Gandolfo's

Not far from my home there is a sandwich shop that I have fallen in love with: Gandolfo's. I use to go here only when we had a flight that day or the next morning. It made for a great meal while on a long trip. Since Ruby came along two years ago, I found myself frequenting this place more often as there was less energy and time to cook. But over $30 a week just in sandwiches adds up. For a while I went cold turkey but relapsed a few months ago. I no longer have the desire for sobriety and have found a more moderate pace of sandwich indulgence.

It's quite a sight in people watching when you enter. People aren't necessarily in line but scattered about with their heads looking up at the huge menu wrapping around two areas of the restaurant. You soon do the same and realize that you will be there for a few hours if you read the description of each sandwich. Thankfully you can pick a column a research from there: Specialty Sandwiches, Pastrami Sandwiches, Turkey Sandwiches, Chicken Breast Sandwiches, Roast Beef Sandwiches.

This past Thursday I went with the Dagwood in the Specialty Sandwich section. The delicious combination of roast beef, turkey, ham, corned beef, Swiss, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayo, and spicy mustard leaves you needing two hands to eat it.

The Dagwood - Delicious!

I have also indulged in the Carnegie Hall (loved it), Rockefeller Reuben, I love New York, Pastrami on Rye, Central Park, King of Queens, Sicilian, Hampton, Bridge Hampton, Gandolfo, and Holland Tunnel. They are all delicious but I would highly recommend sticking with the Specialty and Pastrami Sandwiches; you can't go wrong. Some of the workers, upon recognizing me as a regular, begun recommending sandwiches that weren't even on the menu. Love this place.

Be warned: you will spend more money than the more ubiquitous chains; no $5 footlong here (I know this is a chain also but the focus is on quality not quantity), but you will never go back to those other joints as you will have found a truly authentic sandwich.

Happy Eating.