Meat Me in the Middle?: One Day of Eating Nothing But Sandwiches in NYC

The humble sandwich is arguably the most versatile type of food around. “Two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between” (according to Merriam Webster) is beautifully broad, and the flavor possibilities are endless.

I’ve been on a sandwich kick lately that started with working at Governor’s Ball. (Learn about what gig life is HERE). Festival food prices were bonkers and we didn’t have a refrigerator to store food. So I packed a peanut butter sandwich each day. It reminded me of just how much I adore sandwiches, and I’ve been craving them ever since.

So I decided to have a day of eating nothing but sandwiches in NYC! Here’s the rundown of everything I had.

(Check out my Asian-fusion sandwich crawl HERE)

Breakfast: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese from Leon’s Bagels

“Nothing Fancy” is the motto of this no-frills bagel joint that has outposts in Williamsburg and Soho. They serve up, you guessed it, bagels. You can get them plain, with cream cheese, or as a sandwich. We got a bacon, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel.

This baby was LOADED with super crispy bacon. The eggs were soft and creamy. And there was just enough cheese to enhance the eggs without totally overwhelming every bite. The bagel itself didn’t stand a chance in the flavor wars against the bacon, egg, and cheese— it merely served as an edible holder for the fillings. However, I’d like to go back to get a bagel on it’s own to give it my proper analysis.

All in all, this is a top tier bacon, egg, and cheese that’s well worth checking out!

Cost: $9 before tax and tip.

(Hungry for more NYC bagel sandwich recommendations? HERE are 3 more!)

Lunch: Spicy Italian from Faicco’s Italian Specialties

Faicoo’s Italian Specialties is an old school Italian grocer serving up some of the best Italian sandwiches in NYC. You can go with one of their classics or build your own. We went with the spicy Italian which was loaded with hot coppa, hot sopressata, ham copa, mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes and hot vinegar peppers with olive oil and vinegar.

HOLY TAMOLE was this thing huge. It was thicker than my forearm and the sandwich open revealed exquisite layers of meat, mozzarella, and toppings. The mild cheese balanced out the spicy meats, and the hot vinegar peppers added a delightful crunch and punch of heat. Usually, I’m not a big Italian sandwich gal– I rather eat my cured meats on a charcuterie board. But this sucker from Faicco’s has changed my mind.

Cost: $22 pre tax and tip. A solid value given the fact it could easily feed 4 people.

Dinner: Focaccia Sandwiches from All’Antico Vinaio

All’Antico Vinaio is a famous Florentine sandwich shop that notoriously has lines down the block at all three of their Florence locales. They’ve recently opened up a handful of stores in US, and they’ve exploded in popularity. We checked out the brand new store in Nomad to give a couple sandwiches a try.

Their formula is simple: freshly baked schiacciata bread, which is thinner, lighter, and airier than focaccia, with simple, top-quality ingredients. But are these really some of the best sandwiches in NYC like Instagrammers say?

First, we tried the La Schiacciata Del Boss. It has prosciutto Toscano, pecorino Toscano, and truffle cream. What is prosciutto Toscano, you may ask? While normal prosciutto is cured with salt, prosciutto Toscano is cured with pepper, rosemary, and juniper. I’d love to tell you I tasted the added peppery notes, but I’m no liar. I did, however, taste the truffle. I put truffle in the same category as bacon— it’s going to be delicious.

Next up is La Paradisa. This is one of their top sellers, and it’s filled with mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pistachio cream, and pistachio. Mortadella and stracciatella are more like palettes than they are art (I’ll be waiting for the Italians to rip me to shreds on that stance). Which gives the pistachio components a chance to shine.

I thoroughly enjoyed both sandwiches from All’Antico Vinaio and I’m happy to have tried them. But for the price point, I much rather go back to Faicco’s .

Cost: $20 and $18

This day of eating nothing but sandwiches in NYC was a wild success! Stayed tuned for more NYC foodie adventures.