AlwaysInvestigating: Cheeky Sandwiches
GutterGourmet — August 23, 2010
A half shrimp & Half oyster Po’ boy, and “Ben-Yay’s” at Cheeky’s Sandwiches on Orchard Street,
Calvin Trillin used to joke when asked where to find the best po’ boy in New York that you have to go to Queens then take a plane from LaGuardia directly to New Orleans. I agreed until I wandered into Cheeky Sandwiches on Orchard and ordered a half shrimp, half oyster po’ boy, fully dressed, of course.
In Philly, only hoagies or cheesesteaks made with Sarcone’s Bakery bread are the real McCoy. In Miami the only bread worthy of a Cubano is Cuban lard bread. So it is with the bread for Cheeky’s po’ boy. Cheeky gets its bread from John Gendusa Bakery, which, in 1929, created the New Orleans French bread without which po’ boys would be naked rather than fully dressed.
Featured Dish: Kesté’s Insalata Pizza Sandwich
Arthur Bovino — August 11, 2010
A quarter cross-section of Kesté‘s Pizza & Vino’s Pizza insalata.
Last June, when Grub Street reported on the pizza wallet at Kesté Pizza & Vino, aka the Portfolio, we took note with excitement— the Neapolitan pie goes portable! But we measured the ‘Neapolitan’ equivalent of New York’s street slice against the original with mixed results. While they tasted good, wallets made with regular Kesté pies (they wouldn’t make minis), with toppings and without, eaten crust or tip first, either burst open or devolved into a mess of bread and cheese. Whether you were sitting or walking, it was a fail. A new innovation at Kesté, the Pizza Sandwich, had more promise.
AlwaysInvestigating: Philly’s Eternal Food Questions
GutterGourmet — August 04, 2010
A Philadelphia sandwich trio: a Cheesesteak from Pat’s Steaks, DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich, and an Italian Hoagie from Sarcone’s Bakery.
In ancient times travelers would seek answers to the eternal questions from the Oracle at Delphi. Recently, we sought food wisdom on an Odyssey in Phila-Delphi-a, but these questions were of far greater import than the Riddle of the Sphinx at Thebes:
1. Which cheesesteak is better— Pat’s or Geno’s?
2. What the hell is an Italian “hoagie” and is it better than a New York hero?
3. Is the Philly Roast Pork sandwich truly the greatest sandwich in the universe?
AlwaysInvestigating: Jimmy’s Burger Shack
Arthur Bovino — July 21, 2010
Clockwise: No. 9 Burger (Fried Egg, Bacon, and Cheese) and “Shack Sauce” at Jimmy’s Burger Shack.
Summer rolls around and I want to get the hell out of Dodge, Malcolm X-style— JFK, LaGuardia, I-95, the Port Authority, and Penn Station— by any means necessary. And when you’re at Penn with time to kill, one of your best options (lest you want to brave oysters and bread bowls at Tracks) is New York Pizza Suprema. But travelers cannot live on pizza alone. Sometimes you have to shake things up. You wonder, “Can Jimmy’s Burger Shack be all that bad? It’s still there three years after opening, right?”
First Look: Breakfast at No. 7 Sub
Arthur Bovino — June 24, 2010
Broccoli, Egg, and Cheeese sandwich at No. 7 Sub.
Egg and cheese. Peanut butter. Corned beef hash. They’re all standard breakfast ingredients. But at No. 7 Sub there’s nothing run-of-the-mill— even early in the morning. So it’s not shocking that the three new breakfast sandwiches they’re making Monday through Saturday (8am to 10:30am), feature these staples paired with broccoli, pickled bananas, and scallion cream cheese.
AlwaysInvestigating: Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger
GutterGourmet — June 23, 2010
The Napalm Burger at Sandwich Planet, with a cross-section.
Recently, we profiled the Hellfire Slice. Today, we’re turning up the heat by reviewing Sandwich Planet’s Napalm Burger. Because of its location near the edge of the known solar system (the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel on 9th Avenue and 39th), stumbling upon Sandwich Planet can be like discovering Pandora. In lieu of Unobtainium, Sandwich Planet fulfills our species’ need for sandwiches and variety.
AlwaysInvestigating: Panini at Salumè
GutterGourmet — June 21, 2010
The San Danielle, a Prosciutto Crudo Panini at Salumè in SoHo.
