| DineOut
by Eric A.T. Dieckman
IN THE BAG
The Barnaby’s guys open a smart new
sandwich shop
On Westheimer at South Shepherd,
across from Randall’s and next to the Goodyear
tire store, there’s a new little eatery.
From Jeff Gale and Bob Luna, owners of Barnaby’s
comfort food restaurants, comes a custom sandwich
shop, Brown Bag Deli (2036 Westheimer, 713/807-9191).
(General manager George Kanakidis is pictured
second from left, with Eric Soate, Sarai Salazar,
and Jenny Castillo in a photo by Yvonne Feece.)
Gale
hired George Kanakidis, who has restaurants in
his blood, as general manager. His godfather owns
a barbecue place in Sugar Land. His father has
owned a number of restaurants and the family-owned
Janco Food Services. Kanakidis has worked at a
few different places on his own. A few years ago,
Kanakidis took to painting murals, and he decorated
the bathrooms for some of the Barnaby’s
locations.
As you enter Brown Bag Deli, grab a paper bag. One
side is printed with food options (bread, meat,
cheese, toppings, sides, drink, and dessert) and
check boxes. Indicate the selections to build the
lunch you’re craving. The order bag was Gale’s
idea, Kanakidis says.
As with Gale and Luna’s other eateries, quality
is high. They use Boar’s Head meats and only
Cabot cheese (no preservatives), and they make the
tuna, chicken, potato, and egg salads. They also
make their own waffle cones to go with Dreyer’s
Dreamery ice cream. “The peppermint is awesome,”
Kanakidis says.
A few selections are off the menu: garden burgers
for vegetarians, Boca burgers for vegans, lo-cal
multi-grain bread, lo-cal Swiss, hummus, and fresh
fruit for the health conscious. Kids can opt for
grilled cheese or PB&J. Every sandwich is $3.
Every dessert is $2, including the pecan tarts made
for Brown Bag by a local woman. Every side dish
is a buck, including the delicious creamy red potato
salad made onsite.
For the caffeine-o-phile, there’s a Starbucks
coffee dispenser. Free Internet access and wi-fi
is available for those seeking wireless Internet
access for their laptops and palm pilots. It’s
all very casual. “You can sit and lounge over
a cup of coffee,” assures Kanakidis. “We
don’t mind.”
Eric
Dieckman reported on Cabo Montrose in our August
issue.
If you have any comments about this article,
please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.
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