The Most Mysterious Sandwich in Brooklyn
August 8, 2023 3:42 PM Subscribe
"The sandwich was unlike anything I’d ever tasted. It was creamy from melty mozz and a little tangy from jarred artichoke hearts and marinara sauce, hefty without spilling out of the sides."
What a fantastic story!! I love all of the local/family history this writer uncovered. I, too, will obsess over foods to this degree. Now I want to go to NY and try an artichoke parm.
posted by little mouth at 4:09 PM on August 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by little mouth at 4:09 PM on August 8, 2023 [6 favorites]
Egad, you dangle such a wonderful sounding sandwich that is 3,000 miles away… Shame on you… But at least there is enough info there that I might be able to create something similar. Now I’m hungry too.
posted by njohnson23 at 4:11 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by njohnson23 at 4:11 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
I confess, I desperately want this sandwich too. I shared the article so I wouldn't have to suffer alone.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2023 [14 favorites]
Yeah it sounds really good. Artichokes are underused in sandwiches. As are scrambled eggs!
posted by potrzebie at 4:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 4:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Seems easy enough. Wondering about secret ingredients.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:58 PM on August 8, 2023
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:58 PM on August 8, 2023
So let's break it down from what we've got in the article:
- crusty hero roll. fairly crispy from the look of it.
- marinara
- mozz
- artichoke hearts that are squeezed dry and then dried in a low oven
- scrambled eggs - have to image hard scrambled
Seems to be from reading her original report on substack that maybe some ricotta in the mix and a fair amount of seasoning. (plus one of the owners said "cheeses" here)
So... low oven until the artichokes are crispy - say 200 for an hour or two? Chop up, scramble with eggs and some ricotta, slide onto a toasted roll with marinara. cover with mozz and broil?
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:09 PM on August 8, 2023 [18 favorites]
- crusty hero roll. fairly crispy from the look of it.
- marinara
- mozz
- artichoke hearts that are squeezed dry and then dried in a low oven
- scrambled eggs - have to image hard scrambled
Seems to be from reading her original report on substack that maybe some ricotta in the mix and a fair amount of seasoning. (plus one of the owners said "cheeses" here)
So... low oven until the artichokes are crispy - say 200 for an hour or two? Chop up, scramble with eggs and some ricotta, slide onto a toasted roll with marinara. cover with mozz and broil?
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:09 PM on August 8, 2023 [18 favorites]
So... low oven until the artichokes are crispy - say 200 for an hour or two? Chop up, scramble with eggs and some ricotta, slide onto a toasted roll with marinara. cover with mozz and broil?
It might not be exactly the same as Mama Louisa's, but it can't possibly be bad!
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:16 PM on August 8, 2023 [7 favorites]
It might not be exactly the same as Mama Louisa's, but it can't possibly be bad!
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:16 PM on August 8, 2023 [7 favorites]
i'm picturing more of a soft scramble with plenty of cheese-- so you don't really know where the cheese ends the the eggs begin. Just enough egg to hold everything together, without any recognizable egg chunks. Like cabornara.
posted by Grandysaur at 5:18 PM on August 8, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by Grandysaur at 5:18 PM on August 8, 2023 [11 favorites]
This article inspired me to go out and get a Chicago breaded steak sandwich so thank you for that.
But it also made me realize the “parm space” is a bit unexplored? I would like to try a tikka masala parm, for instance, or a pork katsu parm.
What about a chilled fried chicken cutlet with chopped with marinara sauce with rice, say inside sushi or onigiri?
posted by smelendez at 5:22 PM on August 8, 2023 [17 favorites]
But it also made me realize the “parm space” is a bit unexplored? I would like to try a tikka masala parm, for instance, or a pork katsu parm.
What about a chilled fried chicken cutlet with chopped with marinara sauce with rice, say inside sushi or onigiri?
posted by smelendez at 5:22 PM on August 8, 2023 [17 favorites]
Set phasers to stun, we’ve entered… parm space
posted by q*ben at 5:25 PM on August 8, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by q*ben at 5:25 PM on August 8, 2023 [15 favorites]
Oh, I read this the other day! I'm not even a fan of artichoke hearts but this made me want one of these sandwiches, and I love how deep the author went into the history of the owners behind the shop.
posted by mollweide at 5:36 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mollweide at 5:36 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'd eat the hell out of one if someone brought me one. Alas, the store lies in a distant borough.
