Birmingham’s Frank Street Bakery presses sandwiches that impress

In fact, the tiny soup-and-sandwich joint just off Old Woodward on the outskirts of downtown Birmingham features, somewhat unexpectedly, a pressed Cuban sandwich as its house specialty. Ham, roasted pork and salami with Swiss, mayo, mustard and pickles are smashed into submission, transforming the zesty components into something almost delicate — a thin and crunchy wafer of a sandwich that nevertheless packs a lot of flavor. 

The Cuban sandwich — as well as the atmosphere of the café — reflects the owners' seven-year stint in Florida, where they owned and operated a similar restaurant. The sunny yellow interior, brightened by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, is matched by the disposition of owners Matt and Grace Dersa. He works the front, making the sandwiches, and she does the baking in the back. As they take orders and chat with customers, it's obvious from their outgoing demeanor that they enjoy their work. 

As we sipped coffee on a recent visit, we got to chatting with Matt, who tells us that he and Grace were high school sweethearts of a sort, only she didn't know it. When he was a senior and she a freshman, living in Milford and Commerce, respectively, he wrote in her high school yearbook that they would be married someday. She laughed it off, but years later, when both had returned to the area after college, his words proved true. While they had a good run in Florida, Grace was homesick for her 14 siblings and wanted to return to Michigan, so they sold the business, moved back North, and opened Frank Street Bakery in December of 2011. The formula they developed in Florida seems to be working well for them — a variety of sandwiches (subs, wraps, panini), soups, baked goods and smoothies, with a small but serviceable salad bar, in a location small enough that the two of them can manage it without much additional staff. 

On our first visit, we tried the aforementioned pressed Cuban sandwich and, for my vegetarian companion, a Caprese panino (fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, salt and pepper). Although suffering slightly from out-of-season tomatoes (our fault, obviously, for ordering it in winter), the Caprese was nicely seasoned with salt and pepper — a small but crucial detail. Many of the sandwiches are available in a half or whole portion, something we appreciated since we wanted to allot room for soup and dessert. Chili is always on the menu, and although we didn't try the regular chili, an elderly gentleman who is a regular of the restaurant proclaimed it to be the best he's ever had, anywhere. I opted for a white chicken chili on one visit; it was a solid, standard version with white beans, chunks of chicken, and a few green chilies (more would not have been amiss). My dining companion was disappointed at the lack of a vegetarian soup choice, although we were eating around 2 p.m. and it appeared the other soups had sold out. Overall, however, he was pleased with the variety of vegetarian and vegan menu options, such as a Hummer — hummus, taboulleh, cucumbers, lettuce and tomato wrapped in lavash. 

> Email Noelle Lothamer