Josh B., University of Virginia
Everyone loves a bit of gambling. Naturally, some gamble for the rush, while others only partake when the results are trivial. However, it seems paradoxical that so many people gamble given that “the house always wins.” Well, at Take it Away Sandwich Shop on the UVA Corner, people return because “the house always wins,”…and it’s no gamble.
I am, of course, referring to the house dressing in which Take it Away takes incredible pride. A mysterious blend of sauces that my taste buds can hardly discriminate between, the house sauce easily represents the best part about this small sandwich shop. To give it my best shot, the dressing is evocative of some calculated mixture of barbeque and mustard seed sauces, mayonnaise, and a nameless spice. In so many words, this dressing might constitute the most heavily guarded secret in the realm of the University of Virginia.
When you walk into Take it Away, positioned on a street isolated from the hubbub of The Corner, you will immediately notice the extremely limited menu. One of the last adjectives I would use to describe this restaurant would be eclectic. I would not suggest coming to this shop intending to order a BLT because you will not find bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado, or anything of the sort on the menu. Toppings, all inexplicably extra, include a handful of cheeses (the Harvarti does occupy a nice niche on the smoked turkey), sprouts, and watercress. French, onion rye, whole wheat, sourdough, pumpernickel, and ciabatta comprise the bread lineup. Although the breads are indisputably fresh and crisp, certain choices like the sourdough or French arrive in pretty disappointing portions given the six-dollar prices.
Employees take your order on a small notepad and converse robotically with you like you are a regular. Then, while you wait for an employee to call your name (indicating it is time to devour some house dressing), you browse the congested store. Lined with esoteric pictures of jazz musicians, baskets filled with obscure brands of chips, average wine, and solitary truffles and brownies, the store maintains a charming, albeit contrived, air.
Although not the most unique of sandwich shops in existence, Take it Away’s house dressing is shamelessly addicting (and they know it) and at least partially justifies the frustrating servings, limited selections, and surprisingly restricted operating hours.
Thinking about Take it Away, when it comes to the house dressing, I would “make it an ‘A’”, but other than that I’d “forsake it today”.
