PB&J's

Some people may prefer salads or Chinese food to burgers, but everybody likes a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

At least that's what Eric Samay thinks. Last month the former marketing executive quit his job and banked his savings on it: He just opened PB&J's in the Food Court at the North Shore Mall, selling the same simple comfort food he (and everyone he knows) used to eat as a kid. ''Sure you can make this at home," says Samay, 32. ''You can make a cheeseburger and just about everything else you can find in a food court at home, too. But when people come here, they're hungry; they're in a hurry; and they want something simple and familiar. What's more familiar than peanut butter and jelly?"

Traditionalists can get the original -- creamy peanut butter and Concord grape jelly between two slices of white bread -- for $3, but more courageous diners can try something a little different. There's the Memphis -- peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and honey, served on multi-grain bread ($4.50); the Elvis -- peanut butter, bananas, and honey, slathered on crunchy wheat ($4); or the Kidsmeal, which comes with either a basic PB&J sandwich or a grilled cheese sandwich, along with animal crackers and a juice box or milk, for $3.75. (All of his sandwiches come with a side of animal crackers. Samay says customers have told him the crackers are a welcome alternative to the French fries most other restaurants offer.)''People see us, and they're psyched to see not just a familiar food, but a healthier option," Samay says. ''We don't sell anything that's deep-fried, and that's pretty unique around here." Samay says he might like to open PB&J's in other locations, but he has no immediate plans. He says he's thinking of expanding his menu, with the help of his own focus group -- his seven nieces and nephews.

''They stick to any combination of plain old PB&J's," he says. ''Their advice is always the same: Keep it simple." Heidi P. Guarino