Midtown Lunch

Tomorrow is quite possibly the biggest eating day of the year for most of us (well, biggest historically sanctioned eating day of the year).  And while some of you might starve yourselves, or “eat light” as it were, in the hours leading up to the big day I like to take a different approach.  It’s what I call “preparing for the onslaught”.  Your stomach can’t go from salad to gorgefest in a 24 hour period.  You’ve got to ease it in.  In past years I’ve recommended great Midtown turkey sandwiches, or hitting up an all you can eat buffet, but this year I’m going in a different direction.  Lamb.  And more specifically, an amazing off-the-menu lamb sandwich from Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) that is only available on Wednesdays.  Well, would you look at that!  Today is Wednesday…

Unlike Cer Te’s other amazing sandwich specials, this one is an “off-the-menu” kind of thing (or at least it has been for the past few weeks.)  Since the beginning of the month Cer Te has been offering a leg of lamb lunch special for $12.95 on Wednesdays.  As legend has it, a few weeks ago a Cer Te regular asked if they’d be willing to serve the leg of lamb in sandwich form.  Perhaps on pita?  And topped with tzatziki sauce?  And voila!  The $8.95, Wednesday only, Cer Te off-the-menu “gyro” was born.

Seeing as the meat is fall off the bone stewed lamb, it’s not quite the same as a typical gyro (where the meat is spit roasted) but who cares.  The thing tastes out of control good.  The wonderfully tender and flavorful lamb balances perfectly with the tangy homemade tzatziki sauce, while the pita bread is busy working diligently at keeping the whole mess together.  The lamb is really moist, and the sandwich is piled high- so you might have to resort to a knife and fork at some point… but it’s completely worth it.  In fact, it could be one of the best sandwiches they’ve ever offered (and that’s saying a lot considering how many good ones there have been.)

I would have thought they’d be offering their “Thanksgiving Dip” today, but it’s a moot issue anyway.  This new gyro sandwich is a more than capable pre-Thanksgiving replacement.  Oh… and don’t worry if you can’t make it there today.  The leg of lamb gyro will be available on Wednesdays through the entire winter.  It warms my belly just thinking about it.

Related:
Cer Te’s Tuscan Cheesesteak Displaces Schnitzel Burger as Greasiest Sandwich in Midtown
Check Out All 5 of Cer Te’s Crazy August Sandwiches
Certe’s Thanksgiving Dip is the Greatest Sandwich Ever Created