Sandwich lovers, rejoice! As of December 13, May Day in Burlington’s Old North End will host weekly Sandwich Saturdays, offering a rotating menu of three sandwiches, fries, Bloody Marys, mimosas, beer and wine from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Owner Matthew Peterson and chef Avery Buck will keep things simple with the restaurant’s new daytime offering: They’re working it themselves, and it’s bar-style service at the counter.
May Day served weekend brunch for several months after Buck joined in 2023, but it was a big undertaking, Peterson said. It didn’t make sense to bring it back after a flood-related closure that fall.
“This is an easy way to implement something we’d be hyped on as a guest,” Peterson said.
“We’re both pretty passionate about a good, tasty, big sandwich,” Buck added.
The first week’s menu featured Ave’s Hot Chicken, a fried chicken sandwich inspired by Dave’s Hot Chicken. Buck combined a replica of the national chain’s rémoulade sauce with his own Nashville hot chicken recipe and house chile crisp. Matty P.’s Meatball Sub offered classic pork-and-beef fennel meatballs topped with smoked Maplebrook Farm mozzarella and basil. An egg-and-cheese sandwich and May Day’s signature fries rounded out the menu.
Buck’s sous chef and team of young cooks are driving more of the dinner menu these days, he said. The 2025 James Beard Award Best Chef: Northeast finalist saw an opportunity to flex his creative muscles during the day, while growing the biz and offering something at a lower price point.
“It’s a good opportunity to let our hair down,” Buck said.
Peterson will be behind the bar, pouring May Day’s full wine lineup and opening “something special” to pair with the day’s menu. He’ll also serve daytime cocktails and drip coffee.
The duo expects to run Sandwich Saturdays through the winter, with holiday week schedules TBD.
This article appears in The Reading Issue 2025.
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