The turkey sandwich at City 75 (on 51st btw. 5+6th). $6.45. Every day this otherwise generic Midtown deli roasts a whole turkey (sometimes 2) and carves it up fresh for turkey sandwiches.  There isn’t any stuffing or gravy or cranberry sauce, but it’s still a big notch above Boar’s Head.

The cranberry sauce and stuffing option is after the jump…

The H1 at Lenny’s (alternate choice, the G4) $7.50 to $8.  Overall, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Lenny’s.  They make a decent product, and I am all for the addition of cole slaw and russian dressing into any sandwich, but it’s just too expensive for what it is.  That being said, they deserve big points for their H1, a Thanksgiving sandwich served all year long.  Roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.  How can that be bad?  Too close to the big day for you?  I also like their G4, a hot grilled sandwich with turkey, ham, swiss, russian dressing and cole slaw (in the sandwich of course.)

Photo by Robyn Lee, Courtesy of Serious Eats:New York

And finally, the turkey sandwich at Sophie’s Cuban (on Lex btw. 40+41st.) $6.95. Roast turkey with mayo and onions… naturally, it gets outshined by the most excellent cuban sandwich and the fried pork and plantain sandwich- but it is awesome in its own right (and probably the best of the three turkey sandwiches in this post.) While Tina’s Restaurant- the Sophie’s offshoot- doesn’t have the turkey sandwich on their menu, they can make the sandwich for you on Mondays because they offer roast turkey as one of their specials.  They’re working on getting a turkey sandwich on their menu full time.

Got your favorite turkey sandwich?  Post it in the comments.

The plywood has officially gone up for the new Crumbs on Broadway btw. 52+53rd that Cupcake Takes the Cake says will open at the end of the year.  They also mention another Crumbs going up on 54th and 3rd Ave.  I honestly can’t see how Midtown can support this crazy cupcake expansion.

And Lenny’s seems to be in the same boat… 

Three more Lenny’s are opening up as well… one in Penn Station (which will be a welcome addition to their horrendous food court), one near Columbus Circle (on 55th and 8th) and one in the Rockefeller Center Concourse… you know, for the people who don’t want to walk a half block outside their building to the Lenny’s on 48th btw. 5+6th.  I do like sandwiches with cole slaw on them… so I guess if it makes the lines shorter, let these places expand themselves to death.  It seems like a good enough time economically…

Another sandwich that probably won’t see much action today, after the jump…

_{The latest “limited time only” sandwich from Cosi.} 

Both look good, just not today.

Well, after eating there a few times, the answer is simple… it’s pretty damn good.  As for it not being authentic or home-grown, apparently the chain is an offshoot of a place opened in 1989 on the Upper West Side by Sei Hoon Lenny Chu, possibly the most unlikely named “Lenny” to ever open up a New York style deli in the history of the city.  They’ve recently begun franchising with plans to open 80-100 stores in the Northeast over the next 5 years.

As for the food, I’m sure everyone has their favorite deli to get a sandwich in Midtown- but it’s ok to branch out every once in awhile, and Lenny’s is definetely worthwhile.  The ingredients are fresh, every sandwich is made to order (unlike a lot of the Midtown delis) and the choices are endless.  You can order your ingredients ala carte, or choose one of their TONS of pre designed choices like Lenny’s All Time Favorites, Cold Cut Combos, Grilled Combos, Homestyle Combos and Lite Sandwiches.

The place is not without it’s problems, but alot of those can be solved with a few easy suggestions… more on that, and the +/- after the jump.

First things first… the ordering can be a little frantic.  When you walk in, go straight ahead, and across from where the make the sandwiches there is a kiosk where you place your sandwich order only, but don’t head there too quickly.  The menu is huge and takes some time to dissect.  You don’t pay at the kiosk, so there’s never too much of a line.  The board with the most expensive “specialty” sandwiches are positioned behind the kiosk, so be sure to look to your right, for the rest of the choices- or just pick up one of the paper menus along the wall.  Once you order you sandwich, you can go to the back and pick out your drinks and chips, and then take everything to one of the cash registers on the right to pay and get your claim ticket.  When they call you number, you exchange the ticket for your fresh made sandwich and you’re done.  They also have salads, but I’ve never ordered one so I have no idea how that works.

The other issue is price.  Lenny’s is definetely not going to win the award for cheapest sandwich in Midtown.  It’s actually sort of expensive.  Most of the specialty sandwiches served on sliced bread cost $7.25, and if you go for the wrap or Hero, they are $7.99, meaning before you know it, with a drink and chips you’re spending well over $10… and the sliced bread sandwiches don’t really seem that big.  The price difference between the hero and regular sandwich is understandable- the hero is much bigger.

But in the end, I’m a sucker for grilled sandwiches (with cole slaw and russian dressing) so I don’t mind paying the little bit of extra money… because this is where Lenny’s excels.  If that sounds good to you, go for the Lenny’s Combo (Hot Pastrami, Corned Beef, Swiss, Coleslaw and Russian Dressing) or the H4 (same sandwich with Oven Roasted Turkey instead of Pastrami).  They also have one of those turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy kind of things if you’re into that.

I tried to save a little money by ordering ala carte once to save a little money, but the sandwich was a little dry and closer to being just a boring old sandwich.  Stick with the specialty sandwiches (especially the grilled ones) and you should be all set…

THE +

• Tons of choices with every topping imaginable (not every sandwich is a winner, but if you try enough you’re bound to find one you like)
• Sandwiches are all freshly made
• The cleanliness and comfort of a “chain” that many people need
• Better if you like Sandwiches with a lot of different toppings

THE -

• Price. (Although the more I think about it, when you consider the location, the ingredients and how much a sandwich at The Stage Deli is, it’s not too bad)
• Not going to be the best, biggest, or most authentic New York deli style sandwich you ever had in Midtown
• If you like plain sandwiches, these might not be worth the price.  It’s the specialty sandwiches that are better here.

Lenny’s [Official Website w/ Menu]

60 W.48th St. btw. 5th & 6th Avenue., 212-871-6677

1024 2nd Avenue btw. 54th & 55th St., 212-355-5700