Intriguing to hear that it's an old recipe--I initially assumed it would be a relatively new one, inspired by the recent popularity of artichoke pizza.
posted by praemunire at 5:37 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Intriguing to hear that it's an old recipe--I initially assumed it would be a relatively new one, inspired by the recent popularity of artichoke pizza.
posted by praemunire at 5:37 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Set phasers to stun, we’ve entered… parm space
Do they have a melt setting?
posted by mollweide at 5:40 PM on August 8, 2023 [8 favorites]
Do they have a melt setting?
posted by mollweide at 5:40 PM on August 8, 2023 [8 favorites]
The world is your parm.
Thinking some more about it - oil and season the artichoke hearts before they do in the oven - some olive oil, garlic, oregano? leave them just squeezed and go?
This is my favorite sort of food - you can explain it in a sentence and then spend hours trying to break down why it works and what needs to happen.
My favorite sandwich in the area is simply known as "the sandwich". It's at Roma Market a short drive from me here in Pas. The owner, Rosario has been working at the shop for over 70 years and has been making just one kind of sandwich across the store's history. On the surface, it's absolutely rock simple - a few choice deli meats (cap, mort, salami), a paper thin slice of provolone on a crusty roll with a drizzle of good olive oil. He and the staff (mostly the staff these days under his supervision) make a couple of hundred per day, ahead of time, wrapped in pink butcher paper and waiting for you to grab and go. I can't figure out why the damn thing is just so good and worthy of it's revered status, but there it is.
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:40 PM on August 8, 2023 [10 favorites]
Thinking some more about it - oil and season the artichoke hearts before they do in the oven - some olive oil, garlic, oregano? leave them just squeezed and go?
This is my favorite sort of food - you can explain it in a sentence and then spend hours trying to break down why it works and what needs to happen.
My favorite sandwich in the area is simply known as "the sandwich". It's at Roma Market a short drive from me here in Pas. The owner, Rosario has been working at the shop for over 70 years and has been making just one kind of sandwich across the store's history. On the surface, it's absolutely rock simple - a few choice deli meats (cap, mort, salami), a paper thin slice of provolone on a crusty roll with a drizzle of good olive oil. He and the staff (mostly the staff these days under his supervision) make a couple of hundred per day, ahead of time, wrapped in pink butcher paper and waiting for you to grab and go. I can't figure out why the damn thing is just so good and worthy of it's revered status, but there it is.
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:40 PM on August 8, 2023 [10 favorites]
Might this be the Teamster's secret sandwich from 30 Rock?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:43 PM on August 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:43 PM on August 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
I really doubt it cause I can't picture this one being good cold? Maybe that's just me.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:48 PM on August 8, 2023
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:48 PM on August 8, 2023
That looks like a mighty fine sandwich.
Back in the eighties when I first lived in Rome, tramezzini were BIG. some bars had dozens of types, proudly displayed in glass counters. IMO, the artichoke was the best. You could get it w/wo tuna. Today, you can still get them, but it is not as much of a thing, and I haven't seen the artichoke ones recently, but that might just be me.
Anyways, that is all just to say that artichokes are a great sandwich filling, and that they were perhaps fashionable at some time, but then most people weirdly forgot.
posted by mumimor at 5:56 PM on August 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
Back in the eighties when I first lived in Rome, tramezzini were BIG. some bars had dozens of types, proudly displayed in glass counters. IMO, the artichoke was the best. You could get it w/wo tuna. Today, you can still get them, but it is not as much of a thing, and I haven't seen the artichoke ones recently, but that might just be me.
Anyways, that is all just to say that artichokes are a great sandwich filling, and that they were perhaps fashionable at some time, but then most people weirdly forgot.
posted by mumimor at 5:56 PM on August 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
Is Bon Appetit out of the doghouse? I stopped paying any attention to them a few years ago after they caught hell for not paying some of their (non-White) staff less than some of their other (White) staff. Did they really clean up their act?
posted by ElKevbo at 6:25 PM on August 8, 2023
posted by ElKevbo at 6:25 PM on August 8, 2023
this story reads a bit like The Bear, without the toxicity and gentrifcation.
posted by lapolla at 6:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by lapolla at 6:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
There is a lot of restaurant food where I feel like I could do just as good or sometimes better than what the restaurant is serving. But good sandwiches, I can't come even close at home. Sandwiches require small amounts of a number of things (a few slices of meat, a slice of cheese, condiments) but they all should be fresh and good. There is an economy of scale and also some kind of flavor magic that happens at a place that makes great sandwiches.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:53 PM on August 8, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:53 PM on August 8, 2023 [15 favorites]
Also, I'm just jealous, because I'm living in a place where Jersey Mike's is legitimately the best sandwich option, by a significant margin. (The second best is a hippy place that unironically uses sprouts as a key ingredient.) So I read articles and posts about great sandwiches but can't partake.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:59 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:59 PM on August 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
The 30 Rock sandwich is supposedly from Fiore's House of Quality in NJ. And it is as good as its reputation…
posted by carsondial at 8:05 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by carsondial at 8:05 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ok, so the plan for tomorrow.
