Open-face Grilled Eggplant Sandwich

When the sandwich came out of the kitchen, a patron said to Kiss the Chef chef Horatio Mazariegos, “This kind of food doesn’t belong in a diner…it should be in a fine restaurant.”

Everyone turned to look and in one hour the chef had to prepare 17 more as the pyramid of vegetable, cheese and herbs seduced additional diners.

“This sandwich sells itself,” waitress Karen Duhigg said.

The Dish: Grilled Open-face Eggplant Sandwich

What’s Inside: Toasted Tuscany bread on bottom, alternating layers of grilled eggplant and fresh mozzarella, with fresh pesto and tomato bruschetta, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a spring of fresh basil on top.

How’s It Taste: Each flavor is fresh, distinct and distinctive and they combine into an irresistible sandwich. The toast alone is worth the price of the dish ($7.95) as it absorbs the flavors from above.

Lest you think the chef and waitress are making up stories about the dish, I saw the groundswell of appreciation with my own eyes as three other people ordered the sandwich after seeing mine and one diner, who had finished his meal, proclaimed that he would come back tomorrow to order it.