Sub Par
30 November 2010 - James BooWhen I was young, sandwiches signified failure. Aside from the Vietnamese banh mi and Mexican tortas that dot the outer rim of Los Angeles and Orange County, the deli of Southern California was a dining destination of last resort, an overpriced and under-qualified meal at the ubiquitous feet of In-N-Out, bargain sushi, Indian buffets and tacos al pastor. While I learned to enjoy the occasional lunch break sandwich at above-the-bar joints like Berkeley’s Cheese N’ Stuff and Gregoire, the concepts of sandwich and satisfaction failed to meet in my mind until I moved to New York.
In many ways, the New York deli is like the New York pizzeria: a myriad, movable feast that makes up for its general mediocrity with a marvelous minimum of quality. The corner slice has its thin-crust code of honor. The corner sub leans on a full lineup of Boar’s Head meats.
These delis find their essence in the fact that most of them are also full-service corner stores, replete with tortilla chips, paper towels, Peanut Butter Twix and cold cases of beer. Whereas New York pizza provides this country with an industry standard of $2.50 flavor, New York delis constitute the apartment prisoner’s last stand against hunger. They’re an all-purpose backup plan for those seeking to salvage dignity from the act of running down the street to procure the food that’s easiest to construct well in one’s own kitchen at 3:00 a.m.
Strange, then, that my favorite New York deli to date closes at 8pm and operates without a beer license. There are at least four delis within a three-minute walk from my front door in Park Slope, but Bergen Street’s City Sub is the only one with lines out the door – and with plenty good reason.
Unlike its peers, City Sub is a no-frills, counter-dominated shop, dealing only in New York sandwiches and housing just a few tables in the back for the lucky few who have the luxury of dining in. I call this experience a luxury because this deli’s most glaring advantage over the competition is its fresh, sesame-seeded Italian rolls, which resoundingly put the “mmm” in “sammmich” if eaten fresh from the toaster oven. Their crisp, browned crust, chewy consistency and toasty flavor elevate what would otherwise be a perfectly acceptable New York standard to the caliber of cravings.
What goes into that roll is just as good a bet at any of New York’s million and one all-nite-sandwich-and-beer-stops, but City Sub’s tidy construction and no-nonsense service give it another push ahead of the pack. Although pre-cooked fillings like “baked chicken cutlet” and a less-than-exciting microwaved meatball are to be avoided, almost everything else on the menu is good to go. Even if I don’t walk away gushing over my peppermill turkey or cajun style roast beef, I feel more justified in paying $7 for one of these sandwiches than I ever have paying $6 for any of the deli sandwiches I’ve grumbled over in the suburbs of L.A.
As a bonus, City Sub’s almost Italian sandwich offers the ultra-savory options of capicola and prosciuttini, two rich and flavorful cured cuts I never saw at my old standby deli in North Brooklyn. The final product still isn’t enough to beat a French dip at Philippe‘s, chopped ‘cue at Payne’s or a cemita at Taqueria Coatzingo, but supremacy is not its purpose. Laced with hot and sweet peppers and glued to City Sub’s toasted roll with oil and vinegar, this sandwich and its menu mates fulfill the demand of the highbrow everyman. It’s a daily dose of respect, wrapped in butcher paper.
City Sub
450 Bergen St.
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718.398.2592
November 30th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
I think boars head has different levels. b/c at some places, they say boars head, but it sucks. then again, at better delis, the boars head is excellent. that’s interesting that you grew up on tortas and vietnamese, i grew up on pizza and heros.
just control-Fed and noticed you don’t use the term “hero”.
November 30th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Good to know, Jeff. We do hold our own in the gyro category out in California, but I never heard the word “hero” used to describe a sandwich in my childhood unless it was in a magazine or on TV. There’s definitely good pizza and hero fare where I grew up, but more along the lines of special destinations, not everyday foods.
December 1st, 2010 at 12:16 am
Jeff: maybe it’s the result of less turnover, with meats hanging out in fridges for an overly long time? I too have had some really awful sandwiches made with Boar’s Head…
It’s really amazing how high the quality of any corner bodega’s sandwich is compared to the rest of the country.
December 1st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
have you ever had the experience where you say Heero for a Gyro and the guy looks at you weird? I feel snotty even. I get that all the time, if it’s not a specifically gyro place. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but it seems like if you want a gyro in NY, you pronounce the G.
a sandwich always seemed to be on a roll or between slices. it’s like calling a truck a “car” for me, just doesnt do it’s justice. I kinda wish we called them hoagies though, that’s a cool word.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
I kinda had that experience when I first visited New York and my friend’s roommate (from Long Island) started talking about the “juyroes” on 53rd and 6th. I’m down for whatever pronunciation gets me on the good side of the cook!
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:25 am
Nice writeup of a good NY deli.
However, if you really like subs, I highly suggest you swing down to Wilmington, DE at some point. From my travels, that’s still ground zero for good subs. Capriotti’s, Casapulla’s, Gus’s, … A *lot* of strong competition.
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Love City Sub! And so happy that it’s survived the extreme gentrification of that stretch of Bergen Street. If you have the patience to wait on line while the firefighters in front of you order 12 sandwiches, it’s well worth it!
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I think a lot of the idea that sandwiches = lazy/failure of a meal stems from being Asian too. My parents were staunch believers that a meal should include rice and dishes, and that a sandwich was like a copout. Living in NYC has thoroughly stamped that idea from my mind, but still… I think culture plays a big part of it.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:20 pm
kaszeta – I get the feeling that subs throughout the Northeast have a special power vis-a-vis subs in the rest of the country. Thanks for the Wilmington recs! On my next road trip I’ll do my best to try them out.
frenchie – Agreed! And that’s why I always call ahead :)
Nick – Really good point… my parents were fairly Americanized and often encouraged me to make sub sandwiches at home, but they still saw it as a convenience more than as gratification. Still, in California, Subway reigns supreme and regular delis just don’t cut it the way corner delis do out here.
December 8th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
you know, I could never bring myself to go to a deli for a sandwich because for the same price, I could get chinese take-out or like three slices of cheap pizza. And I’m not sure how long City Sub has been there, but I only walked by it after I had left Park Slope. That’s some BK fail on my part. doh!
December 10th, 2010 at 2:02 am
I used to be of exactly the same mindset. But when it’s 2am and you’re out of rice, or you when really don’t want to part with an extra $4 for delivery food, or when you just don’t have the time and you could use a beer with that throwaway meal, New York delis are on fucking point. After resorting to them for more than a few times, I’ve developed an affinity. It’s the kind of thing that will stick with me until I live within striking distance of an In-n-Out once more.
Anyway, you’re still right — even NYC delis can’t beat out a hot plate of food in a normal situation, but City Sub’s can be pretty damn good. The real deli killer is the $10 sandwich counter at Bierkraft down the street — outta control! If you feel like coming down to my hood on the weekend sometime we should hit that up for pints and subs.
December 16th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Boars Head is pretty available in California. I have to agree with JO. I imagine there are tiers within Boar’s Head, because sometimes it just seems like regular cold cuts, and sometimes it’s amazing.
On a side note, EZ-Stop Deli’s reuben sandwich was probably made out of shitty meat and it never mattered to me.
December 16th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Agreed. I think I overstated the importance of Boar’s Head, as opposed to the importance of general sandwich-making competence and the fact that almost every sub shop has a fridge of six-packs :P