Odd Bar, Northern Quarter, Manchester. FREEZE!

Odd Bar is a cafe/restaurant by day, bar and venue by night. It's one of three Odds in Manchester; Odd, Odder (Oxford Rd), and Oddest (Chorlton). It's a great place with a laid back atmosphere, similar to Manchester's Trof establishments, but without their dollop of 'too cool for school' pretension. The free jukebox in Odd is a nice touch, especially when it's quiet, allowing you to select all the tunes.

Odd has a good menu of breakfasts, burgers and sandwiches, veggie and carnivorous. I went for the N.Y.P.D.; New York Pastrami Doorstep. They do not lie, this is a doorstep and a half, filled with loads of pastrami, cream cheese, and juicy gherkins, served with a big pot of piccalilli, red onion coleslaw, and chips. This is a great, very filling lunch time treat, all the elements of the sandwich work together perfectly, the creamy smooth cheese, with the salty, spicy pastrami, and the sharp tangy gherkins. The piccalilli and coleslaw go very nicely on the side and the big chunky chips are perfectly crispy and fluffy. For just shy of a tenner with a drink, it's not the cheapest lunch, but it is one of the most filling.

Bread and Butter, Northern Quarter, Manchester. Service with a smile and a chat about the pros and cons of legalising drugs

Bread and Butter is a hidden gem located on Tib street in the trendy, indie, cool Northern quarter of Manchester city centre. It is a lovely little cafe with a large selection of panini, piadinas (which i discovered today is a sort of wrap, a bit like a cross between a naan bread and a tortilla, which like panini is toasted), cakes and teas. My eye was drawn to the meatball and mozzarella, which the friendly Mancunian waitress advised I had on the aforementioned piadina. The friendly duo behind the counter made the short wait for the sandwich a pleasant one with tails of relbellious youth and future dreams. I would have loved to have sat in and continued with the conversation if it hadn't been for the £1 extra charge for doing so (not much to the average layman, but I am a stingy student), but alas, I found a comfy wall nearby where I greatly enjoyed my lunch. A truly delicious sandwich (or piadina to be precise). The meatballs were served with a superb homemade rich tomato sauce, and the mozzarella was delightfully gooey when melted. Can't wait for the next visit!

Maison Mayci, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Last one I promise....

This will be the third sandwich I have reviewed from the Maison Mayci establishments; the chicken and crayfish. As expected, it's delish. Lovely chunky bits of chicken with big juicy crayfish in a tomato-ey sauce. Very nice combination of flavours and textures, sweet crayfish, tender chicken, smooth rich sauce and thick crunchy bread. Delightful. Great salad as always and also found out that their chips are amazing, proper french fries, really thin and crunchy. A very filling lunch for just over a fiver. TREAT.

Petit Pain, Hall Green, Birmingham. Call the police!

Petit Pain is a great sandwich shop just opposite the horsehoes pub in Hall Green. The smell of baking baguettes and the friendly staff make this little establishment feel like home as soon as you walk through the door. A nice unassuming menu with all the classics, available in a baguette or on white or brown sliced bread. On recommendation I went with the chicken tikka baguette. Served with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and topped with their homemade mint and chili sauce. This is a delightful twist on the classic chicken baguette, and as Birmingham is the 'capital of curry' it is no wonder this is a popular choice. The tikka marinade on the chicken is delicious, the salad brings a welcome freshness to every bite, the chili sauce adds a kick to the ensemble and the mint ensures that it's a pleasant one...all in all a very enjoyable sandwich and at £2.40 it's a steal!

Guest review: Pret a manger, Birmingham. Carrot and Humous Crunch Artisan Baguette

Breaking all the (unwritten) rules of this blog’s ethos this sandwich stems from a big corporate company, Pret a Manger. ‘Ready to eat’ as it translates, is exactly this establishment's selling point. Having only minutes before catching a train I went for the summery ‘Carrot and Humous Crunch’ on artisan baguette, which boasted to have won a prize for fresh ingredients...I hoped so anyway!

The roasted carrots poking out from the baguette swung it for me and on first bite I was not disappointed to find them perfectly cooked and accompanying the chunky chickpea humous deliciously! However the sandwich’s ‘crunch’ element was nowhere to be seen (despite its naming) and keeping faith I assumed its bite was to be discovered further in. Alas, minutes in and still no crunch!

However, the yogurt mayo dressing kept the chewy seeded artisan bread moist and helped balance out the coriander kick running through. The bread itself almost as delicious as my favourite boulangerie dans Paris, was a real treat and definitely worth opting for even if you're partial to a different filling. All in all, for £3.90 (ish, add a little extra for eating in) it's quite expensive, but for fresh and good quality ingredients in a short space of time est pas grave! Bon appétit!

K.S.