Meat & Bread

Vancouver Sandwich Restaurant Meat & Bread Will Open in Texas | Eater Austin

"I'm looking forward to the Austin outpost of a Vancouver fast-casual mini-chain that will open downtown at 360 Nueces Street, Suite 20 sometime in January 2022. It's known for its porchetta sandwich—served alongside salsa verde and cracklings—and popular sandwiches like the meatball (with parmesan aioli, kale, and gremolata) and a Buffalo chicken. The menu also includes sandwich dips (truffle-parmesan, habanero-cilantro cream, and sweet chipotle), spicy dill pickles, soups, salads, chips, and chocolate bars with caramel bacon, plus Austin beers, wines, and other drinks; it will be open for daytime service. This will become the mini-chain’s only American location (former Seattle spots have since closed), and the Austin restaurant will be run by franchisees Ernie Villarreal and Lindsay Jordan Villarreal, who long wanted to open a porchetta-focused place; Ernie says, “It’s unique and not done very often due to the laborious nature of preparation.” The couple discovered Meat & Bread via a food YouTuber, reached out in December 2019, flew to Vancouver in January 2020 to finalize the franchising deal, and are open to expanding with additional Austin locations. The chain’s co-owners Frank Harrington and Cord Jarvie opened the first location in Vancouver in 2010 and later added three more Vancouver addresses plus one in Calgary." - Nadia Chaudhury