Restaurant Review: Moogy's well worth the trip

Moogy's 1029 Comm. Ave. Boston (617) 783-2966

It was like the dawning of a new day. Standing at the counter in Moogy's with my roommate, we overheard the waitress (and the term is used loosely), talking to a customer who'd called up. "Is this takeout or delivery?" she asked, and with that the sun seemed to start shining just a little bit brighter. Even though I'm lucky enough to have a roommate with a car (thank you, nursing school), not everyone is so privileged. But with the startling revelation that Moogy's delivers, the distance between Boston College students and a wealth of sandwiches, burgers, and everything in between just got a whole lot shorter.

Moogy's is really the kind of place that every college should have nearby, if not subsidize for the benefit of the student body. The low-key atmosphere, large menu, and friendly servers make for a thoroughly chill dining experience. Sitting back in the big wooden booths with eight of your closest friends, it's easy to forget that you've got six papers due in the next 10 days. If you're lucky enough to nab one of the games that are left sitting around (you have to love a place that supplies Connect Four), you'll have no trouble passing the sometimes long wait for your food.

The food at Moogy's is cheap (around $4 - $8 a meal) and the portions can be huge. It's the Goldilocks school of sandwich-making: the half-sub is just a bit too small, the large is roughly the length of the table itself, and the regular is just right. There are a variety of deli-style subs and sandwiches, on sub rolls, white, wheat, or rye bread (I recommend the toasted rye), and you can pick one of their sandwich combinations or come up with your own.

The sandwiches come crammed with meat, and you can specify what else you want added on, from sauce to cheese to lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers (I'd ask for extra honey mustard). Really it's standard-issue deli fare, but there's something to be said for that when you can't find an actual deli within a 50-mile radius.

The extensive, and at times extensively weird, burger menu always seems popular, as do the fry options served up. Where else can you order a "dumpster burger and crab fries?" You can always get regular fries, but it's worth it to take the opportunity to try something different.

But the part of the menu which jumped out at me is sandwiched (how appropriate) between hot and cold sandwiches and steak sandwiches. Moogy's has cornered the market on chicken steak. It sounds weird, but just trust your gut and order one of these chicken-and-whatever subs. Your gut will thank you.

If by some chance you find yourself wide awake before noon on a weekend morning, Moogy's breakfast would be one of the best possible ways to kick-off your day. But for that matter, why leave it to breakfast? The omelets, French toast sandwiches, and breakfast platters make you feel like signing up for a free trial of cholesterol meds after just reading their names, but hey, it's probably worth it.

I myself anxiously await the day I can order a mimosa at Moogy's (yes, a mimosa) and an omelet, and relax to the crash of Connect Four chips.