Meet the winner of the 'great sandwich search'

The “Great Deli Sandwich Search” got plenty of responses in the past two weeks, and in this unscientific research we're strictly going with the place that triggered the most comments.

Smitty's on the Corner, 15 E. Main St. in St. Charles, has plenty of fans and they spoke up often about the great sandwiches at this location.

Owners Steve and Ann Smith have been operating the deli at that corner in St. Charles since 2000. From Steve Smith's vantage point behind the counter at the deli, the Turkey Berry sandwich has been the number one seller over the years.

“That one seems to be the favorite,” Smith said. The Turkey Berry features turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, red onion and mayonnaise-cranberry sauce on fresh wheat bread.

Because of an ability to build a loyal customer base, Smitty's on the Corner has seen steady business since it first opened.

“The summer is always the best for us because more people are out and about, but this winter hasn't been bad,” Smith said of the stretches of above-normal temperatures.

Still, the feedback from readers indicates it doesn't matter what time of the year you go into Smitty's. They say you will always get a great sandwich.

Other than the Turkey Berry, two other sandwiches were mentioned often — the Fox River Tuna Salad, a tuna salad sandwich with havarti cheese and lettuce on a croissant; and the Reuben, touted by a few as the best in the area.

Reader Wendy Gruber went on an area search for a great Reuben a few years ago and was convinced Smitty's had the best one.

It might also interest some folks to know that Smitty's on the Corner was featured as a coffee shop in the film “Munger Road” in 2011.

Some of the others:

Other sandwich joints mentioned in the “Great Deli Sandwich Search” included Josef's Elegante Meats & Deli in Geneva. Readers said this place shines because it pays attention to the basics — the bread, meat and cheese are all great, they say. They also mentioned the potato salad at Josef's is quite good.

I've had the great hamburgers at Josef's during its Saturday cookouts in warmer weather, so trying a deli sandwich there has to go on the to-do list.

The new DRM European Deli in St. Charles also has been getting high praise from my readers and on social media platforms. It is so new, it might take a while for a signature sandwich to truly take hold.

The roast beef sandwich at Augustino's at routes 64 and 59 received some praise, and I would add that I have had good sandwiches at that location as well. Not all sandwiches come from a true deli setting, of course. But for those who like this kind of thing, it was mentioned by one reader that the Philly Steak sandwich on the lunch menu at Foxfire in Geneva is “amazing.”

Goose's tailgate party:

The Blue Goose supermarket in St. Charles is gearing up for its annual Super Bowl Tailgate Party, also calling it a “halfway to summer” event.

And it's a good name, considering the store will offer an indoor brat stand and various other “Best of Super Bowl” food samples throughout the store from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

That should be just enough to get everyone geared up for the big game on Sunday.

Goose's Batavia plans:

Speaking of Blue Goose, it's a topic on the minds of Batavians as they await word on when the supermarket might have a second Tri-Cities location in the retail strip along Wilson Street.

With the new Walgreens in place in the same area, the drugstore's former location is earmarked for Blue Goose — when all of the due diligence regarding store infrastructure and other factors are part of an agreed-upon lease.

“It's a complicated process,” said Austin Dempsey, vice president of BEI Properties, developers of that retail strip. “There are so many moving pieces — contracts, bids, plans, the lease — and we are working through those. They all take awhile to assemble and we are actively committed to moving forward on those.”

The parties are a lot closer to a lease than they were just a month ago, so things are moving along in the right direction, Dempsey added.

Any development takes time, but it's even more complicated when considering a downtown development, Dempsey said. “There is only so much room, and we have to look at things like foundations and work around what was there before.”

BEI is currently reviewing various options for store configurations and the best setup for all retailers in that strip, including Daddio's Diner and Panera Bread.

The developers are hoping a decision on whether the project moves forward will occur in a couple of months.

Batavia economic development consultant Chris Aiston said the city is ready for the project as soon as BEI and Blue Goose sign the dotted line.

While it was originally thought Batavians might see a Blue Goose this year, Dempsey said it is probably more practical to think of early 2018 as a target.

Church and its history:

It was great to see the name of Don Brod turn up in a news release about The Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva celebrating its 175th anniversary this year.

Brod, a retired journalism professor and department chair at Northern Illinois University, is presenting a program at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the 102 S. Second St. church. He'll provide plenty of information about this oldest church in Geneva.

Brod has been a staunch supporter of journalism in the state of Illinois and a great help for the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, of which I served as president in the early 1990s.

He does his homework on any project he tackles, making it a lock that his presentation should be thorough, interesting and entertaining.

dheun@sbcglobal.net