RUSSELL – As the weather begins to heat up and the ground starts to thaw, I find myself looking to get out of the house more often and take trips to places in the area that I wouldn’t normally go to. I’ve always enjoyed a good afternoon trip – a drive that’s under an hour to a new location. Sometimes that drive will take me to a mountain to hike, sometimes it will take me to a nearby lake and other times it will take me to a new restaurant to try.

On March 5 it was a glorious 50 degrees and sunny, so the news staff decided this was an opportune time to bring back our sandwich column. We have a long list of sandwich places to try out, however realizing we had not ventured out into our Original Pennysaver territory for a bite to eat, we decided we would make the drive on the sunny day.

We had all received rave reviews on The Bread Basket Bakery & Shoppe, which is located in Russell. We took the 40-minute drive out to the small town and soaked in the scenic atmosphere. On the outside, The Bread Basket is host to many colorful Adirondack chairs, unique birdhouses and kitschy lawn decorations.

As we walked inside the shop I instantly turned to Chris Maza and said, “It smells amazing in here.”

The storefront has unique gifts such as signs and seasonings, as well as their own baked goods, flour, pastas, a deli, homemade frozen pizzas and pies and more. They feature a breakfast menu, several fresh baked bread varieties, soups, salads and beverages, but in addition to this, they have a sandwich menu.

The sandwich menu is more expansive than some sandwich shops we have had the pleasure of eating at, with nine options listed. The sandwiches can be served sandwich-style on white or wheat, or on a six-inch or 12-inch grinder. The grinders are either white, whole wheat, or cheesy Italian.

I’m not someone who typically eats white bread – or frankly bread in general – but the aroma of fresh bread wafted throughout the building, and I had to give in to temptation. I ordered the “Turkey Tantalizer,” which consists of smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, and your choice of toppings, which are listed on the countertop. I elected for a simple turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread.

Not only was the sandwich presented well on the plate – I have to say – it was one of the best turkey sandwiches I’ve ever had. While one may consider this type of sandwich fairly standard, the combination of the fresh white bread, not salty turkey (some deli meats are incredibly salty, which I dislike) and fresh lettuce and tomato was delicious. The cheddar cheese complimented the turkey and condiments well, and again, it wasn’t overly salty which I appreciated. The sandwich was generous in size, and it certainly filled me up.

A sandwich at The Bread Basket ranges between $4.25 and $5.99, depending on which sandwich you order. The Turkey Tantalizer sandwich ran me $4.99, which I felt was reasonable for what I received. If I had ordered it as a salad – which is an option for all of their sandwiches – it would have cost $5.99. It also would have cost $5.99 if I ordered it as a six-inch grinder, and $8.99 as a 12-inch grinder.

As we ate our sandwiches, G. Michael Dobbs commented to the man sitting next to us – who we presume was an employee – what a beautiful day it was. He responded to Dobbs, “Every day is a beautiful day in the country.” The quiet, homey atmosphere and friendly staff of the Bread Basket made their storefront a new favorite of mine. I’m looking forward to soon making the trip out and enjoying another day in the country.

The Bread Basket is located at 815 Blandford Rd. in Russell. They can be reached by phone at 862-0044. The Bread Basket is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Sunday and Monday.