Rosa J.
Yelp
Often times nothing beats a simple, hearty, but comfortably filling subway sandwich from a small neighborhood, family-owned place. "Alpine Food Shop" specializes made-to-order sandwiches and Italian antipasti. Imported and domestic food and beverages are also available.
Hubby and I came over before heading out to the North Avenue Beach on a late Sunday morning. I thought Alpine was cash-only, but major credit cards are now accepted. Some people called in their orders, since a reasonable amount of wait would be expected for food that contains hand-cut meat, cheese, and assembling.
A medium-sized (9-inch) sub cost only $6.10, as of 06/19/2017. I didn't know nowadays that "eat fresh" chain charges for the same or similar item, yet I wasn't interested in this comparison because I'm all about supporting the local businesses. By the way, adding mild or hot giardiniera would be an extra $0.90 for the medium sub. DO IT! I asked for the mild, and that really made the entire sandwich very tasty, with the crunchiness from the diced veggies soaked in the oil. I also dipped the bread with the oil to finish up. Sorry I'm a sloppy sub-eater; all components usually don't synchronize into my mouth at the same time.
Honestly, I could have saved the other half of 9-inch for the road. Well, it was gone that quickly before I realized what I was doing. A dining area adjacent to the shop was tiny, but I was able to peek at the fresh bread that kept on transporting out of the kitchen. Umm...that really guaranteed the quantity of everything I consumed.
I know I can count on "Alpine" for a yummy sub when I hang out in Elmwood Park/Galewood neighborhoods. Street parking is a bit tricky along this portion of north Ave., yet CTA (#72 and #90, 10 to 15-minute walk to the east) and the Pace bus (#318) are also accessible.