|
Type: Bistro
Hours: Mon-Thurs. 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri. 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Good choices: Grilled and roasted vegetables with goat cheese and cucumber; white tuna salad with Swiss; cranberry roasted turkey; tomato, basil and Cosi-made mozzarella with calamata olive spread; baked Virginia ham and brie; roasted red pepper with eggplant feta spread.
Credit cards: All major credit cards. accepted.
Access: Fully accessible.
Get directions
|
COSI SANDWICH BAR
133 Federal St., Boston
(617) 292-2674
Restaurant reviewed 11/19/98 by Fiona Luis
'Can I have a Cosi Two? Let's see, I'll go with roasted portobello mushrooms and sun-dried tomato spread,'' squeaked the petite, chartreuse-clad bicycle messenger to my left. I was in line at Cosi Sandwich Bar in the Federal District, a dozen lunchers ahead of me, a score behind. To my right, the Brooks Brothers navy pin-striper went ahead when I couldn't decide: ``Cosi Three _ give me tandoori grilled chicken, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers.'' Once I settled on selections, my designated sandwich maker sprung into action: a square of flatbread, deftly sliced open; then came the meat or fish or vegetable, the cheese, and the spread; lettuce and tomato optional.
Open for just three weeks in the heart of Boston's Financial District, Cosi Sandwich Bar is hotter than an Internet IPO: Initial signs indicate the public is bullish on this offering.
It's a concept imported from Paris by way of New York. The story goes that in 1994, a college junior named Shep Wainwright was studying in the French capital when he discovered a Left Bank sandwich bar whose culinary approach made a whole lot of sense. (The bistro, incidentally, was christened Cosi by its opera-fan owner.) Shep rang his brother, Jay, who jumped on the bandwagon.
Fast-forward to February 1996. The brothers Wainwright opened their first New York City location. Eight Manhattan outlets later, they trained their sights on Boston. On Oct. 29, the Hub got its first taste of high-concept fast food.
``The foundation of our company is our flatbread, a pizza Romana,' that we make in a woodstone oven,'' says manager Kevin Kenney. ``We offer samples, we sell slices, some people buy the whole loaf.'' Squares of this bread can house any number of ingredients (about 20 at recent count); the sandwich bar recommends Cosi One ($5.75), Cosi Two ($6.50), or Cosi Three ($7.25), the names corresponding to the numbers of fillings.
At two recent samplings, this hearth-fired flatbread lived up to its billing. It is wonderful by itself, redolent of olive oil, crusty, and seasoned with just enough salt. Kenney said the pizza Romana is baked fresh throughout the day, and given the quick turnover, it never has a chance to get stale.
Our inveterate band of tasters raved about the grilled and roasted zucchini and eggplant, lovely with its goat cheese-cucumber accompaniment; the freshness of the tuna salad with Swiss, lettuce, and tomato won over the skeptics. A seasonal nod to New England scored high, too: the cranberry roasted turkey was full of flavor, the berries adding a piquancy to the freshness of Cosi-made mayonnaise.
Appealing to both vegetarians and meat eaters was the tomato, basil, and Cosi-made mozzarella with calamata olive spread. Each ingredient's flavor came through cleanly, a trait that was echoed in the baked Virginia ham and brie with spicy mustard. Another vegetarian option that got several thumbs up was roasted red pepper with eggplant feta spread, the smokiness of the vegetables rounded off smoothly by the cheese. Two salads sampled _ the grain mustard potatoes ($2) and the Caesar ($4.95) _ were disappointing, and simply paled next to the sandwiches.
Cosi does serve breakfast (muffins, scones, and bagels) and also runs a catering operation _ along with the personalized sandwiches, it offers salads, antipasto and vegetable platters, assorted sandwich baskets, and dessert selections.
But the horse that's galloping out of the gate at Cosi is clearly its lunchtime business. The line sometimes spills out the door and onto the sidewalk, but not everyone is waiting for a chair. Takeout business is brisk. ``We make about 500 sandwiches during the lunch rush,'' says Kenney, ``and no one complains it takes too long.'' The 55-seat room sports warm yellow walls and a green stone floor, with burnished steel accents matching the glint of surrounding skyscrapers. The bankers and brokers on Federal Street may not just be buzzing about the latest hot stock. That din you hear might be the clamor for a Cosi Two to go.
Tips & hits
