Rising Roll offers 43 sandwiches

Date AddedJuly 20, 2009 01:44:06 PM

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Rising Roll Gourmet, a chain with an upscale breakfast-and-lunch sandwich concept, opened its first area location three months ago in Blue Ash, and the restaurant's expansive menu and clean, sleek interior have been a hit with the workday crowd.
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On a recent lunchtime visit to Rising Roll, my friend and I entered without any preconceived notions. The Blue Ash location is the first in Ohio. Rising Roll began in 1996 with one store in Atlanta and has grown to 12 locations in five states. Frank Foster, owner of the Blue Ash shop, was working behind the counter and said a Downtown or West Chester Township franchise is under consideration.

It took a while to read the extensive menu, which showed several salads and salad platters ($7.29-$8.39) and even more sandwiches - 43 if I can count right. Each comes with a Kosher dill pickle and a choice of a side of potato salad, pasta salad or coleslaw. (The menu is at www.risingroll.com.)

There's also the breakfast menu, featuring paninis, sandwiches, "breakfast stuffers" and more. Breakfast items are available during lunch, and lunch items during breakfast, but such reverse ordering can require a little more of a wait.

We each went with the "Soupwich." Any sandwich (minus the side) can be ordered with a small bowl of soup for $8.99. My friend ordered the Original Veggie on sourdough bread and a bowl of loaded baked potato soup. He liked the soup and thought the sandwich - filled with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red pepper and provolone cheese - got its kick from spreads of guacamole and mayo. (The Original Veggie is one of the only vegetarian items on the menu, but a Rising Roll worker said most any sandwich or salad can be made without meat.)

I chose the Original Cuban. I get a Cuban sandwich whenever it's on a menu at a new restaurant. There are no surprises in the tasty Rising Roll version - a grilled sandwich of pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. Rising Roll also has a Spicy Cuban, which substitues pepper jack for Swiss and jalapenos for pickles. My soup was Southwest Chicken Tortilla, and we each had a fountain drink ($1.59). Refills are free.

Our budget allowed for one dessert item, so we got an oatmeal raisin cookie ($1.49). It was big enough for two people to share, but my friend has a big appetite and enjoyed the entire cookie. We both agreed that we we'd return if we ever eat lunch in Blue Ash again.