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Every neighborhood needs a good sandwich shop, and even more so if said ’hood adjoins a park. Which is why Edgewater, next to Sloan’s Lake, struck gold when Satchel’s Market opened there last September. Even if you don’t live nearby, it’s worth a visit. And for those who do, the cafe brings a freshness and seasonality desperately needed in that neighborhood so filled with corporate fast food.
Sparsely decorated, save for a few plants, and made up mostly of an open kitchen, Satchel’s Market is the sort of place where sporadic foot traffic translates to repeat customers. Envisioned as a laid-back outpost of the more upscale Satchel’s on Sixth, chef Herman Robles can often be found working at Satchel’s Market by day before heading to Satchel’s on Sixth at night. From Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the cafe serves an ever-changing menu of sandwiches and snacks, as well as a small selection of beer and wine.
At different times, the snacks have included Colorado corn fritters, parsnip soup, heirloom tomato tartine, and Satchel’s famous duck fat fries, served with house-made basil aïoli. As for the sandwiches, all served on City Bakery bread, there are currently excellent riffs on a Cuban and an Italian, as well as a popular vegetarian option, the Siena (roasted poblanos, oven-roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, avocado, kale). The restaurant’s namesake ‘wich—a brioche bun piled with fried chicken, Tabasco aïoli, cabbage slaw, thousand island dressing, and house pickles—is what lunch dreams are made of; for $12, you’ll get the sandwich and your choice of duck fat chips or salad. Go for the latter, which is sizable, lightly dressed, and, on a recent visit, contained a tasty mix of beets, goat cheese, and kale.
Once the weather warms and farmers’ markets resume, expect the Market’s menu to change accordingly and Satchel-supplied picnics at Sloan’s Lake to increase. As it stands now, the only thing the cafe is missing is an espresso machine, the better to complement its killer cinnamon-apple donut holes.
5350 W. 25th Ave., closed Sundays and Mondays