Hartford's Best Sandwich (& Salad)?

Last week we mentioned Le Petit Chef as one of our favorite spots to grab lunch in Hartford. We've made a handful of visits to Le Petit over the last few months and we can say that it currently holds the title for serving the Best Sandwich In Hartford. Operated by a French gentleman who claims to have "never had McDonald's," Le Petit features an extensive sandwich menu and from our experience you can't go wrong with any. Two of our favorites have been a roast beef with brie and bacon (?!??!?!?) and roast chicken with avocado.

The Le Petit roast chicken is awesome, served in chunks, it is honest to goodness legitimate chicken and one can taste the difference from your average chicken sandwich. The menu currently consists of about two dozens sandwiches, making it a challenge in deciding which to try. All are unique and sound amazing.

Le Petit recently pared down the sandwich menu that was once at almost three dozen, we might bemoan this decision, but since we had twice ordered the pork loin sandwich only to be told there was no pork, we applaud the move. If you aren't going to have it on a regular basis, don't have it on the menu.

No matter how great a sandwich might be constructed, it can all be for naught if it is put in between a mediocre bread. Le Petit ensures their sandwiches don't befall this fate with a bread that is simply excellent. A long thin french style baguette, Le Petit bread is always soft and fresh and well proportioned to the rest of the sandwich. An excellent job on a critical component of the sandwich that is too often overlooked.

In addition to sandwiches Le Petit also serves "dinners" and salads. A dinner is a home style cooked dish like roast chicken or chicken cordon blue served with two excellent sides ranging from macaroni and cheese to fruit salad. While the dinners are a bit too much food for us during lunch, they are excellent and one looking for a large lunch or early dinner could scarcely do any better.

Many of the Le Petit salads are derivatives of the sandwiches and appear very appetizing. We have only tried a salad once on a recommendation from a carb averting friend who called it his "favorite salad in Hartford."

With roast chicken, avocado, cheese, and a hard boiled egg, it is a really, really good salad and something you don't have to feel guilty about the rest of the day.

Le Petit is located on Temple Street in downtown and is cash only. Almost everything is under $10. The seating is plentiful although the tables are a bit small for two people. That's still not enough to keep us from naming it home to "The Best Sandwich In Hartford." Be sure to stop by and try it.