Today I decided to try Bleu for lunch. Bleu is the restaurant inside the Westin Hotel, across the street from the FedExForum. They have a B.Y.O. (Build Your Own) Sandwich menu that I have seen several other bloggers write about, but since I’m rarely Downtown at lunch I had not had the chance to try it before today.
(Click to see image in a larger size, although I’m going to tell you all about the menu below)
Ordering the BYO Sandwich is an 8-step process.
In Step 1, you pick your protein. Choices are Angus beef, marinated chicken breast, ahi tuna, fried catfish, portabello mushroom cap, or sliced sirloin. I picked the sirloin.
In Step 2, you choose your temperature. Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well. Obviously this step is skipped for the meats that need to be cooked thoroughly, like the chicken. I asked for medium rare, my preferred temp for a quality cut of beef.
In Step 3, you choose your bun. Choices include a Kaiser roll, whole wheat bun, poor boy, or tortilla wrap. You also have the option of paying $3 extra for a grilled cheese bun. I got the Kaiser roll.
In Step 4, you choose a sauce. Options are chipotle mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, spicy fancy sauce, garlic aioli, BBQ sauce, or salsa. My pick was the chipotle mayo.
In Step 5, you choose your cheese. Choices are American yellow, aged cheddar, Jarisberg Swiss, sharp provolone, bleu, or goat cheese. I got the Swiss.
In Step 6, you choose up to three toppings. You choose from iceberg lettuce, arugula, sliced pickles, cole slaw, Bermuda onions, sliced jalapenos, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, or roasted red peppers. I selected the caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted red peppers.
In Step 7. you pick your premium toppings ($1 each). These consist of avocado, a fried egg, Applewood smoked bacon, onion rings, or a fried tomato. I asked for the onion rings.
In step 8, you choose your side. Choices are hand-cut fries, potato salad, fruit cup, sweet potato fries, or cole slaw. I got the cole slaw.
Here’s the sandwich I built:
This was one delicious sandwich. The sirloin was tender, and was properly cooked medium rare as ordered. The steak was juicy, which kind of made the sandwich fall apart but I didn’t mind. I think if I got this sandwich again, I’d select a different bun, maybe the poor boy, that would hold together better. The chipotle mayo was a nice accent, and the onion rings on top were worth the extra dollar.
Service was friendly and quick. One thing I like is that the server brought my check at the time I brought my meal. Many people eating there are going to be on lunch hour from work, and already having the check handy helped to speed things up. However, the server also made it clear that if I wanted anything else, he’d be happy to get it.
I liked the decor of the restaurant as well – not surprisingly, since blue is my favorite color. A very positive experience, and a lunch that I would happily recommend.