Thaw some frozen marinara.
Squeeze dry a can of artichoke hearts, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano (garlic will be game time decision). Roast for 2 hours at 180°-200°F
Heat the marinara
Chop and scramble a portion with 2 eggs and an ounce of ricotta.
Toast a hoagie roll with an olive oil spritz.
Spread the marinara on the roll.
Add the egg and ricotta mixture.
Top with mozzarella and broil to melt, but no color
Eat.
I'll report back.
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:50 PM on August 8, 2023 [16 favorites]
Thaw some frozen marinara.
Squeeze dry a can of artichoke hearts, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano (garlic will be game time decision). Roast for 2 hours at 180°-200°F
Heat the marinara
Chop and scramble a portion with 2 eggs and an ounce of ricotta.
Toast a hoagie roll with an olive oil spritz.
Spread the marinara on the roll.
Add the egg and ricotta mixture.
Top with mozzarella and broil to melt, but no color
Eat.
I'll report back.
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:50 PM on August 8, 2023 [16 favorites]
This is such a fantastic article, lovingly researched! I did not now you could even make such a sandwich and now I’m craving one!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:52 PM on August 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
But it also made me realize the “parm space” is a bit unexplored? I would like to try a tikka masala parm, for instance, or a pork katsu parm.
Be careful what you wish for.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 10:54 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Be careful what you wish for.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 10:54 PM on August 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
This post is very relevant to my interests! I became slightly obsessed with this article when it first came out (as any right-thinking person would, really). I have now made The Sandwich twice. It was good both times, but the second time around it was transcendent. This was my method:
At least one hour and up to one day in advance, drain one 12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts. Reserve marinade. Spread artichoke hearts on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 375F until edges are crisp, 30-45 minutes.
Thinly slice two cloves of garlic. Sautee sliced garlic in two Tablespoons olive oil over low heat, until softened. Add four beaten eggs and a generous pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring intermittently as the eggs form large curds. When fully cooked, remove from heat.
Split two large bread rolls, the nicest, freshest ones you can find (please support your local bread baker!). Brush the insides of the rolls with olive oil and place them, cut-side-up, under the broiler. When crisped and golden, take them out and rub them with a smashed garlic clove. Heap the insides with the scrambled eggs and roasted artichoke hearts. Top with the red sauce of your choice (Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce is a winner here, but a jarred sauce like Rao's is also totally fine) and two slices of provolone per sandwich. Return to broiler until provolone is melted and bubbly.
Toss two generous handfuls of aruglula with reserved artichoke marinade and a few coarse grinds of black pepper. Stuff dressed greens into the sandwiches as soon as they are out of the broiler and serve forth.
Any leftovers can, and should, be enjoyed cold the next day. If serving cold, give an extra sprinkle of flaky salt.
posted by la glaneuse at 11:00 PM on August 8, 2023 [63 favorites]
At least one hour and up to one day in advance, drain one 12 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts. Reserve marinade. Spread artichoke hearts on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 375F until edges are crisp, 30-45 minutes.
Thinly slice two cloves of garlic. Sautee sliced garlic in two Tablespoons olive oil over low heat, until softened. Add four beaten eggs and a generous pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring intermittently as the eggs form large curds. When fully cooked, remove from heat.
Split two large bread rolls, the nicest, freshest ones you can find (please support your local bread baker!). Brush the insides of the rolls with olive oil and place them, cut-side-up, under the broiler. When crisped and golden, take them out and rub them with a smashed garlic clove. Heap the insides with the scrambled eggs and roasted artichoke hearts. Top with the red sauce of your choice (Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce is a winner here, but a jarred sauce like Rao's is also totally fine) and two slices of provolone per sandwich. Return to broiler until provolone is melted and bubbly.
Toss two generous handfuls of aruglula with reserved artichoke marinade and a few coarse grinds of black pepper. Stuff dressed greens into the sandwiches as soon as they are out of the broiler and serve forth.
