We’ve sang the praises of Certé for years now, but I’m continually amazed by the versatility and inventiveness of their food. On the surface, this place looks like any other generic deli, but the sandwiches are far superior and always affordable. When it was announced that the May sandwich was a “Chip & Crab Dip Sandwich,” there was a little tug of war among the ML contributors as to who would actually get to taste this bad boy. Needless to say, I won.

The large soft shell crab is beer battered and fried. Amazingly, it’s not greasy but instead rich and meaty. It might be the biggest soft shell crab I’ve ever eaten (and shockingly priced at $8.95) They include two sauces on the side (a remoulade and a hot sauce, which was probably tabasco). I generously added both and they worked like a plate of street meat with lots of bold flavors, balanced and cooled down by that tangy, creamy white sauce. Fresh bibb lettuce and a buttery potato roll were the perfect final touches. And I didn’t even mention the paprika spiced chips, which were endlessly addicting. I even added a few onto the sandwich for an extra bit of crunchy texture and was disappointed I had used up all the sauce. It would have been perfect for dipping.

April is well under way, which means we are a couple of weeks into Certe’s latest Sandwich of the month, the “Cuero de la Cocina” ($9.75). It consists of pork belly mole, spicy cabbage & green mango shred, Anaheim chili, and black bean puree on a soft torta. I’ve been on a bit of a torta kick recently, so obviously when I saw pork belly and green mango I ran over there as fast as my little legs could carry me.

This sandwich is pretty hefty in size and generously filled. Each of the ingredients was clearly discernible. The fatty, meaty pork, a nice crunch from the cabbage and green mango, and the creamy black bean puree (which is protruding a little obscenely in the photo below) combined to make a very enjoyable sandwich. The only ingredient I wished was a little more present was the chile, the sandwich definitely could’ve used some more heat to punch it up.

To be honest, this sandwich probably won’t replace your favorite torta from El Rey de Sabor, but if you’re headed to Certe and can’t decide what to get, you probably won’t be disappointed with this. The people at Certe know how to craft a decent sandwich, but if it’s authentic Latin flavor you’re after, you may want to stick to the trucks.

Cer Te, 20 W 55th St (btw 5+6th), 212-397-2020

While many of us might be tired of the whole cupcake trend by now, new and unusual flavors can still excite and surprise. Cer té (on 55th btw. 5+6th) is running a contest to come up with new flavor combinations and they need your help. From now through April 16, you can send your brilliant ideas for cupcakes to MyDreamCupcake@certenyc.com. They’ll choose 3 winners who will see their cupcake dream come true. If you really just can’t stand the idea of a cupcake in your name, Cer té is also offering a $100 gift certificate to the winner, and you don’t have to spend it on cupcakes.

Looks like March will go out like a lamb at Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th) which is introducing its March sandwich tomorrow, featuring “pulled” roasted leg of lamb with mint marmalade, smoked paprika aioli, and fried asparagus ribbons on a spicy garlic baguette.  Not to be outdone, Pizza By Certe (on 56th btw. Park+Lex) will also be starting a lamb special of their own. It’s a pizza topped w/ spicy lamb meatballs, fava beans, goat cheese and sautéed minted cherry tomatoes.  Both specials start tomorrow, and will be available for the entire month of March.

Cer Te, 20 W 55th St (btw 5+6th), 212-397-2020
Pizza by Cer Te, 132 East 56th (btw. Park+Lex) (212) 813-2020

Last week we announced the debut of Cer Te’s February sandwich special, The Gobsmacker. With a name like that (freedictionary’s definition of “gobsmacked” is “utterly astounded”), the bar is set high. Cer Te has had a pretty good track record with its Sandwiches of the Month thus far, so how did this one stack up?

The Gobsmacker isn’t just a sandwich. It’s an aged cheddar and horseradish grilled cheese served with a cup of hearty Irish stew. When I opened my bag and saw the size of this meal, I was actually a little disappointed. The sandwich and the cup of stew each seemed pretty small, and I was skeptical that this would fill me up. Boy, was I wrong. The grilled cheese was plenty cheesy and very buttery, but lacked in the horseradish department. If it wasn’t listed in the description I wouldn’t have known it was there. The stew was thick and well-seasoned, with lots of tender, slow-cooked beef and chunks of carrots, potatoes, peas, and celery. Despite the seemingly small container, this dense stew was extremely filling. I decided to experiment by dipping the grilled cheese in the beefy goodness and HOLY MOLY it was delicious.

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this meal at first. It’s not beautiful, and the word “stew” never resonated with me as synonymous to “yummy” or “lunch,” but this combo is perfect for a cold winter day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Get it while you can!

Certe, 20 W 55th St (btw 5+6th), 212-397-2020

Well, it’s a new month (where did January go??), which means it’s Sandwich of the Month time from Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th). This month’s beauty is “The Gobsmacker.” Here’s the kicker: it’s not just a sandwich, it’s a combo consisting of Rich Irish Stew With an Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese w/Horseradish for $8.95. Stew AND grilled cheese? Let me get my coat! The sandwich debuted on Monday and will be available through the month of February. Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments!

Certe, 20 W 55th St (btw 5+6th), 212-397-2020

It’s a new month, which means a new Sandwich of the Month from Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th). This month’s sandwich is the Duck Duck Jus: Duck confit, white bean duck liver puree, steamed swiss chard, and duck cracklings on a duck stock dipped baguette. I have to say, I had high hopes going into this duck extravaganza because a) I like all of these things and b) Cer Te’s other duck sandwich was just plain amazing.

Now it goes without saying that any dish containing this many variations of duck is going to be a little greasy. So I won’t say it. I will say that this sandwich has potential, but it’s it’s not quite there yet. Each ingredient was awesome on its own, but the sandwich was definitely less than the sum of its parts.

The duck confit was succulent and had plenty of fatty duck flavor. The white bean duck liver puree tasted more white bean-y than liver-y, but liver isn’t for everybody and they’re catering to a large crowd. The chard added some variety in color and flavor and would make an excellent side on its own, but I wished it added more to the sandwich texturally. Most of the ingredients are wet and mushy, so some crunchy greens would break things up a bit. Duck cracklings speak for themselves. They somehow stayed crispy and were definitely the best part of this meal.

In the end, I think the baguette is what brought this sandwich down. Since it is pre-soaked in the duck jus, the bread is soggy, limp and, frankly, kind of gross. The whole time I was eating it I was thinking of my wet kitchen sponge. In fairness, the walk back to my office probably didn’t help, giving it some time to cool off.  But putting the jus on the side for dipping would make a world of difference. This sandwich is basically the definition of a gut bomb, but with some tweaks I think it has the potential to become something really great.

Cer Te, 20 W 55th St (btw 5+6th), 212-397-2020