Over the past few years it seems that every deli in the city, even the Korean ones, began offering warm “panini.” Unfortunately, this quickly became equated with Italian grilled cheese. Milan native, Michele Colombo, is attempting to rectify this with his fashionable panini shop, Salumè, in SoHo. But, instead of pressing his sandwiches into Italian Cubans, Colombo’s fresh warm rolls and open-faced toasted canapés enhance the mostly Italian imported ingredients.
AlwaysTraveling: Mercado Municipal (São Paulo, Brazil)
Arthur Bovino — June 16, 2010
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A stand featuring various peppers in São Paulo’s indoor city food market, Mercado Municipal.
Location: Mercado Municipal
Address: Rua da Cantareira 306, São Paulo, Brazil
Hours: Mon-Sat, 6:00am-6:00pm, Sun and Holidays, 6:00am-4:00pm
Notes: Near the São Bento Metrô.
Grade: A
Recommended Dishes: A good bet is to hop from stand to stand, sampling the many fruits you’ve likely never seen before. The Brazuca from Mortadela Brasil.
Rio de Where? For all the beauty of Pão de Açúcar, the lover of food and skyscrapers visiting Brazil will likely admit to preferring São Paulo. And when it comes to produce in Sampa, the Mercado Municipal is tough to beat. Neobaroque-style architecture, an upstairs food court packed with Brazilian snacks and sandwiches from more than 20 stands, an open-air hall filled with at least 300 booths carrying more fruits than there are English words for them.
The Mercado, which was completed in 1933, is just a fifteen-minute walk northeast of Praça da Sé on Rua da Cantareira. It’s a grand, spacious hall whose most striking architectural features are the large stained-glass windows, which feature scenes of plantations and animal husbandry.
Downstairs are the food stalls: cured meats, eggs, and fish. Fruits and vegetables too— you can test yourself against a variety of pimentas and sample exotic and beautiful (though expensive) fruits: Cherimoya, Atemoya, Cashew Apple, Guaraná, Guanabana, and Jackfruit, just to name a few.
More Photographs from São Paulo's Mercado Municipal >>
First Look: Whitmans’ Juicy Lucy Burger
GutterGourmet — June 09, 2010
Whitmans’ Juicy Lucy in the East Village with French fries.
“I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones,” from Song of Myself, Walt Whitman.
Walt’s new namesake restaurant on 9th Street just east of 1st Avenue is still getting its bearings before the dining room opens downstairs where they will be sourcing fresh, local foods. Grass-fed beef, pickles cured in Brooklyn, pork, etc. Until then, the draw is the upstairs burger counter, which Whitmans’ chef, Chris Edwards, and owners have given some immediate cache with a Juicy Lucy.
AlwaysInvestigating: Nine More Great Sandwiches
Arthur Bovino — June 02, 2010
Leonardo Scarpone’s Italian ‘Dagwood’ at Sanpanino.
Love the Robs, and we always look forward to New York Magazine’s epic articles and slideshows listing the City’s bests. But what’s with the numerical widows? This year’s fantastic sandwich list, “Dagwood, Eat Your Heart Out,” appears in print with 51— the online version, 101. And last year’s Most Notable Burgers numbered 82. Don’t our friends at the magazine like round numbers?
A bunch of our favorites showed up, but the heart-sinking sadness we experienced when some didn’t make the list combined with our hatred of widows, compelled us to suggest the addition of another nine sandwiches (in no particular order) to put the list out here on the interwebs at 110. Adhering to the non-burger rules that seem to have been applied to this round-up, we’ve omitted these.
As for the article title, Sanpanino’s Italian Dagwood, while commissioned, could have made the list too.
First Look: Ed’s Lobster Bar Cart
Maryse Chevrière — June 01, 2010
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich from Ed’s Lobster Bar Cart.
As reported, Ed’s Lobster Bar Cart debuted this past Saturday outside of the World Financial Center. There were Lobster Rolls, of course, but more intriguing are two sandwiches ($12.00 each) not currently available on SoHo restaurant’s regular menu: the Soft Shell Crab and the Shrimp Po’ Boy.
The Soft Shell Crab is a saucy, juicy mess of a sandwich— and delightfully so. The crinkle-crisp sautéed crab is presented with lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a skinny buttered roll that serves better as platform than container. You’ll want to sit down with this one, attack with two hands, and eat quickly— not that that’ll be much of a challenge.
