If you’ve ever driven down Highway 1 heading to Santa Cruz, you have undoubtedly noticed Gherkin’s Sandwich Shop with its bright blue facade and joyfully satisfied Gherkin pickle mascot.
You’re going to want to stop there next time. These sandwiches are delicious.
We pulled up after our last jaunt to JV Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and that turned out to be a terrific decision. I can’t believe we’ve just driven past it all these years, figuring we’d just get something to eat when we got back to SF.
Once inside, we slid into a booth, looking up at artwork by local artists and a huge picture window facing the ocean, and puzzled over the menu. Gherkin’s menu consists of a long list of truly complex sandwiches. I counted 33, not including their burgers and breakfast options.
Dave ordered the Al Capone — ham, mortadella, salami, provolone, with Italian dressing — and declared it the best sandwich he’s had in the Bay Area. I opted for the weirdest looking thing on the menu, the NorCal: Chicken Teriyaki, peanut sauce, pepper jack cheese, sprouts, tomatoes, mayo on a toasted Dutch crunch R0ll. (You can sub in fake chicken for any of the real chicken.) It was truly weird and also incredibly good. Spicy, sweet, creamy, and crunchy.
The restaurant is over-the-top vegetarian and vegan friendly; I’d highly recommend it for either. After I explained Bean’s food intolerances, they helped me brainstorm ideas and checked food labels. We eventually figured out a plate for her to eat. (They even insisted on not charging us!) Needless to say, she also gobbled up her lunch.
I have a feeling Gherkin’s may become a destination for us, not just a convenient pit stop.
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171 8th Street
Montara, CA
(650) 728-2211
Open Monday through Sunday, 9am to 7pm
Now, also open in San Carlos!
