You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

I was told to order the breakfast sandwich on a bagel, not the bun, but this bagel was dry as a cracker so I wonder how bad the bun must have been. But the cook and a civil servant (I can't remember if it was transit, postal, or maybe she just had a blue navy coat on) had a great conversation, and it made this greasy and expensive bacon and egger feel like I was paying for my role in the gentrification of South Brooklyn. En route one morning to a studio visit in Prospect Point, I stopped at this corner bodega for a sausage and egg on a bun. A row of cops was waiting for the same and I drank a shitty berry tea and waited with them. It was definitely not great, not even close to the eggy cheesy goodness from just a year ago, and it is with a heavy cholesterol laden heart that the era of the good and cheap bodega sandwich in Brooklyn is over.

The basic breakfast roll pictured above was four bucks, already twice as much as it once shortly ago. I got it somewhere near Sullivan Street, starved out after some bad, expensive coffee that cost just as much. I don't see many bodegas in Manhattan proper anymore, so when I do, I pay my respects. Staying in Brooklyn, the corner bodegas still offer this type of sandwich, but more and more, they are being pushed out by the cafe bistros that already dominate Manhattan by offering upscale versions of the classic, like the greasy mess of a Reuben pictured here, which was no Reuben in my books. Putting together more expensive ingredients does not a good sandwich make, especially if the maker is unskilled in sandwich preparation. While your storefront may showcase the finest baked sweets, if you don't know how to make a sandwich or pull a long shot, then you are charging twenty bucks for me to look at your haircut. Gentrification has ruined entire neighborhoods, if not entire ...

While I’ve eaten some noteworthy sandwiches in the past year (gloopy mess from Marius in Montreal, I’m looking at you), none have been really inspiring enough to write about until now. And besides, I’d much rather start things off on a positive note. At first, the “lard bread” description almost scared me off, but the classic tomato, basil, roasted red pepper, mozzarella combo was too much to pass up. In the end, a very good choice, enjoyed while sitting in a rickety chair out front of Mazzola’s, watching Brooklynites walk their myriad dogs and kids on the first sunny day of the season. My sources tell me that the sandwiches are a relatively recent addition to the menu here, and I will definitely be back for more. Whatever lard bread is, it is wonderful. Soft and a little chewy without being at all hard, golden brown almost croissant-like exterior, and not a hint of crust-burn. Okay, okay those might be bits of bacon in there adding a little spice, but I stopped being an...

A near-centimetre thick piece of gouda, big pat of butter, two perfectly tiny pickles, and ample grainy mustard on a bun. Everything about this loosely arranged plate of ingredients was perfect. This was the first of many sandwiches, sides of pickles, salty pretzels and other Germanic comfort foods that were ordered. As soon as one was done, someone at the table got another. Google tells me that some beer halls in Brooklyn are cool and frequently host DJs and jazzbands along with their wurst, but the place that serves these straight up sandwiches doesn't appear to be on the radar of the internet. 

It's been awhile since I've had a steak sandwich, something to have at night with a pint or two. I was here just a few nights ago, having a pint or two and a kale salad. Things have changed. I've never had a steak sandwich for brunch before until this here time at Alice's Arbor .  Steak and eggs, maybe, but this is a flattened out hangar steak between two pieces of ciabatta, I was half way through when I realized this was an actual steak sandwich. Most steak sandwiches are more like a strip atop a piece of garlic toast. A knife and fork are often necessary tools. But not here, not this morning. Not in Brooklyn.

Attending a conference in uptown Manhattan is a disaster for cheap breakfast options. Nothing is even that good, and overpriced, so on the second day of said conference, I stopped for a breakfast roll at one of the many corner shops in Bedford. I haven't had anything called a roll since Scotland times, and here lies a cheesy eggy bacon roll made fresh to order. I also eyed the pulled pork, but I restrained myself. Eating it as I waited for the subway, the train ride into Manhattan seemed half as long for some reason.

Here lies two open face breakfast sandwiches that presume sandwiches are meant to be eaten with a knife and fork. I am torn on this issue. Once a sandwich needs cutlery, it ceases to be a sandwich, but is cutlery absolutely necessary or simply etiquette? First up, this guy from Cafe Madeline. That is not hollandaise sauce, that is melted cheese with a soft boiled egg. The egg was not runny.  The cutlery came in handy because the bread was so thick, but the plate was too big for what this is suppose to be. Not that I'm complaining about the bread. You can't see it, but the bread was the best part, mostly because the bread slice was as thick as the highest portion of ham, cheese, and egg combined. I'm not sure what kind of bread it was, but it had a great chewy density that could have been a plate unto itself. Next we have this Croque Madame (but senselessly called a Croque Monsieur, egg extra) at Qathra.  Much better plate to sandwich ratio and the salad is a ...

Nuff said.

Milk Truck is far too cute to take seriously, until you take a bite from their Jarlsberg grilled cheese and a sip of their fresh and soothing tomato soup and you know this is a real contender. I have personally favoured the Jarlsberg grilled cheese for years, but never have I seen a professional offer the choice. With its mozza-like stretch in a far more dense and chewy capacity, Jarlsberg offers grilled cheese lovers a savoury option to the sometimes too oily or runny options. I don't know what kind of bread they used that day, and if you look at their ever changing menu, they have a preference for gourmet Pullman bread, which makes me love them even more.

I admit this looks slightly pornographic, but we are talking about a lobster roll here, so we're close. Making a special trip to the Brooklyn Flea Market , located in the gorgeous foyer and basement of the former Williamsburg Savings Bank, I headed straight to the food at 10:30 a.m. for the lobster roll. The two dudes working the Red Hook Lobster Pound stall weren't near ready, so I ran through upstairs and came back within 30 minutes for a late breakfast lobster roll, Connecticut style (warm and buttered with paprika vs. Maine style served cold with mayo). Suffice to say, it met all expectations, and if I had another $15 in change in my pocket, I woulda tried the Maine style roll. Addendum: I don't think this needs to be said that if you don't like lobster, you shouldn't have the lobster roll. In fact, if you don't LOVE lobster, you probably shouldn't have the lobster roll. Because the flavour of this sandwich is pure lobster.

A Hero sandwich is very American. Basically, a hero sandwich comes on an Italian submarine, so, when you get the chicken parm hero, you're getting a venerable slab of crusted chicken in marinara sauce on a bun the size of your arm. Yes, it was amazing and delicious with every mouthful, but I will also share that I got sick later that night. Perhaps I wasn't ready to eat an entire chicken in sandwich form, or that the sauce and cheese were a bit too rich to go in one sitting, but whatever the case, I have no regrets. This is what one of my dining companions had, the Meatball Hero. I took a big bite. And yes, I would do this all over again too. 5th Avenue Diner , where you can still get a cup of homemade soup for under $2!

We had wanted to go to another place around here, but it was closed on a Monday morning, so we strolled on to Crossroads . Nothing special breakfast bagel sandwich and their option of a fresh squeezed juice was a Tropicana juice box, but it was cheap. Three of us ate and drank for under $20 bucks, including a thick slice of cranberry bread for the road.