Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal creates a significant sandwich called The Gondola. The sandwich is about as simple as a sandwich can get. Ham, salami, and American cheese stacked on an Italian-style bread. The toppings are straightforward, but the crux of this creation lies in the bread, which is so good, you can eat it by itself without the meats and cheese.
This lesson is applied to the Four-Cheese Signature Panino sandwich served at the quaint and homey Belgium Bean Cafe in Belgium, IL. Typically, I am not a huge fan of any panini. Since the bread makes a panino, they are easily overcooked and often over-sauced, which has been my most common experience with them at other, more prominent establishments. None of this is true with the Four-Cheese. The toppings for this perfected panino include ham, a pesto, and the four cheeses, feta, provolone, chedder, and asiago. While the combination of cheeses certainly makes for an interesting taste run, it's a bit of east meets west when the feta dances with the cheddar, the bread is the star of this sandwich. The bread is flavored with basil and crusted with asiago. It is also a little thicker than what most panini
feature, a quality to its credit because the bread is excellent and, thus, the sandwich is excellent.
The Four-Cheese Signature Panino is certainly worth a stop in at the Belgium Bean. You'll appreciate the service and the atmosphere, but most of all, you'll befriend a fine, fine sandwich, one certainly worthy of the All Star List.
On an added note, my wife, who is a connoisseur of caffeinated beverages, says that the lattes at the Belgium Bean are concoctions worthy of consumption. Don't neglect the whipped cream.
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