If there were such a thing as a culinary roadmap, it would start at Hampton Place Cafe.
Celebrating their 25th year in business (no small feat for a local eatery), Hampton Place offers a whirlwind tour of America through that most American of foodstuff — sandwiches.
I sat down with Andrew Gendil, owner and operator, to talk over lunch. Well, I sat — he buzzed around the kitchen preparing a little of everything Hampton Place is known for.
“The Turkey and Swiss really blew us up,” he said. “We make the honey mustard dressing in-house every morning. Then, we introduced the Hali Cali and things just spun off from there.”
He went on to describe several other items on the menu: the BLT with Avocado, the Chicken Salad Club and a new addition called the Smokey (a chicken barbecue sandwich with crispy bacon and soft cheese), which he said is already becoming a recurring order.
Most of the items on the menu are influenced by geography. His family is from “all over,” so he’s eaten broadly over the years. With its sprouts and creamy avocado spread, the Hali Cali is all California. The Smokey and Chicken Salad Club are both Southern deli delicacies. And the corned beef and pastrami goes back to Gendil’s roots.
“My family is Jewish,” he said. “This sandwich is in our blood.”
They also offer something called the Downtown Deluxe, a recipe from his wife’s hometown of Livingston, New Jersey. “We were in a deli up there,” he says, telling me a story from his travels. “And the whole table ordered Sloppy Joes. Now, what you think of as a Sloppy Joe and what New Jersey thinks of as a Sloppy Joe are definitely two different things.”
What he ate was a slice of Jewish rye piled high with turkey, roast beef, corned beef, Russian dressing and sweet slaw. When he passed me a Downtown Deluxe (a Jersey Joe) of my own, I couldn’t help but think of the moment in Scooby-Doo when the title character makes a sandwich so huge, you’re pretty sure it’s impossible to eat. (Rest assured — you will find a way.)
Gendil told me they don’t just have sandwiches. They’ve got house-made soups and salads, a big hummus plate and a nacho platter.
“We had everything in the kitchen to make them,” he said. “So we added nachos to the menu. Why not?” (And there’s the Tex-Mex represented.)
Hampton Place also offers a crab quiche based off Gendil’s grandmother’s recipe from Savannah.
Hampton Street is 25-years-old, a long time to be in business. When I asked what was next for Hampton Street, Gendil laughed.
“Well, we’re trying to get the University to let us take Carolina Cash, but it’s taking a little more time than we thought," he said.
Carolina Cash or not, this cafe is perfect for students living on campus or around downtown. It's located in the shadow of the new Hub apartment building, just off of Main. The food is quick and inexpensive and makes for a great lunch or early dinner. Hampton Place also delivers for orders of 10 dollars or more, and they’re on Campus Special if you’re into online ordering.
Stop by for lunch on Monday and try something new. A taste of back home, maybe? Try it out until your hunger wanders in a new direction.
Hours:
Monday through Friday 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Location:
1230 Hampton Street
Website/full menu:
hamptonplacecafe.com
What you want:
Special Spinach Salad
Green Tea (on tap and sweetened with honey)
Homemade Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Hali Cali with a pickle and slaw
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