Wednesday, February 29, 2012

SUPER HEEBSTER AT RUSS AND DAUGHTERS


The Super Heebster at Russ and Daughters is a one-of-a-kind sandwich.  Baked salmon salad and whitefish salad are mixed together and put on a bagel with horseradish dill cream cheese and wasabi flying fish roe.  The two fishes work well together and taste less salty than whitefish salad on its own.  The horseradish cream cheese contributes a nice punch along with tang of the wasabi roe, which adds an innovative texture to the sandwich.  Russ and Daughters has been around since 1914 so they certainly know what they're doing.  Pick up some of their fantastic smoked salmons and speciality smoked fish as well along with tasty desserts ranging from babkas to hand-dipped chocolates.


RUSS AND DAUGHTERS

179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
T (212) 475.4880 or (800) RUSS-229
F (212) 475.0345
E-mail: info@russanddaughters.com

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

PASTRAMI AT DAVID'S BRISKET HOUSE


After a hiatus, David's Brisket House has reopened on Nostrand Ave. in Bed-Stuy.  I can say that it's definitely worth the trip out there for a juicy, salty but not too fatty pastrami on rye that rivals the legendary Katz's Deli.  The prices, however, remain a lot lower.  Sandwiches can be ordered in three sizes: small ($6), regular ($9), and large ($11-12).  The above picture is the small so you can see that a small is still a good stuffed sandwich.  The meat is cooked with great burnt edges and served with simple deli mustard and some fantastic pickles.  Other people I went with had the brisket which came with a dark gravy and got high marks as well.  I ordered a brisket for the road that I'll eat in a few days, so look for that review soon.  If you find yourself in the neighborhood, make it a point to hit up David's.

David's Brisket House
533 Nostrand Avenue.
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-789-1155

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CHICKEN MEATBALL AT THE MEATBALL SHOP


It'd be easy to become obsessed with the Meatball Shop.  After just two years, they've already made a name for themselves in this city.  The beauty in their menu lies in the ability to mix and match the kind of meatball sub you want with a smorgasbord of meat, cheese and sauce options.  I chose the chicken meatball with provolone cheese and a classic tomato sauce on a hero.  The chicken meatball was super savory and basically tasted like sausage.  Ground chicken can sometimes be pretty dry, but coupled with the melted cheese and a nice tomato sauce, the sandwich couldn't have more flavor.  For $9 bucks it comes with a side salad of arugula and apples that complemented the sandwich very well.



THE MEATBALL SHOP

84 STANTON STREET w/ Other LocatioNs in TRIBECA AND BKLYN
{212} 982-8895
themeatballshop.com

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

TURKEY BLT ON FRESH BREAD AT AROMA ESPRESSO BAR



Turkey gets a bad rap sometimes, but if it's done right it doesn't have to the same boring turkey sandwich that you've had time and time again.  At Aroma Espresso Bar, which has locations all over the city and beyond (I even saw one in Berlin), your standard turkey sandwich has been elevated due to thickly cut slices of smoked turkey, freshly baked bread and the addition of turkey bacon to keep the sandwich a drop healthier.  The sandwiches are big so a half for $6.50 suffices if you're a light eater; I'm not, so I usually go for the whole at $9.90.  I'm not a coffee drinker so can't recommend that, but they do make a mean iced tea.

AROMA ESPRESSO BAR
205 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017
212-557-1010
www.aroma.us


w/ locations in SoHo, UWS, and Downtown as well

Friday, February 17, 2012

CHICKEN SALAD ON CHALLAH AT BUTTERFIELD MARKET


The best thing on the Upper East Side after E.A.T. is the Butterfield Gourmet Market.  They've been around for almost a century so they certainly know what they're doing.  Besides being a mini gourmet supermarket they make fantastic sandwiches either by request or ready-to-go.  Their chicken salad on challah with chopped celery and walnuts is one of the best in the city.  Sometimes chicken salad gets killed with mayo and you're basically eating a mayo sandwich - not here.  There are big chunks of chicken and the walnuts and celery balance very well with the creaminess of the mayonnaise.  The pre-packed sandwich comes on a challah roll, but if challah is not your thing, they have a bevy of freshly baked breads to choose from.



Butterfield Market
1114 Lexington Avenue  New York, NY 10075
(212) 288-7800

butterfieldmarket.com/


Thursday, February 16, 2012

SHRIMP PARM ON A HERO AT DEFONTE'S





So the fact that Defonte's opened up a location on 21st and 3rd across the street from my parent's house means that I've been seeing my parents a lot more.  Every sandwich there is pretty much the gold standard, and the Shrimp Parm on a hero is no exception.  While $11.95 may seem steep for a sandwich, this is Manhattan where nothing is cheap, AND all of Defonte's sandwiches are really two sandwiches in one.  The shrimp are jumbo and not overly breaded with a dressing of marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.  The hero works for the first half of the sandwich, but by the second half it's just too much bread and you'll wind up picking out the contents with a fork - not that there's anything wrong with that since the contents are so good.

Defonte's of Brooklyn
261 3rd Avenue  New York, 10010
(212) 614-1500

defontesofbrooklyn.com


Thursday, February 9, 2012

SMOKED MEAT SANDWICH ON RYE



I had been wanting to try Mile End in Boerum Hill, Bklyn for a while.  The place bills itself as a Montreal Jewish delicatessen, and has a ton of interesting sandwiches on their menu.  Their smoked meat sandwich isn't as innovative as some of their others, but it's good enough to be ranked up there with longtime institutions like Katz's and 2nd Avenue.  The smoked meat with mustard on rye with a side of slaw and pickles isn't a towering sandwich like at Katz's, but the meat is thick-cut with enough flavor and fatty edges to make me go back for more.  The rye bread is thick enough too, unlike sometimes at 2nd Avenue, and holds the meat well without the sandwich falling apart.  If you go, definitely get the poutine - delicious and not greasy fries with gravy and melting lumps of cheese.  As I type this, I definitely wish I was eating more right now.

Mile End Delicatessen
97 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn
718.852.7510
mileendbrooklyn.com

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

LAMB GYRO FROM UNCLE GUSSY'S TRUCK



Gyros are a dime a dozen in NYC.  For some of the best, you'd have to head out to Astoria for authentic Greek cuisine.  But if you're in midtown and hankering for a good, cheap gyro, Uncle Gussy's truck parked at 345 Park Avenue will satisfy your needs.  For 5 bucks (5 bucks?  Unheard of in Manhattan!) you get a packed lamb gyro filled with salty tender meat sliced from a spit, grilled onions, lettuce and tomato.  The meat isn't greasy like with some gyros and the pita will also hold steady if you need to eat on-the-go.  The platters with rice are a buck more and a good value too.

Uncle Gussy's Truck
345 Park Avenue, corner of 52nd
unclegussys.com