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

Certé is mighty popular around these parts so I’m slightly embarrassed I’d never been by for lunch. I thought their lobster sausage at the ML Birthday Bash earlier this year was incredible, but somehow I never had a chance to make it to their actual location. When I heard their October sandwich was a beer glazed sausage in a pretzel roll, I knew my time had come. It’s creatively named the Octoberfist (which sounds much more violent than it is) and gives nods to both German comfort food and beer.

I must say the sandwich was a sticky mess. A pack of Wet Naps should have been included. In addition to sticking to my fingers, I could feel the heavy gutbomb sticking to my ribs. But I won’t complain too much because it was mighty tasty. The flavors were pretty much spot-on. The wurst was firm (no snap) and tasted intensely of dark, sweet malty ale with a hint of spices. And while I do wish the mustard seeds in the sauce added a bit more heat for balance, the pork knuckle cabbage and béchamel played in to the sweetness of the sausage. The pretzel bread was a brilliant choice for this, but I think it would have been perfected by a few garnishes of salt.

As previously mentioned in the comments, the size was slightly disappointing. The ratio of bread to sausage was way off. The sausage itself was on the small side and got swallowed up by the pretzel bread. But it was easy to finish the leftover bread since the other accoutrements were so creamy and tangy. And while it seems like I have quite a few complaints about this, I thought the flavors were great and the richness made it a pretty filling lunch (in fact, I wanted to take a nap afterward). Now if only the weather were more appropriate for such a heavy, seasonal sandwich.

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

A new month means a new Cer Te sandwich, and since it’s October it should surprise nobody that we’re getting some sausage. Meet the “Octoberfist”, a burnt beer glazed bratwurst on a pretzel roll with spicy pork knuckle cabbage and mustard seed bechamel. It costs $8.95 and hits the menu today tomorrow (Tuesday, October 4th). Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments.

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

When Certe (55th btw 5+6th) introduced this month’s sandwich, the Montauk Hangover, it looked a little lacking to me. Certe’s sandwiches usually have a good amount of heft and meat to them, but this sandwich’s main part was a fried duck egg? And who puts creamed corn in a sandwich? Is this the sort of sandwich abomination rich people eat on the South Fork?! I’ve never really felt gypped before when handing over $9 for a Certe sandwich, but what was I getting here? A glorified breakfast sandwich? Yes, indeed, that’s what it is.

Once I opened up the container, I saw that this sandwich was a messy, fork and knife affair. As I went to cut it in half, I broke the yolk of the perfectly fried egg. The potato roll was a good call since they do a good job sopping up the runny yolk and mildly spicy lobster sauce. Crispy fried leeks added a nice crunch in almost every bite, and I was surprised by how much I like the sweet, creamy corn. The corn is actually the overwhelming taste, with a bit of lobster sauce also coming through. I’m pretty sure using the duck egg is more for size. As I was eating, I realized this would be the perfect lunch sandwich for someone on the hungry side of a hangover, and it certainly tasted like a decadent gilded lily from the East End. I wouldn’t be surprised to find this sandwich for the same price or higher out in the Hamptons, but I don’t know if it’s going to be everybody’s idea of the perfect Midtown Lunch.

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

If you were sad when Cer Te (on 56th btw. 5+6th) stopped serving their July sandwich of the month, fire up that defibrillator and let’s get ready to party!  The “Deep in the Heart Attack of Texas” sandwich ($8.95), featuring chicken fried steak and macaroni and cheese on Texas toast, has been added to the permanent menu as a Tuesday special (right alongside the “Mr. Potatoskin”).  Between this and the August sandwich of the month, Cer Te is clearly the place to be for anybody looking to cure a hangover today.