sandwich on a sub roll is sufficient. It's $5.50 for half and $8 for the full.
on August 9, 2011 at 12:20 AM Report this
23
The comments about the prices show that you haven't actually patronized the deli. My hubby, a fireman and huge eater, and his friends go there once a week and two of them SHARE ONE SANDWICH. Sharing a sandwich is undheard of in the Mount Baker Station! As for me, one half sandwich is good for two meals, and a full for three. Also, there are a few half sandwichs for $4.25 and most of the sandwichs are $6-8 range. Not one is over $12, so I'm not sure where you're getting your info (or eye rolls) from...
junesstarr on August 9, 2011 at 3:58 PM Report this
25
Prices are really ridiculous
http://www.pictures-funny-pictures.com/
naser on August 10, 2011 at 7:51 AM Report this
26
Chelsea sucked. Sandwich was overpriced and I could've made a better one myself. At home. Without spending $12. Not sure why they charge so much when you can buy the same ingredients and make 4 sandwiches yourself for the same price as one of theirs...
on August 31, 2011 at 2:52 PM Report this

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