What’s on offer?
Scott Holder, the chef behind the Los Chicanos Mexican food truck, opened Little Geno’s in mid-July, bringing a New York-inspired sandwich shop to Grafter cafe in Smyth House on St Stephen’s Green, a very smart co-working space. During his time living in Brooklyn, he was inspired by the local neighbourhood delis and set about elevating classic sandwiches from around the world.
He uses five different breads from different bakeries for the sandwiches. Meat comes from JJ Young butchers, ham from FX Buckley and the pastrami is Irish beef from Cork. All the marinades are made in-house and the meats are slow-cooked overnight. A custom Russian dressing is made for the Reuben; Calabrian chilli and tomato sauce for the Italian; and black garlic aioli and jalapeño vinaigrette for the bánh mi. The vegan bánh mi has a house-made shiitake XO sauce and marinated Portobello mushrooms.
What did we order?
A Reuben, Cubano and vegan bánh mi.
How was the service?
The menu is written clearly on boards behind the counter, and customers queue to place their order and pay. You need to wait nearby to listen for your order to be called out when it’s ready. It’s a smart room with comfortable chairs and sofas with a smattering of people tapping away on laptops.
Was the food nice?
All of the sandwiches are very tasty. The Rueben comes on the classic rye bread, and is loaded with pastrami, sauerkraut bringing refreshing acidity, sliced Swiss cheese and a Russian dressing that packs quite a bit of heat. There’s a pickle on the side. The Cubano, on grilled Cuban bread (a bit like a sub roll), is full of flavour, filled with roast mojo pork shoulder, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard aioli. The vegan bánh mi (the only vegetarian option), is dripping with the black garlic sauce. The tender Portobello mushrooms are hot and juicy, tasting of tamari with a little bit of heat, fresh coriander, with stalks included, add an aromatic zing, and pickled carrots and daikon bring balance. If you want to go for the non-vegan bánh mi option, it is made with sliced pork.
What about the packaging?
Sandwich wrappers are paper and fully compostable. There are no plastic bottles in the drinks fridge.
What did it cost?
€30.95 for lunch for three people: Rueben, €10.95; Cubano, €10; and vegan bánh mi, €10.
Where does it deliver?
Takeaway only, open Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm; and Sat, 10am-5pm.
Would I order it again?
Yes, there’s a lot of care taken in how the sandwiches are made and it shows. I would like to see another vegetarian option.
