Editors’ Choice
Port City Sandwich
Newburyport
The classic sandwiches, like the hot pastrami, cranberry walnut chicken salad and the ultimate grilled cheese, are generously stuffed with fresh, ingredients, perfect for a takeway summer lunch.
40R Merrimac St., Suite 102E, Newburyport, 978-358-8628, portcitysandwichco.com
Readers’ Choice
Flip the Bird
Beverly
Forget those cartoon chain restaurant chicken sandwiches. Flip the Bird is the real-deal made from scratch to order, right down to the buttermilk ranch dressing and the coleslaw.
407 Cabot St., Beverly, flipthebirdfriedchicken.com
+Pandemic Pivot
Port City Sandwich
Back in March, while area schools were scrambling to figure out how to feed the kids who rely on free and reduced priced breakfast and lunch programs, Port City Sandwich Shop was all over social media, offering free lunch to kids in need from anywhere in the area—all around the North Shore and up into New Hampshire.
Jamie Karopoulos, who owns Port City with husband Tyke, grew up in Malden and immediately recognized the need in the community. They quickly put together a menu of four sandwiches—grilled cheese, turkey, peanut butter, or ham and cheese—each served with a bag of chips and a bottle of water. Anyone in need in the community can call in an order, then pick it up.
“We’ve had people come out of the woodwork, offering to pay for it, helping us make sandwiches, but up to now, we’ve declined,” Karopoulos told Northshore. Even after local schools figured out how to feed kids, Karopoulos stood ready to continue to provide lunches. “We’re not going to say no to anybody,” he says. Supporting businesses that give so much back is a no-brainer. The sandwiches, like the grilled chicken Caesar wrap and the ultimate grilled cheese—thick Texas toast with melted swiss, American, cheddar and provolone cheeses, are generously stuffed with fresh, high-quality ingredients, perfect for a socially distanced picnic on the waterfront.