Court Street Grocers is Raising Manhattan’s Sandwich Game

We’re so far removed from the days when grabbing a to-go sandwich in New York meant Boars Head turkey, or ham & cheese from the local deli.  In fact, the past six months alone have ushered in a slew of cutting edge sammy shops, drawing rabid foodies to their doors in droves, including the infamous fried chicken at Fuku, the glazed bacon BLT at the new Dimes outpost, and Harry & Ida’s incredible, pickle-laced pastrami.

And now, one of Brooklyn’s most dependable, between-the-bread wizards has expanded its reach into Manhattan — Court Street Grocers — opening its first borough outpost on Greenwich Village’s LaGuardia Place.  Well known for combining cut-above cold cuts with esoteric, gleefully trashy condiments (such as Mississippi’s own “comeback” sauce; a combo of chili sauce and mayonnaise), the owners have fleshed out their menu of favorites, like The Pork Roll (scrambled eggs, American cheese & Taylor ham), The Droopy (roast beef, fried onions, & horseradish), and the oddball Yam & Cheese (roasted sweet potatoes, whipped goat cheese, pickled beets), with a wide variety of signature selections.

Get primed for Thanksgiving with The Dirty Turkey — layers of roast turkey breast smeared with chopped liver and the Southern corn relish known as chow chow — or go entirely meat-free with the Broccoli Reuben; a tangy panini of swiss cheese, sauerkraut, butter and the aforementioned comeback sauce, slathered over florets of the green, roasted Broccoli.  And be sure to stock up on breath mints if you order The Anchovy during your lunch hour, which features the oil-packed fishies piled on Sullivan Street stecca doppio, along with caper butter, lemon, red onion and herbs.

For the carb-averse, Court Street Grocer’s big city spot even offers an Italian sub in salad form; translucent ribbons of marinated mortadella, copa, salami and mozzarella, nested on a bed of bibb lettuce.  You know New York’s sammy game has truly evolved, when they don’t even need to involve bread anymore.