Leavitt & Sons - Falmouth, Maine

My husband has been saying for years that Falmouth needed a decent sandwich shop. Sure, we have The Town Landing Market that can get away with serving average "submarine-type" sandwiches and lobster rolls because of their picturesque location. And then there is O'Naturals, where everything sounds better than it tastes. But at long last, we now have an amazing little speciality grocery store and sandwich shop, Leavitt & Sons, on the corner of Depot Road and Route 1.

Peter Leavitt has successfully turned the former Coldwell Banker building into a homey little spot, warm and welcoming. Limited seating - 4 stools at the bar and a single table that seats 3 nestled amidst the racks of wine - make this is mostly a take-out establishment filled with goodies that make it worth the stop.

While the purpose of our visit was to grab a sandwich, I was quickly drawn to the diverse wine selection, including one of my favorites, the hard to find '04 Goldeneye Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. Numerous types of micro brews and all natural sodas fill the coolers; a selection of Tea Forte teas (if you are a tea lover, you must try these) are displayed in the front window. Pemberton pasta sauces, all natural dips, crackers and chips diverted my attention while I waited for my lunch.

While your eye wants to settle on the chalkboard listing the sandwiches available, allow your imagination to work a bit. While they do list 4 or 5 sandwich options, you are quickly guided to the cases featuring an array of Boar's Head meats and cheeses. Sitting atop the case is a listing of condiments, vegetables and accoutrements from which you can select. Creativity, freedom and flexibility allow guests to create their dream sandwich.

On the day I visited, the bread options included Standard baguettes, square Ciabatta-type rolls, Standard whole grain bread, and wraps (spinach, herb or white). My husband selected the Boar's Head Honey Maple Turkey on a Baguette with Horseradish sauce, Irish Cheddar Tipperary Cheese, Shaved Red Onion, Pickles, Tomatoes, Lettuce and the most amazing black olives you will ever try (cured, seasoned with herbs and then packed in oil). I opted for the same toppings on my Cracked Pepper Turkey Herb Wrap. The sandwiches were generously portioned, the ingredients fresh and plentiful. And those olives! They make the sandwich.

Three soups were available: Tomato, Corn Chowder with Bacon, and Chicken Vegetable & Barley. The latter was chock full of tender cubes of chicken, green beans, carrots, celery and herbs, simmered for hours in chicken broth. We devoured every last drop and left longing for more.

Leavitt & Sons features "Dinners 2-Go", with selections such as Pork Tenderloin, Vegan Meatloaf, Vegetable Lasagna and Peppers stuffed with Black Beans and Rice. The cheese selection is decent, though not nearly as diverse and extensive as The Cheese Iron. Select from their charcuterie, add artichokes, olives and roasted peppers, and you can easily create an Antipasto feast on the fly.

Relatively new (open since November), Leavitt & Sons is still evolving, making changes and additions based on requests and suggestions from their customers. My only suggestion would be to add a few desserts, even if it's just chocolate chip cookies and brownies from Standard. Peter plans to host wine tastings in the near future; sign up on their website if you're interested in receiving notifications of these, and other events.

Leavitt & Sons is a welcome addition to Falmouth. And while I'm thrilled to have them in my town, I'd love to see a second location in Portland's Old Port. It just hasn't been the same since Port Wine & Cheese closed its doors (many, many years ago). Sandwich shops that feature premium meats, cheeses and breads are much too rare these days. Kudos to Peter Leavitt for an exceptionally well done execution.