Next time you're meandering to Davis Square, step into Dave's Fresh Pasta. We know you got into Tufts, but we want to make this simple for you: Go there, it's great.
It's closer than Cardullo's (Cambridge's competing gourmand sandwich heaven, but it's in Harvard, and, really, who likes Harvard?), you can get a serious Man Sandwich if you're more about the 'FEED ME,' or you can flake on the testosterone and opt for the pasta or salad options like I did.
What's more, they not only have my favorite French cheese, Saint-Andr?©, but also my favorite Dalmatia Fig Spread (...honestly, who has a favorite 'dalmatia fig' spread?). How didn't I know about this freshman year? Frankly, because Winston is a terrible friend; though, to be fair, he did finally introduce me to the place, so I'll have him be the one to tell you the logistics. Winston, take the reigns.
You wouldn't normally think of Davis as a luncheon Mecca, but hidden just a block down Holland Street, this sandwicherie-meets-delicatessen-meets-cheeseshop breaks the mold.
My reason for living, the Grilled Chicken #2, has a lot more going for it than its name lets on. Quality ingredients, awesome bread and a visit to the panini press make this a classically exquisite sandwich. Grilled chicken (obviously), caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, mixed greens and homemade boursin are packed between a bread of your choosing, mine being the house "pane rustico." The flavors and proportions are all in balance, and the serving size is huge: I'm 6'2", and I'm saving half for dinner.
Don't like chicken? That's weird, but fine. There are plenty of options on their menu, and if you're really fickle you can even build your own. Let me recommend getting it toasted (who can turn down toasted bread and melted cheese?).
If you can get your hands on a functioning kitchen, you're in for a treat (sorry to those living in West this year, I heard "NQR" happened to your stove last winter). As their name suggests, Dave's Fresh Pasta has an overwhelming assortment of homemade pasta, sold by the pound, to take home and cook. There are 19 varieties of cut-to-order pasta (with everything from basil to whole wheat, alphabetically...) ready to toss in the pot, as well as - hold on, Charlotte is still counting - 30 types of fresh stuffed ravioli, 22 of which are vegetarian.
They also boast lasagna, fresh pasta sauces like you've never seen, take-home soups, a fully stocked deli counter and the kind of international but not exorbitantly priced wine and beer selection that makes an under-age foodie salivate for a fake.
The best part of Dave's, however, is picking up your order. Can you say free samples? It can be easy to miss if you're just picking up and paying for your order, but off to the side, on the deli counter, are samples galore. They have cheeses, breads, spreads, olives,and you also get a great view of the pasta being made in the back. Disclaimer: They get pretty feisty when you start to go overboard with the free goods.
If nothing else, this alone is reason enough to stop by on your way to the T. But don't blame us if you end up ordering a Cubano to-go.
