Firehouse Subs – Fully Involved

Running out the door, running errands, and running to be a better runner.  
Phew!

When I think about it – I do a lot of running around.  So as much as Mark and I make an effort to cook the majority of our meals at home – there are times when that is just not an option.

For me – especially after a race – there is a small window from when I cannot even stomach food to when my hunger meter goes through the roof.  Trust me – if you have not had the experience, you do not want to be around a hungry runner – we can be beasts (my husband unfortunately can attest to this)

But just  because I want something fast – I also want a quality meal.  Sandwiches (or subs or grinders or whatever you tend to call them) are a great option and believe me I have had my fair share of them.  They provide the perfect combination (if made correctly) of protein and carbs that runners crave (and need).

Always on the lookout for a good sub – I was ecstatic when I was contacted to attend a media dinner at Firehouse Subs that recently opened up in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

 

I had thought that I was going to be meeting and eating with Jeff Finnerty and Jen Finnerty – the franchisees (whom were also originally from Connecticut) of the Glastonbury location, so when I was introduced to Robin Sorensen – one of the founders – I knew I was in for a treat.

I mean, what better to way to learn about the Firehouse Subs brand story, The Firehouse Subs Public Safety  Foundation and obviously, the food, than from Mr. Sorensen himself.

As myself and fellow blogger Shawana Hanson sat down with our custom Coca-cola beverages – we settled in to listen to Robin tell us that Firehouse Subs was founded in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida along with Chris Sorensen, brother and fellow firefighter.  In fact, the Sorensen brothers come from a firefighting family and when the came up with the idea of Firehouse Subs they knew that they wanted a fast, casual restaurant that provided its customers with quality food, heartfelt service,  but that also provided funds to First Responders – an area of public service that is near and dear to the Sorensen brothers.

Firehouse Subs delivers quality in each of it almost 1000 stores by slicing all of its meats, preparing it’s chicken salad and tuna salad as well as baking their desserts each morning.  Robin rarely changes a recipe to reduce food costs and is fiercely loyal to his distributors because he knows his customers have come to expect and respect the consistency that Firehouse Subs offers.

The decor and feel of Firehouse Subs is along the lines of a deli, the kind that a younger Robin used to eat at when he and his friends would fly to New York City on the weekends.   The deli’s of New York City that used large steamer ovens to keep the meat hot and moist is a concept that Firehouse Subs has modified, in that once a customer places their order – the meat is steamed to release the flavor while the bread is toasted and condiments applied.  Once the meat is steamed the entire sandwich is constructed and brought out to the customer whom is already seated at one of the 40-50 seats each of Firehouse Subs locations offers.

This attention to Quality Food and Heartfelt service has helped Firehouse Subs become one of the premier fast casual restaurants today.

And if that was not enough – their passion about supporting First Responders might be second to none.  From the $2 empty pickle buckets (with lids) that they sell, to prompting of customers to “roundup” cost of their meal, to the $1 and $5 tokens Firehouse Subs sells during Public Safety month in October.

To date Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has given more than $18 million to hometown heroes in 45 states and Puerto Rico.  And just this past year (2015) – The Foundation approved more than $4.6 million in grants.

It was awesome to see their “brag book” showing some of the truly awesome work The Foundation has done.  And even more surprisingly – although the Glastonbury location has only been open for less than a month – they recently donated about $46,000.00to the Glastonbury Volunteer Fire Department – that’s pretty damn awesome if you ask me!

Throughout the evening we sampled 4 of their Hot Specialty Subs…

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First up – Hook & Ladder® – which is their best seller.  At this point I had worked up an appetite, I mean being surrounds but all the sites and smells was making my stomach growl but it was worth the wait – smoked turkey breast, Virginia honey ham, cheese, served Fully Involved® (mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a Kosher dill spear on the side) served hot on a lightly toasted bun. I am a big, big fan of turkey and ham sandwiches so this one did not stand a chance of NOT being consumed.

Next Up – The Italian.  Now I was a little wary of this sandwich because many times when you see the word “Italian” at a Sub shop what you get is mounds of meat but not with this sandwich.  Again, steamed and thinly sliced Geonoa salami, pepperoni, honey ham, provolone, Italian dressing and seasonings, served Fully Involved.  I loved the addition of the Italian dressing  and as you can see from the photograph – the sandwich is hearty but not overpowering.

 

Third – The New York Steamer®.  I think this sandwich harkens back to the days when Robin traveled to New York City.  USDA Choice corned beef, pastrami, provolone, deli mustard, mayo Italian dressing.  It does not come Fully Loaded but I am sure you could customize the sub if you asked.  The saltiness of the meats (as with The Italian) paired with all the other components.  I was getting full at this point so I saved half for the husband (whom had for lunch the next day and raved about how the sub did not get soggy overnight).

 

Last but certainly not least – The Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket™.  Now this was a sandwich that I smelled before I saw and that was because of the brisket that was smoked in hickory for 16+ hours AND Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce that dressed the sub.  This was a delicious and decadent sub – definately one for a special occasion.  Mark got half of this sandwich too and again – did not complain about eating my left overs

 

Also shout out to the Kosher dill spear – I am a huge fan of pickles (some might say I have a “problem”) and loved that they are included with all of their sandwiches.  My only complaint – I wanted more!

 

Filled up on good food and conversation I was about to depart when I was presented with one of their white chocolate chip lemon cookies.  If you closed your eyes – it seriously smelled like a bowl of Trix.

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I grabbed one of the menus while I let the food digest a little bit and was pleasantly surprised that in addition to their Hot Specialty Subs, Firehouse Subs also offers a Hearty & Flavorful – Under 500 Calorie Menu which includes a variety of their Hot Specialty Subs served with light mayo on a light wheat roll along with some pretty banging chopped salads options.   These are delicious and filling options for those not looking to break the calorie bank.

But even if you want to have one of their Hot Specialty Subs,there are several ways that you can modify your order – not break your calorie bank and still get that delicious Firehouse Subs flavor.  Their website even has a helpful Nutritional stats page to help customers customize their order.

So whether you are looking to go “Fully Loaded” or something on the lighter side – Firehouse Subs definitely has a meal to fit both sides of the spectrum.

And isn’t that what life’s about – balance.

It was a pleasure to eat at Firehouse Subs – their new Glastonbury location will be a great option for a filling and delicious meal (and one that supports First Responders) to help fuel me as I continue run around and avoid the dreaded “runger”.

Open from 10:30am to 9:00pm daily, the shop is already a neighborhood hit!

Visit them soon!

Firehouse Subs

2520 Main Street
Glastonbury CT 06033

Open Daily – 10:30am – 9:00pm

Disclaimer: I was asked to attend this event free of charge in exchange for writing a review on the blog. Although this post is sponsored, the opinions are completely my own, based on my experience.

Dining Out, Events, Food/Beverage

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