Park Italian Gourmet, New York, NY, USA

This place is next to my place of employment in midtown. Every now and then, when I need a break from the work cafeteria, I'll head over here. In addition to hot and cold sandwiches, they have a full counter of hot Italian specialties like veal and chicken parm, ziti, manicotti, lasagne, etc. and all of it hits the spot. At lunch time, this place is full of dudes in suits in search of gut-filling red sauce Italian. Just grab a plate and sit down in back.

From the hot counter, I've just had the chicken parmesan sandwich, and it's a damn good one. The bread is to my liking and similar to the chicken parm at Torrisi Italian specialties (though not quite as good), every bite tastes a little different. Sometimes you get a taste of a standard chicken parm and then sometimes a flavor over-ride takes place and it really sings. I've had meatballs on the side when I get the ravioli there and I'm sure the meatball hero is up to par.

From the cold counter, the Italian combo is a great choice. Not as good as Graham Avenue Meats' Willie Italiano but there is a quality to this sandwich that makes you want to tear into it and eat it as fast as possible while using a Limonata as some kind of grease.

Everyone here wears paper deli hats, even the older Italian gentleman behind the register along with a casual sweater. There will be a line of ten people but they will have to wait if he needs to make a point in Italian to an espresso-drinking friend. My co-workers warn me not to get him worked up as he will stop ringing people up if he has something to say. He also gives change somewhat randomly, mostly in your favor. Always a "Grazie...Ciao" from this guy. Obviously, this man is awesome.

Side note: I saw some union guys carrying two four foot sandwiches out of this place so it's good to know they can cater a bar mitzvah or Denver Broncos Superbowl party.

Graham Avenue Meats, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Official
Sultan of Sandwich

Some friends of mine live over in Greenpoint but it took me about 3 years to realize that Graham Avenue Meats is actually two blocks from their house. The blogosphere has already had its way with this place so I'll keep it short: I have to tell you that the Willie's Italiano is the best italian combo I've had. You know you're in good shape when asked if you want the sandwich 1) hot 2) mild or 3) sweet. Who knew that there were such options?

I'm not sure what Millie told Willie. Perhaps the difference in this sandwich may be the pepper oil and the thin slices of the smoked provolone that go along with a minimalist offering of the big 3 of italian meats. Whatever it is, this place nails it. The guys are fun to talk to as well.

I also got a roast beef and mozzarella, super good also.

The Captains of Wordpress are right on this one: mind-numbingly delicious and an inspiration, much like the spirit of Christ to an organist.

JoJu, Elmhurst, New York, USA

I went here based on a recommendation from a friend from work, who knows the Jackson Heights/Elmhurst area well since she grew up here. Banh Mi is genre of sandwich that is hard to go wrong with, you just gotta make sure the bread is good and you're halfway there. Even the cafeteria where I work serves up some Banh Mi from time to time with success. JoJu goes far beyond your typical Banh Mi fare with some amazingly creative sandwiches.

Being the glutton that I am, I actually ordered three for takeout: 1) the classic 2) pork belly and 3) beef bulgogi. And they had black milk bubble tea which was about as refreshing as the spring rain.

These sandwiches, at least for me, are exotic. The classic had ham, pate, and head cheese. Interestingly, the ham was as offal-ly (?) as the headcheese, and even the Breslin would have a hard time mimicking that good old nose-to-tail gut-check. I have to admit I had to take a breather here and there. The pork belly was pure melted pork fat, and it was delicious when combined with the crispy baguette. Unlike any sandwich I ever had. The bulgogi was the most mainstream tasting of the three, which was delicious also but I didn't get that full Korean flavor from the meat.

A great place if you're feeling in the mood to break out of the cycle of standard Banh Mi offerings. I'd like to go back soon for the Lemongrass Chicken.

http://www.jojuny.com/

Pork Soda

It's quite likely that I'm not going to be able to make it down to Philly before the end of the year to get a Roast Pork sandwich so I was thrilled to learn that we got a big bunch of broccoli rabe from our farm share. Two words that are as soothing as a children's lullaby: pork sandwich.

I went to the store and got a 5 lb. whole pork shoulder and caked it in a crust of rosemary, garlic and coarse salt. I threw it in the slow cooker with a cup of water for 6 hours and could barely contain my glee. Next, I blanched and sauteed the broccoli rabe with some red pepper flakes, garlic and oil.

The roast was pulled from the cooker and I pulled it off the bone and separated out the fat. Assembled it all on a long roll with some provolone. I ate it watching football and couldn't move. Suffering with comfort!

Happy National Sandwich Day!

I myself celebrated with a hand-carved, lemon roasted turkey sandwich with Swiss and Russian dressing from the HBO Bistro.

The Swiss get along with everyone.

National Sandwich Day begs the question: "If you were a sandwich, would you eat yourself?"

The New Yellow Sub

Many people in Fort Collins know that the owner of the Yellow Sub, Frank Gallagher, decided to retire a couple months ago and was planning to close the doors of this beloved sandwich institution. This made many people upset and searching for answers. Luckily, in a deus ex machina twist, a group of young men decided to take over and keep the joint running -- promising no changes whatsoever to the setting or the product.