AlwaysPartying: National Hamburger Day
Arthur Bovino — May 28, 2010
Double-Double Animal Style at In-N-Out in Los Angeles, CA.
Main Entry: ham·burg·er
Pronunciation: \ˈham-ˌbər-gər\
Variant(s): or ham·burg \-ˌbərg\
Function: Fill your belly.
Etymology: German Hamburger of Hamburg, Germany
Date: 1884
1a: ground beef, b: a patty of ground beef
2: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun
3: something that every chef thinks they need to have on their menu
4: something that when done right can be amazing whether eaten in a hole in a wall or in the most esteemed restaurant in the land
That’s right, today, May 28th, is National Hamburger Day. And however you define it, wherever or whoever you want to attribute its origins, whether you fuss it up or slap it between pieces of bread, the burger is wonderful. To celebrate it in all its glory, first peruse the burger archives— we’ve written about a lot of good burgers. Then check out two Burger Bash recaps, and burger-themed videos:
Amstel Lite Burger Bash Blue Moon Burger Bash Burgers in the Boardroom Inside LaFrieda Meats
But wait, there’s more! It’s also almost the end of National Hamburger month, so we’re going to send May out the right way. To inspire your Memorial Day Weekend burger-making, here are burgers Always Hungry, kitchen-sink style: an all-inclusive burger archive photo display. Lamb burgers, goat burgers, Indian burgers and Italian burgers, butter burgers, fast food burgers, mini-burgers, duck burgers. Burgers with eggs, chips, bacon, peanut butter, and corn. It’s all here. Burger-topia!
"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today..." >>
Featured Brunch: Yerba Buena Perry
Maryse Chevrière — May 28, 2010
Sandwich Cubano at Yerba Buena Perry.
The brunch menu at Julian Medina’s Yerba Buena Perry presents you with that problem-you-want-to-have situation of too many good-sounding dishes to chose from. On it you’ll find brunch staples tweaked with Latin flavors— Cachapa Benedict with Serrano Ham over a Sweet Corn Cake, French Toast with Manchego Dulce de Leche. But, there are also familiar classics like Churros, Huevos Rancheros, and a Cuban Sandwich. The solution? Arrive hungry and over-order.
AlwaysTraveling: Johnny’s Po-Boys (New Olreans, LA)
Jeff Zalaznick — May 26, 2010
In honor of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience we are sharing a little more Big Easy love from our archives…
Clockwise from top: Johnny’s Special Po-Boy, Surf and Turf Po-Boy, Big Egg Biscuit.
Restaurant: Johnny’s Po-Boys
Address: 511 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Contact: (504) 524-8129
Hours: Mon-Thur, 8:30am-3:00pm; Fri-Sun, 8:00am-4:30pm.
Grade: A
Note: Cash only.
Recommended Dishes: Big Egg and Sausage Biscuit, Johnny’s Special Po’ Boy, Surf and Turf Po-Boy.
I have eaten my fair share of Po’ Boys, both in and out of New Orleans, and the ones at Johnny’s are the first that have ever really excited me. They are perfectly proportioned, expertly dressed, and conveniently located in the French Quarter, which is the icing on the cake. The best Po’ Boys that I tasted were the Johnny’s Special (Ham, Roast Beef, American and Swiss Cheeses), and the Surf and Turf (Roast beef and Fried Shrimp). The Big Egg Biscuits are also worth noting as they provide a fabulous breakfast option and a top-notch hangover cure.
AlwaysTraveling: Mother’s Restaurant (New Orleans, LA)
Jeff Zalaznick — May 26, 2010
In honor of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience we are sharing a little more Big Easy love from our archives…
Famous Ferdi Special Po’Boy at Mother’s Restaurant in New Orleans.
Restaurant: Mother’s Restaurant
Address: 401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA, 70130
Contact: (504)523-9656
Hours: Mon-Sat, 6:30am-10:00pm; Sun, 7am-10pm
Grade: B-
Recommended Dishes: Famous Ferdi Special Po’Boy, Jerry’s Jambalaya, Black Ham.
Mother’s Restaurant is one of those places whose name actually refers to someone. In this case it’s Mary Landry, who along with her husband, Simon, opened Mother’s to feed longshoremen and laborers in 1938. The Landry’s sons sold the business in 1986 to Jerry and John Amato, and the restaurant is a little tattered with love, but the tradition of the Famous Ferdi Special and its lexicon lives on.
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