PASSIONATE RATIONS

When trying to determine a good eatery in an unfamiliar place, I find that following the crowds works.  When we were in Tokyo, we routinely chose to eat at the dining establishment with the longest line.  Such things translate well.

Earlier this week, I found myself near the intersection of Hawley and Franklin at Boston’s Downtown Crossing.  The last time I was in the area, I had noted a long line outside a little stand-up Chilean joint called Chacarero.  This time, I had the opportunity to try it.

Chacarero specializes in various versions of one thing:  a Chilean sandwich known, fittingly, as a “chacarero.”  I ordered the vegetarian version, but customers can order chicken or beef as well.

I wasn’t that hungry and, before I tried it, determined to eat only half the sandwich and save the rest for later.  That plan did not work out very well, since the sandwich was so good I ate the whole thing without stopping.

Sandwiched between two six-inch rounds of freshly-baked bread were avocado spread, green beans, Muenster cheese, tomatoes, red peppers, and something hot (their secret ingredient).  The slow burn was perfect—not too hot, not too tame.  The vegetables were fresh and tasty.  The colorful red, green and yellows of the beans, peppers, tomatoes and cheese made an appetizing eyeful.

The sandwich was $4.60 and well worth it.

Service was quick and efficient.  I placed my order at the window on one end and picked it up at a window on the other, watching the speedy and skillful sandwich assembly through the windows in between.  My only disappointment—so minor that it barely deserves mention—was that the stand did not carry any traditional Chilean sodas or beverages, offering instead only Coke products, Nantucket Nectars, and water.

Definitely a Boston lunch bargain!