Does that make me racist?
No. Because they set up shop there, blurring the lines themselves and perpetuating ignorant stereotypes that all Asians are, and cook, the same. They're not and they don't, but I don't really care because it's all really good.
Baguette House is worth the drive.
This place, as the name would suggest, has some of the best bread I've ever had, as if a little Vietnamese man bedded a talented French baker, resulting in something both the Vietnamese (Chinese?) and French would be jealous of. Incredibly soft, with a thin and crisp, but not too tough or chewy, outer layer, which is absolutely perfect for a sandwich, or to eat by itself or as a side for any meal. The nice thing here too is that though not on the menu, you can buy this bread to take home.
You'd be a fool though not to get a sandwich while you're there. They're incredible, perfectly sized for lunch, and around $3 each, a steal.
Let's start with Chinatown though. Forget all you know about hanging chickens, smelly fruits, and eyeballs, this is a Chinatown of the 21st century, a master-planned, newly built strip center with all of the authenticness of a real Chinatown without the scary feel of dismembered eyeballs and dried mystery meats staring you in the face and stinging your nostrils with a "dear God, what the hell is that, turn and run" sort of olfactory violation. Gringos, fear not what Baguette House can do to you, fear what you miss by not going.
Baguette House is a sparkling new sandwich shop which has a cleaner feel than any sandwich chain you've ever been in, and serves up some incredible Vietnamese sandwiches. I opted to give two of them a shot while I was there, namely to amortize the $9.80 round-trip, IRS milage-based cost of this nine mile each way drive over a couple of meals, and also because I couldn't decide what to get.
First up, meatball sandwich.
No balls here, just an incredible flavorful and moist combination of ground pork and spices, topped with fresh cilantro, jalapenos, carrots and onions, with some sort of mayonnaise-like sauce binding it all together. The quality of the bread here completes the sandwich. Where as many places may use a baguette with a little more tooth to it, causing the contents of the sandwich to squeeze out the back, Baguette House's tears away easily leaving every bite a perfect combination of all ingredients. I'll be back for this one.
Second, the grilled bbq pork sandwich.
Signature bright red grilled and sliced pork, with the same toppings and bread as the meatball sandwich, this was good, but not as good as the meatball. The pork was very mild, and lacked the great flavor of the meatball, but was tender with a nice grilled flavor, and easy to eat.
Staff here is incredibly friendly, and very interested in what a six foot white guy thinks of their sandwiches, and helps to put anyone without a clue of what a menu item is at ease and comfortable in their order.
This place is a little bit of a trek from downtown, but well worth the drive for a good, cheap lunch fix.
Summary
Atmosphere: clean, Panera-like sandwich shop in a corner spot of a strip mall, good place for dine-in or take-away, great spot for lunch
Food: Vietnamese sandwiches, bread
Crowd: real Vietnamese people, real Chinese people (so you know it's good), white folk, businessmen, rickshaw drivers
Dog Friendly: no
Time to Go: lunch
What to Order for the First Timer: meatball sandwich
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