Sandwiches!
Sandwiches!
Four nice local sandwich shops plus one other local sandwich shop
Who needs Katz’s when you have the pastrami at David’s Brisket House? It’s juicy, it’s tender, it comes apart easily in each bite but not a moment before. It’s fatty, but not overwhelmingly so; it has an intense pepper bark. It goes perfectly on rye with mustard. The memory of it is so intoxicating that I paused writing this post and walked over to Crown Heights in order to eat it again.
Their eponymous brisket is fine. If you order it, ask for a cup of gravy to dip your sandwich into. But it’s not transcendent the way the pastrami is.
Should I trust the Everything is Everything NYC bagel ratings?
On one hand, they seem comprehensive and careful. At 202 bagel shops, they evaluated an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese (i.e., the correct bagel order) with a detailed rubric and tasting notes. At one spot, BO’s Bagels (review, website):
Thoughtful everything composition. Medium-high density, both sides. Black sesame seeds, translucent crystalline salt, less frequent but more apparent on mouth contact. Garlic a prominent player in each bite. Soft bagel, medium-large size. Just big enough to require slight compression to fit in the mouth, giving a sensation of bounty. Not hot at this hour but clearly fresh - an exhibition of strong store turnover. Does not leave a heavy feel after eating. 4.5
Were the scallions fine or coarse, the dairy “forward” or “latent”? It’s all there, on their website.
On the other hand, EIE has an NFT collection. So I felt it was a toss-up.
But any NFT-related misgivings I had about the survey evaporated after a bite of a BO’s bagel, a credit to this city. Had EIE not named them as the #3 bagel in Manhattan, I never would have known to visit.
What do you think of EIE’s bagel reviews? Find your local bagel store on their map and tell me whether you agree with them in the comments.
JG Melon has been open on the Upper East Side for 50 years. Frankly, I don’t understand why. Their “famously juicy hamburgers,” which I ordered medium rare on two different nights, were overcooked each time. Their Cornish hen entree was overcooked and stringy. Their service? I cringed when the bartender asked “you said ‘medium,’ right?” (I corrected him, but it came out medium anyway.)
What about JG Melon is good? The charred crust on the burger patty, which has thickness, texture, crunch. When I ordered a burger rare, it came out rare. The pub interior is atmospheric; the watermelon paintings are cute. That’s all I’ve got.
Briefly noted
Bobbi’s Italian Beef opened weeks ago in Cobble Hill. Check it out! I liked their eponymous Italian beef (make sure to have it with gravy), their Chicago dog, their personal pan pizza, and the custom art on their tables.
S&P: a sub-$10 cheeseburger? In this economy?
The S&P burger on a well-toasted bun.
