Francesca is my new best friend

Troy has some really neat little eateries that can be easily overlooked, especially when you are trying to navigate through Troy's complicated grid of one-way streets by car. I happened to stumble upon Francesca's while running some errands to the post office on Broadway during my lunch break and decided to pop in for a quick bite to eat. For such a small eatery, the place was hoppin' and the tables were all full, leaving me no choice but to take my food to-go.

The menu offered an abundant amount of choices, from salads, sandwiches, drinks and soups. There was also a wrap and soup special offered and it is changed up on a daily basis.

From what I've been told, Francesca is the wife of Harry Tutunjian, the former mayor for the City of Troy. She makes each and every one of the sandwiches herself, with her staff making drinks, manning the register and assisting her. While making sandwiches, Francesca was greeting familiar faces in line, which happened to be everyone next to me. It's refreshing to find a home-style sandwich shop where even the owners themselves remember names and faces and in Francesca's case, their "usual" fare.

I ordered a tuna melt with smoked Mozzarella, lettuce and tomato on wheat- you really can't go wrong with a tuna melt. My buddy ordered "The Collar City"- a gourmet sandwich served with turkey, ham, field greens, onions, roasted red pepers served on a toasted basil focaccia with the choice of cheese and dressing. The sandwiches were served with pickles and chips.

Back at the office, we eagerly unwrapped our sandwiches and dove in. Is it possible to taste the difference between a sandwich and a "hand crafted"sandwich? Yes, I truly believe so, and that is what I tasted from the tuna melt. The tuna is obviously made fresh, with just the right hints of pepper.

My buddy's "Collar City" looked delectable and was gone in 5 minutes- luckily I snapped a photo before he attacked the second half.

According to the restaurant's menu, they are open for breakfast and lunch (7:30 AM- 4:30 PM) but only Monday through Friday. With so many businesses moving into the downtown area (i.e. RPI), I'm almost sure that they don't need to be open on the weekends, but it would be nice if they were for my early mornings at the Troy Farmer's Market. 

So yes, Francesca is my new best friend and I'll be visiting her on a weekly basis. I hope Average Jane won't mind!