Lunch at Hannah's Bretzel

Last Monday, I was feeling rather under-the-weather with a cold and craving a good soup and sandwich combo. I decided to go to Hannah's Bretzel because I've been there once before and I remembered that they have good sandwich and soup offerings. Hannah's Bretzel offers an array of sandwiches, soups, and chocolates, and boasts ingredients that are entirely organic and whole grain. It is also extremely convenient for when I am downtown for class because there are multiple locations in the loop! 

Organic Barley Soup (12 oz)

For my soup, I decided to go with the organic barley soup. It seemed like the perfect thing to soothe my sore throat and congested nose, and I wasn't disappointed! The 12 oz is considered a small, but I felt it was an extremely generous portion size! It was basically a full bowl of soup and it only clocks in at 90 calories! I have to say I always have respect for restaurants that provide the nutritional info of their food because it allows us to make decisions that are a little bit more informed. The barley, carrots, and celery were delicious and the soup was very satisfying. I also ordered a small coffee. Hannah's Bretzel offers La Colombe coffee and it was really nice! 

Organic Grass Fed Sirloin

For my sandwich, I decided to order the Organic Grass Fed Sirloin. The sandwich is described as "organic grass fed sirloin, Swiss Gruyére cheese, vine tomatoes, organic mixed greens, caramelized organic onions and housemade horseradish aioli on organic bretzel bread." You can also order the sandwich was a "Wecken," which is a smaller portion, but I had a slightly bigger appetite than that. This sandwich clocks in at a mere 590 calories (not a lot for a sirloin sandwich, especially in this portion size) and was absolutely delicious! You could tell that the sirloin was high quality, and the horseradish aioli was a really nice accompaniment to all of the ingredients. My favorite aspect of the sandwich was the caramelized onions. They were super sweet and added a little crunch to every bite. Yum! 

Organic brownie

I was really in the need for a pick-me-up that day, so I decided to treat myself to a brownie. Hannah's Bretzel brownies are made with entirely organic cocoa so they are basically guilt free ;) My only complaint about this brownie is that it is rather small. I took the photo of it in my hand to show that it is barely the size of my palm. It's perfect for satiating a chocolate craving, but a bit of a disappointment if you are looking for a traditional brownie that you'd find at Panera or another sandwich shop. In terms of flavor, it was spot on. The chocolate was extremely rich and the chocolate chips added an excellent texture. 

All in all, my experience at Hannah's Bretzel was very comforting. My only true complaint about this restaurant is that it is quite overpriced. A small cup of soup, sandwich, coffee, and brownie clocked in at $19.50 which is a little steep for Monday lunch. However, I normally wouldn't order that much for lunch so that did contribute to the bill. Also, steeper prices is often the trade-off that you have to make for such fresh, organic ingredients. The organic sirloin and cocoa was definitely worth a few extra bucks! If you're near Hannah's Bretzel in the loop, I definitely recommend trying their extensive (and healthy!) menu!