My brother and I ate over at Yellow Sub last month and it was my greatest wish for everything to remain the same but there were some changes that were immediately noticeable. First, the soda machine was turned around so that patrons could get refills at their own pace. As you may know from my review on Yellow Sub, a constant and healthy douse of soda is key in wolfing down a sandwich there. I also noticed 3 guys in the kitchen, which I also took as a good sign in terms of speedy orders. One thing that I found unsettling was that the famous note stating "if you get your meal in under 10 minutes, it will be a miracle" was gone (perhaps taken by Frank as a keepsake) and replaced with the same message on a neon pink or orange piece of paper. If the note had to be replaced, I think a golden plaque would haven been more appropriate.

Going with the old standby, I ordered the 12" Super, which has turkey, ham and salami and a mess of fries. I asked for lettuce, tomato, and that awesome onion/pepper/pickle concoction plus oil and vinegar. After a bit of an expected wait, the food arrived and I was shocked to see the sandwich laden with mustard and mayo. Both have their place, but I must have the oil/vinegar on a Yellow Sub. I don't ever do this, but I sent it back. In no time at all, a replacement sandwich was back on the table with an explanation that 2 of the 3 guys back in the kitchen were trainees. Kudos to the new owner for cranking that (hopefully saliva-less) sandwich out so quickly. On to the sandwich itself...

Back in the day, Frank served the sandwiches almost open-faced and left it to the eater to fold over the mass of meat, cheese, and fixins himself. However, this is now done in advance and doesn't seem as messy. This change is not as helpful as it may sound, as there wasn't nearly as much of that relish as I expected. Additionally, the salami was missing and the ham wasn't the thinly shaved boiled ham that was so good before but a thick slice of smoked ham. Finally, the sandwich seemed really cold. This might be beneficial in stopping the spread of food-borne illnesses but made the sandwich seem pre-made. Not that I am making that claim, but combined with the thick cut smoked ham I had a brief airport sandwich flashback.

The fries were good but needed to stay in the fryer just a tad longer as they were a bit soft.

I really admire what the new owners of the Yellow Sub are trying to accomplish and I can accept that their plan may not be to do exactly as Frank Gallagher did, after all. But for us purists I have the following recommendations:

1. Turn up the temp in the Fridge Counter a bit and let the bread be room temperature. A really cold sandwich is unpleasant to eat.
2. Serve the sandwich open faced again and pile the fillings up more especially the onion/pickle/pepper relish.
3. Further to #2, don't lay down the meat and cheese in airtight slabs, but "fluff" it a bit, I dare ask.
4. Don't hold back on the vinegar/oil if requested. Douse it! It helps bring the sandwich together and makes it easier to eat.
5. Don't forget the salami on a Super! Additionally, check again about what type of salami was used by Frank as my brother's sandwich seemed to have a different kind from before, which was not as good.
6. No more thick cuts or smoked ham. The coldcuts should be thinly sliced. I call for the return of boiled ham. Imagine a group of rioters shouting, "Boiled Ham! Boiled Ham!" That is my soul.
7. Leave the fries in the fryer a bit longer to get the crisp factor up.

With these changes, I'd make sure to eat at Yellow Sub any time I was back in my hometown. Until then, Yellow Sub will need to be removed from the Sultans of Sandwich. As it stands, the New Yellow Sub is about at 70% of what the Old Yellow Sub was but by following the above recommendations it can get easily get back to what it once was.

http://www.focoyellowsub.com/

Espresso Little Italian Market, Sag Harbor, NY, USA

Official
Sultan of Sandwich

I don't know much about the Hamptons so the family decided to go check it out last week (Verdict: I still don't know what to think about the Hamptons). Rented a house, hired a baby sitter, and my wife and I decided to ride some bikes out to the Channing Daughters Winery. Before doing anything, sandwiches were in order.

The name Espresso is nonsensical to me (it's like calling your coffee shop Pastrami) but it has a good reputation.

To be on the safe side I ordered the Espresso Combo, which is Salami, Fresh Mozz, Ham Cappicola, Fontina, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato, and Peppers. I was happy to see the 'nice price' of $7.25. The bread was amazing, though it did cut the roof of my mouth a bit, much like Captain Crunch tends to do when it hasn't soaked in the milk long enough. I ate about half of the sandwich because we were going to ride bikes.

I saved the other half and ate off of it for two days. It was the gift the kept on giving.

Free Sample

The sandwiches have this special dressing on the side which is akin to Italian salad dressing but orangish in color. It was great. Really added the acid and made the sandwich sloppy (a good thing). The greatest sandwich sadness I've had in some time was packing up the other half of the sandwich and leaving the dressing behind. I couldn't risk dressing spillage in my bag on my bike trip. Imagine a wine tasting smelling like that! That's not good etiquette no matter how you look at it.

My wife got her namesake, the "Annie B" which had Roast Beef, melted mozz, and red peppers. This sandwich was a little basic but good nonetheless.

Junior High school was let out just as we were sitting down. 20 tweens invaded the place and though incredibly disruptive, they were all surprisingly courteous and nice to each other. I even saw one young man give some money to another without prompting. In my day, your main goal in Junior High was to belittle and marginalize the other. Every man for himself and God against all was the law of the jungle at Blevins Junior High School in 1986!

They sell foccacia (which looked great) and pizza. And wraps, to my dismay. To me, eating a wrap is like eating a paper towel tube filled with talcum powder. Quite an error in judgement to be pushing that fodder but you'll be fine if you stick with the real deal.

Espresso, I'd like to dub you a Sultan of Sandwich.

http://www.espressoitalianmarket.com