Tribecca's Will Put You Down for a Nap. That's a Compliment.

Chef and owner Becca Grothe grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, and Tribecca's is an explicit homage to the sandwiches and regional food she ate there. Central and western Illinois comfort food, brought to Belmont Avenue in Avondale without apology or irony. That's a genuine concept and I can get behind it.

In practice, this place is heavy. Not as a criticism. As a description. If you arrive hungry and want a flavor bomb that will genuinely fill you up, Tribecca's will absolutely deliver on that. I can see this being the perfect hangover restaurant. As a midday lunch on a workday, the digestion situation will have you staring at your desk wondering if a nap is possible and whether anyone would notice.

The tater tots are well fried and hit the spot. The Cubano has great flavor and enough acid to cut through the fat, which is the right call on a sandwich that heavy. The MaidWrong, their loose meat sandwich, is genuinely nostalgic and well seasoned — the kind of thing that tastes like a memory even if you didn't grow up eating it. Mac and cheese versions of the sandwiches are available, which tells you everything you need to know about the general philosophy of the menu.

The shop is small, on Belmont, with a little eat-in area, but this is really more of a grab and go situation. Parking is rough. Plan accordingly.

One strong recommendation: share with at least one other person. The portions are large for the price, which is part of the appeal, and finishing one alone will end your afternoon.