Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: Sometimes you just need a really great sandwich, and this past week I found one at a place I hadn’t visited in a while. The Brown Sack is a neighborhood favorite that has managed to stay out of the buzzy Logan Square spotlight, quietly making its superb sandwiches and shakes on a tucked-away residential block. The BLAST sandwich takes a BLT to the next level by throwing in shrimp and avocado – and now that I’ve had it, I don’t think I can ever go back to its three-letter predecessor. This might have to do with my conviction that basically everything is better with avocado; even so, this combination was especially magical. Each bite offered the perfect proportions of cool, creamy, bright, crunchy, and smoky, with nice briny sweetness and texture from the shrimp. And like most great sandwiches, its crucial adhesive was a healthy layer of mayo slathered onto crisp toasted bread. Next time, I might get extravagant and pair it with a shake, but this stacked masterpiece is more than satisfying enough on its own.
The details: The Brown Sack, 3581 W. Belden Ave., Chicago.