Any leftovers can, and should, be enjoyed cold the next day. If serving cold, give an extra sprinkle of flaky salt.
posted by la glaneuse at 11:00 PM on August 8, 2023 [63 favorites]
I don't even like artichoke hearts and enjoyed both this article and the comments here a great deal. Good job, MeFites!
posted by May Kasahara at 5:03 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by May Kasahara at 5:03 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
I was already loving this article, but was delighted to learn that Punzone’s daughter owns one of my favorite vegan restaurants, Pura Vita in Los Angeles! I really hope she finds a way to put a vegan version of this sandwich on the menu!
posted by estherbester at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by estherbester at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh, for a minute there I thought you were talking about parmo (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmo)
Food of the gods, that.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:20 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Food of the gods, that.
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 9:20 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, of the many things I love about the article, it may be that the thing I love most is the noun phrase “the sandwich community.”
posted by la glaneuse at 9:44 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by la glaneuse at 9:44 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
the thing I love most is the noun phrase “the sandwich community.”
We are many, and proud.
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:46 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
We are many, and proud.
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:46 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]
And we are hungry.
(Artichoke hearts with oregano, garlic and olive oil are currently roasting in the oven and the aroma is making me damn hungry)
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2023 [8 favorites]
(Artichoke hearts with oregano, garlic and olive oil are currently roasting in the oven and the aroma is making me damn hungry)
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2023 [8 favorites]
I did it and it disappeared in about 5 minutes!
Here's the result
Followed roughly what I said above:
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:48 PM on August 9, 2023 [19 favorites]
Here's the result
Followed roughly what I said above:
- Drained a 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts and squeezed dry in a kitchen towel
- Toss in a small amount of olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano
- Spread out on a foil lined tray and baked at 200°F (93°C) for 2 hours. Honestly could have let them go a little longer, but I was hungry The thinner edges were just beginning to brown and get crispy
- Heated up my bog standard red sauce (olive oil, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar)
- Split open a roll, brushed with olive oil, broiled until just golden brown
- Whisked 2 eggs with salt/pepper and a heaping spoon of whole milk ricotta
- Heated a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan, added the most of the hearts and then eggs and slowly scrambled to soft, but firm eggs
- Meanwhile, sauced both sides of the roll and sliced some whole milk mozz into manageable bits
- Top half the roll with the eggs and then the cheese - threw it back under the broiler to melt the cheese
- Sandwich and eat
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:48 PM on August 9, 2023 [19 favorites]
That. looks. amazing.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 12:54 PM on August 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 12:54 PM on August 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
There is an economy of scale and also some kind of flavor magic that happens at a place that makes great sandwiches.
This is extremely true, especially with Italian subs. Once I had what I thought was the brilliant idea to procure a bunch of ingredients to make my favorite sandwich at home: prosciutto, hot capicola, fresh mozzarella, arugula, hot Italian peppers, some fresh Italian rolls. I had olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home - also required.
I was going to beat the system and have four count em FOUR of these beauties in my fridge, and I was convinced for some reason that they were going to cost way less per sandwich than the $13 one at the Italian speciality deli (this was a few years ago - now $17 adjusted for inflation, obviously).
End result: The ingredients were like 40 bucks, it netted me 3 extremely thin sandwiches, and they did not taste NEARLY as good. A good quality Italian sub is one of the few things that is literally more affordable to get takeout, there is simply no "hack" to DIY on that one.
posted by windbox at 3:23 PM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
This is extremely true, especially with Italian subs. Once I had what I thought was the brilliant idea to procure a bunch of ingredients to make my favorite sandwich at home: prosciutto, hot capicola, fresh mozzarella, arugula, hot Italian peppers, some fresh Italian rolls. I had olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home - also required.
I was going to beat the system and have four count em FOUR of these beauties in my fridge, and I was convinced for some reason that they were going to cost way less per sandwich than the $13 one at the Italian speciality deli (this was a few years ago - now $17 adjusted for inflation, obviously).
End result: The ingredients were like 40 bucks, it netted me 3 extremely thin sandwiches, and they did not taste NEARLY as good. A good quality Italian sub is one of the few things that is literally more affordable to get takeout, there is simply no "hack" to DIY on that one.
posted by windbox at 3:23 PM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Shouldn't have opened this link just before lunchtime. I love articles like this! The best food always comes with a story.
posted by unicorn chaser at 4:49 AM on August 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by unicorn chaser at 4:49 AM on August 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Thank you for the experimentation, la glaneuse and drewbage. In the interests of sandwich science, I will attempt to replicate same. (But I will buy an extra can of artichoke hearts to snack on while I'm composing and cooking the sandwich proper. I find them irresistible.)
posted by virago at 5:09 AM on August 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by virago at 5:09 AM on August 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
FYI. Looks like a windfall for the restaurant.
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:26 AM on August 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 7:26 AM on August 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
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