Bloomington Sandwich Co. a good bet

Upon opening the door to the downtown eatery Bloomington Sandwich Company, located at 107 N. College Ave, the smell of delicious Italian cooking wafted towards us. After a long day of classes, we were anxious to get out of the drab weather and warm up with a delicious meal. \nThe menu selection was surprisingly large. Hot and cold deli sandwiches, salads and soups are featured as entrees for a hearty lunch or dinner. Desserts, beers and soft drinks are also offered. It took us a few minutes to decide what to order, considering the elaborate menu.\nWe started by ordering a Caesar salad ($3.99) and a cup of the "Soup of the Day" - Cheesy Potato (cup: $1.69, bowl: $2.49). We also tried the Traditional Italian Beef ($5.79) adding onions, peppers ($0.39) and cheese ($0.39), as well as a second sandwich nicknamed Gino's Italian Sub ($5.49). \nFinding a table at the Bloomington Sandwich Co. was not a problem. The dining room had the capacity to seat about 20 people, all in various booths around the restaurant. \nAfter we sat down, the hostess brought out our soup and salad. The soup, a creamy concoction of potatoes, cheese, bacon and spices, was delicious. \nThe salad was large and fresh with lettuce, cheese and dressing. Even though we used dressing from the packet provided on the side of the salad, the salad had good flavor and tasted much better than a similarly price fast-food salad.\nThe Italian Beef and Gino's Italian Sub were brought to our table moments after finishing the soup and part of the salad. On the plate, it looked absolutely amazing: mounds of beef, onions, peppers, and melted mozzarella cheese. Our satisfaction ended with the appearance, however, once we tried to pick up the monster sandwich. \nThe bread was very soggy, and the beef was dry. We asked for some au jus, but it did little to remedy the situation. By no means was the sandwich horrible -- it was just a disappointment. \nThe Italian Sub, however, was wonderful. It was piled high with salami, ham, pepperoni, onions, tomatoes, mozzarella, lettuce and red bell pepper, then topped off with Italian dressing. The right amount of each ingredient had been added, to give the sandwich a perfect balance of taste. \nOverall, we really enjoyed this dining experience. The chef and hostess were both nice and offered anything to make our visit more comfortable. The food was priced reasonably and the items we ordered were tasty and filling. \nWe definitely plan on heading back to the Bloomington Sandwich Co. soon to try even more of their vast selection. It is the perfect place for a quick lunch or dinner when on the square in downtown Bloomington.