Hot off the press! Great panini found at The Factory

It's road trip weather! There's a nifty place in Farmington, Missouri, called The Factory, which is a huge brick building that used to be a shirt factory. Someone had the bright idea to put what is essentially a mall inside of the big old empty factory, and it was dark and a little dingy, but it was unusual, and it worked for me. I entered on the ground floor, walked down a few concrete steps, and was staring at what looked like concrete streets going in three different directions.

In fact, it vividly reminded me of my trip to Spring Green, Wisconsin. There is an Americana oddity there called the House on the Rock. It is full of weirdness and wonder, including the largest carousel in the world above which department store mannequins fly from stationary wires, complete with angel wings and horrible wigs. I can't express how weird this place was, and how much I loved it. But one of the rooms that you walk through was called the Streets of Yesterday, and it was an entire main street of an old town built inside of the House on the Rock, complete with lamp posts and shop fronts and brick paving stones.

The Factory in Farmington gave me this vibe, a little bizarre and a little exciting. Right in front of me was a whole small building front that looked like a cafe, complete with picket fences. This is where you can eat at the Factory Diner, which is billed as having the best breakfast in Farmington, but alas, it was after 3 p.m. and I missed the boat on that one ... at least this time around.

I followed some "street lights" past the cafe to get to the store I had come to visit, Aesop's Treasures. A board game store, a bookstore, what I affectionately call a nerd store, this place had enough draw to get me to take the short trip there. It was a cool store, and if you're into games of all kinds or used books, it's a fun browse. However, this is a foodie column, not a nerd hobby column, so on to the food.

After all that browsing and digging for treasures, we were hungry, so we headed out to the car to dump off our loot and browse for somewhere to eat ... aaaand we ended up going right back into the Factory. Down a lonesome stretch of path far to the right and in the middle of nowhere by itself was a little panini shop called Hot Off the Press Panini Grill. There is a window that opens into Aesop's Treasures, so you can order from that side, too. There is a seating area nearby which I missed, so if you can't find it, ask the kind owner and I'm sure she'll help you out.

The Cuban, huge and filling from Hot Off the Press.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

The Cuban, huge and filling from Hot Off the Press.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

When I visited Hot off the Press, it was a one-woman show. I ordered the Cuban, mostly because a reviewer online said they were from Florida, and it was the best Cuban they had had outside of that area. That sounded promising. Stacked high with pork carnitas, ham, swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustayo (which I assumed was a mayo/mustard mix), I was hungry and excited to try it. A short wait later and I unwrapped a beautiful sandwich, warm and made just for me. When I started to pull the two halves apart, there was an amazing cheese pull that made me gasp and grab for the camera. This sandwich was huge and I ended up eating only half, but that made the next days lunch that much better.

The details: the shredded pork on top of the sandwich was tender, flavorful, and so juicy. Then there was a layer of thick-sliced dill pickles, then a whole stack of ham, and cheese and mustayo on the bottom. The bread was soft but grilled and pressed crispy on the outside and my goodness. Sandwiches don't often stick in my mind, but this one will. The menu was fairly large and had many selections, including a whole list of specialty burgers that I didn't even get to try yet. The owner was so nice, and the food was so fresh, that I could wish she was closer to me. It would be a weekly visit, for sure.

Hot Off the Press is located at 200 West 1st St. in Farmington. Just look for the huge brick building, you literally cannot miss it.