Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Press 195 - Fresh, Hot, Sandwichy Goodness

Press 195 - 40-11 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
718.281.1950

www.press195.com


My first visit to Press was when friends, James and Janel took us there in Park Slope.  But since then, I've discovered another location, right here in Queens, situated on Bayside's busy, Bell Boulevard.  I was so excited to uncover this gem in Bayside that my friend Michelle and I made brunch plans and dined there last weekend.  Their specialty, as you can tell from the above photos are paninis, and lots of 'em.

Atmosphere:
Casual, laid-back and friendly is how I'd describe the atmosphere at Press.  While the decor is nothing out of the ordinary, consisting of classic wooden tables and chairs, and a few minimalist touches, the focus is more on the food and beer.  The interior is long and narrow (just like its Park Slope sister location), but aside from that, there's a really cool, and quite extensive outdoor patio with plenty of tables, some of which are covered by trees.  We just couldn't help but feel relaxed and comfortable here, taking it easy and not rushing. 

Food:

We couldn't believe how many sandwich options there were - I counted 40 hot press sandwiches and 7 that were cold pressed (meaning just lightly toasted).  But what I really had my eye on was the Knish corner, a sandwich enveloped in hot pressed potato knishes instead of bread.  Keep reading to find out more...

Belgian Fries - Michelle drew my attention to these right away and I was happy to get them.  They seemed to be popular, as we saw a couple of neighboring diners devouring them.  Once we got our share, we understood why.  Served in a classic cone container, lined with parchment paper, the fries were just gorgeous.  They were not only the perfect size, they still had the skins on, which is just about my favorite thing in a fry. Crunchy and delectable, we really enjoyed munching on them before our sandwiches came - and the best part was the garlic sauce we ordered on the side.  Dipping each fry into this as well as ketchup was sinfully good.

Turkey Knish Press - This was the knish sandwich I briefly referenced above.  Stuffed with smoky turkey breast, Canadian bacon, gooey Swiss cheese and tomatoes, sandwiched between hot knishes with gorgeous press marks on them, it was a delight.  Since it has more starch than a regular sandwich, it was a lot more filling and that's why I shared it with Michelle. We both agreed that was a smart move and I'd recommend taking this route.

Roast Beef Press - Michelle gravitated to this panini since she's a meat lover - and as am I so I obliged.  The best part about it was the rustic sourdough bread that was wonderfully crunchy on the outside but nice and soft on the inside.  Stuffed with thick pieces of roast beef, tomato, fresh mozzarella, Bermuda onions and horseradish sauce, it had a nice bite to it and was also pretty hearty. We liked everything in it except for the main ingredient--the roast beef--because it was too chewy.  I think we'll be staying away from this sandwich next time, but we'll definitely try another one of their 39 options.

Service and Cost:
Generally speaking, our servers were helpful.  Although not overly knowledgeable, they tried their best to accommodate us and while we didn't find them to be exceptional, we didn't run into any major problems either.

Costs are affordable and include:

Belgian Fries - $6
Starters - $8 - $16
Cold Press - $8.75 - $10
Hot Press - $8.50 - $9.50
Knishes - $8.50
Salads - $5 - $11

3 Mmmms

2 comments:

  1. Thanks very much for the kind words, they are much appreciated!

    We look forward to your next visit. And, be on the lookout for the third Press 195, opening later this Fall in Rockville Centre, Long Island!

    Regards,
    Brian Karp
    Owner
    Press 195
    www.press195.com
    www.facebook.com/press195

    ReplyDelete
  2. AWESOME - can't wait for this new location to open. Good stuff guys. Keep up the great work.

    ReplyDelete

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