Sal, Kris, and Charlie’s Deli – Plate 32

So I just got linked on Midtown Lunch (link) and I already gots haters! I love haters (link to Katt Williams Stand-up on Hater Theory). Of course, the aim of the project is to go to all the restaurants in the city and experience their cuisine with all the independent writers in the city and write about it. I only claim to be promoting the city’s best restaurants and taking in the full flavor of New York.

Really, it’s just a clever way to eat for free for a month and meet the all the NYC food writers. Of course, if given the opportunity, I’d be psyched to trade places with any schlub at a 9-5 wielding an ML login – where do I sign up?

That being said, who can I shill for to get me and Layne a few huge Italian subs today? Sal, Kris, and Charlie’s Deli, that’s who.

Look at the Yelp reviews:

What am I going to say? This place sucks … the bread is too dry … they don’t put enough meat on their sandwiches … I could make better pepper salad with a cucumber … the staff is rude … the place looks like a pigsty when you walk in … they always screw up your order …

Are you going to believe me if I say that? How about one of the 50 Best Sandwiches in the USA? I didn’t say it, but Manager and Charlie’s son, Nick, has been contacted by a publishing house to do a story on The Bomb (top) and if you look at that bad boy up there, it’s not to tough to fathom why it’s on the list. Every meat in the place, provolone, american, plenty of veggies, and a pepper salad that makes Italian mothers swoon. The bread was flaky and didn’t push the sandwich out of the roll when you bit into it. The other sandwich we sampled was The Italian (pic), a local favorite, but runner up in this taste test (possibly sandwich #51 on the list). Twelve inches of salami, prosciutto, cappicola, pepperoni, mortadella, and sopressata; it’s like a murderer’s row of beautiful meats.

Departing, we had a few slices of the roast beef. Saying the roast beef was paper thin would be an insult; they must sharpen their slicers every morning because this stuff melts in your mouth. I talked to Nick about the 30 Rock Snadwich at Fiore’s in Hoboken (link) and he was interested. I told him that the sandwich he makes here would sell for $12-14 in Manhattan. He’d been interested in checking out Katz’s and hadn’t tried it. Layne wanted him to do some research on other delis in the area.

I know you always gotta get better, but where you’re the gold standard, who do you study?

Was that gushing and effusive enough for you? Don’t worry, I’ll crank it up for the next place.

Here’s the video of our Astoria sandwich adventure :

Guest Writer: Layne Mosler

The IRL Arts Foundation and The Wandering Foodie thank Sal, Kris, and Charlie’s Deli for providing this meal.

Sal, Kris, and Charlie’s Deli
33-12 23rd Ave
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 278-9240