Maybe it was all those fishy lunches I ate as a kid, but on summer afternoons I have a yen for a tuna-salad sandwich. I know there are upscale versions of this sandwich out there that mix chunks of high-quality tuna with walnuts and grapes, or with fennel, tarragon and capers. But on this go-round I kept it simple: canned tuna salad on rye with lettuce and tomato, served at downtown eateries.
During a sunny noon hour when tourists were meandering through Harborplace, office workers were dodging Redwood Street construction crews, and the lunchtime throngs filled Lexington Market, I went fishing for tuna-salad sandwiches.
Best Bite
Werner's Restaurant
Address: 231 E. Redwood St.
Phone: 410-752-3335
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday
This was a substantial sandwich that weighed 7/8 of a pound, cost $5.72 and had a pleasing mix of tuna, mayonnaise and small bits of green pepper. It was served on good rye bread, with crisp lettuce and some tolerable sliced tomatoes, and came with tangy dill pickles and a bag of potato chips.
Best Bargain
Mary Mervis Delicatessen
Address: Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St.
Phone: 410-752-1397
Hours: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday
A hefty sandwich, $4.72 and weighing 3/4 of a pound, was served with each half tightly packaged in deli-wrap paper for convenient, no-drip munching. It had basic canned tuna and mayo, brightened with shredded lettuce.
Also Tasted
Johnny Rockets
Address: Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace, 301 Light St.
Phone: 410-347-5757
Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
This compact, 1/2 -pound, foil-wrapped tuna-salad sandwich, $5.72, had strong celery-salt notes - a mite too strong for me.
Know of a good carryout? Let us hear about it. Write to rob.kasper@baltsun.com.
