Jason’s Deli
4130 East 82nd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46250

http://www.jasonsdeli.com

What I Got: The Big Joe with Baked Chips $6.59

While out for some early afternoon errands, the wife and I stopped into Jason’s Deli for lunch.  This was our first restaurant visit under the new regime of “2011 Resolutions.”  We were both in search of something quick, light, and fresh and we were open to trying the brand spankin’ new Jason’s Deli franchise in Indy.  Having never heard of this chain, we were only hoping that we had made the right decision and as it turns out, we were right on the money.

After quickly perusing their mission statement and menu, we learned that Jason’s Deli emphasizes fresh, less “fooled-with” ingredients and tries to include organic ingredients whenever possible.  Unfortunately, many sandwiches on the menu feature only organic mustard or no organic ingredients at all.  But hey, they’re trying…and it’s a really big menu with a lot of choices.  So in an effort to be healthy, I avoided items with fatty, cured meats…no bacon, no salami.  The long line behind me forced me to order somewhat impulsively and I ended up with The Big Joe:  oven roasted turkey breast, roasted tomatoes and Asiago with pesto mayo on an herb foccacia bun.  My wife, a little more successful with the healthy thing, ordered a turkey wrap with sprouts.  We both got the baked chips in lieu of the regular fried potato chips.  On our way to find a seat, we passed a rather impressive salad bar.  Had we seen this beforehand, I think our orders would’ve looked a little different.

My sandwich arrived looking a lot smaller than I expected.  With a name like “Big Joe,” I guess I was picturing a big sandwich.  Fortunately, I’m trying to shed a few pounds and I appreciated the forced portion control.  I scraped off a little of the pesto mayo because it was on both buns; I was not a fan. I know what you’re thinking, “You’re trying to be healthy and you ordered mayo on a sandwich??”  Yeah, I know, I’m not the brightest, okay?  That’s how I got myself in this sticky wicket.  The foccacia was out of this world.  It was like a fresh biscuit packed with herby goodness.  Honestly, I could eat a shoe if it was sandwiched between this bread. The rest of the ingredients were just as advertised.  Fresh, flavorful and decidedly “unfooled-with.”  The sandwich tasted great, but I had a funny suspicion that I wasn’t getting the healthy lunch I was looking for.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes to Jason’s Deli, but that sandwich was a mistake!!!  After returning home, I checked the nutritional information online.  It was somewhere in the ballpark of 850 calories.  So much for the diet, huh?  I would, however, get the turkey wrap that my wife ordered.  It had a whole wheat wrap, low fat turkey, sprouts, roma tomatoes, guacamole and ranch all for 359 calories.  The portion size was good too, so I just made the wrong choice.

-Indy Food Geek

Two times this week, I was asked by people that have no clue that I write this blog if I have seen “Food, Inc.”  I have, but what was more interesting was their response.

One person said, “I am not eating meat anymore, I am going to be a vegetarian.”  The other said, “It will totally change what you eat.  I have seen bacon being made and it is not pretty.”  Fair enough.  Slaughtering animals is not pretty, regardless of how humane it is.

My question:  How has this film (or other publications like it) changed the way that you

1. Buy food AND
2. How long has that change lasted?

For me:
I read labels more
I buy more organic items
I am going to plant a garden this spring
I visit farmers markets more
I wonder what is really in my food and where it is from

However, I saw a special that featured Farmer’s Markets and one of the benefits they listed was “cheaper.”  Maybe I am going to the wrong farmer’s markets, but I find them to commonly be 2x-5x more expensive.  Case in point, I was at IWFM and I saw free range/no hormones, etc. chickens.  The thighs were around $5 a lb. There were booths that were cheaper, but work with me here.  At Costco, they are 79 cents a lb.  So I can get 6.3 lbs instead of 1 lb.  That is a big difference…a difference that is difficult to rationalize for a lot of people right now.

Counter point:  farmers markets have many handmade and unique items that you can’t find anywhere else.  I also found plenty of items that were 1x costs.  Lettuce for $3.00, spices, root veggies, etc.  And, you really can’t compare homemade sausages vs. Johnsonville, it is not the same product.  You get the point.  Regardless of the price, I am very supportive of farmer’s markets.

My point:  Watch the movie, read the articles…now what?  The curtain has been lifted, you know who the Wizard of Oz is.  The Alice Walters types say, “Hey, wibia…if you can’t afford farmers market chicken, sell your flat screen tv and buy better chicken.”  Fair enough.   However, at times, it is a ton of work to make the effort.  Menus are difficult to navigate, dining choices are limited, my nearest grocery store that has a respectable organic section is 25 minutes away. Plus, sometimes I need diapers, light bulbs, a birthday card and lettuce and I have a 30 minute window before my kid goes ape sh-t.  So I do what I can.  Am I better, yes… am I perfect (whatever that is) no.

So I am interested to see the results.

-wibia