Claudia’s Grinder Shop is a small house with five indoor tables and outdoor seating selling well-stuffed sandwiches, salads, and soups.   Opening in 1997 it’s on a reasonably busy road near other businesses.  Inside is the order counter with the menu on a chalkboard above the prep area.   They call your name when yours is ready, with everything made to order.  They had several popular sandwich combos as well as a build-your-own section.  The breads are fresh and the sandwiches are large and come cut in half.  Music was in the background and all the staff was friendly and happy to advise.  I would go often if I lived nearby and recommend you stop if you are passing through that part of Connecticut

Set-up

Food

.We tried one Chicken Cutlet (which is also used in the chicken parm a very popular choice).  This cutlet is served American style on your choice of toasted bread and topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and American cheese.  The chicken cutlet was pounded very thin and lightly breaded and fried and there were several layers of it on the sandwich.  The toasted bread got a little dry for me but the flavor was good and I liked the textures.   If I went back I might try it as the chicken parm so it would be moistened with red sauce.

The Italian Combo contains a trio of meats – Genoa salami, Ham and Capicola topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers, and provolone and dressed with oil and vinegar.  This one was more typical of an Italian sub sandwich in flavor.  But this bread was not toasted and it was wonderful.  All the ingredients were flavorful and blended nicely.  The shredded lettuce is a pain, cause it falls out but there was plenty to spare.  The grinder was packed with thinly sliced meats surrounding the really flavorful peppers.  It was a great sandwich.