Formerly: It's hard to know what to expect from a deli that sits two blocks from its namesake, but the menu at Halsted Street Deli was put together more thoughtfully than the name. This West Loop pit stop offers donuts, bagels, fruit and strong cups of coffee for anyone who wants to get off the Eisenhower a little earlier than usual and take Washington Avenue into downtown.

For bigger breakfast appetites, it's hard to beat the breakfast club: scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese, with ham optional, served on a bagel or croissant (and unwittingly ripping off a favorite personal college-era recipe of this reviewer) for a mere $2.49. The lunchtime fare is a little more substantial. A quartet of salads (the Caesar, chef's salad, green classic, Halsted Greek salad) offer some lively and fresh alternatives if you need to lighten up after an egg-heavy breakfast. If not, ten sandwiches with names like the Big Tony and What About Bill? will fill you up your empty tank.

Foremost among these are the only three subs that cost more than $4.79: the Skyscrapers, each named for a famed member of the Chicago Skyline and costing diners a healthy $8.29. At the top of this trio, all of which come piled high with a half-pound of meat and toppings, is, fittingly, the Sears Tower. This big daddy comes with a mound of roast beef under a slab of sharp cheddar, with lettuce, tomatoes and Dijon mustard on an Italian roll. You won't need an architect to design it, but you might want one to help you finish it off.

The atmosphere in this unassuming office-building deli is much like the West Loop: new, clean and without the distinctive identity that is part and parcel of this city's many neighborhoods and the restaurants within them. That is forgivable, however; the giant sandwiches are more than enough to warrant the visit while Halsted Street Deli grows into its role as the designer of Chicago's skyscraping subs.

Centerstage Reviewer: Patrick Corcoran