Two weeks ago, Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) challenged the Midtown Lunch community to come up with special sandwich ideas for each of the next three months. (Cer Te has had a “special sandwich” every month since we launched the ML Sandwich Challenge last January.) Well… they got a ton of entries, and after careful consideration here are the three winners!

February: Warm, Soft, Crust baguette holding tender orange coated roasted duck meat slices with cilantro, a bit of hoisin sauce and a dab of chili, topped with cucumber and pickled radish strips (Submitted by Lunch’er Cindy aka ChubbyChineseGirl)

March and April are after the jump…

March: Bahn Mi Buffalo Sandwich Chicken meat fried to crisp skin not breaded then placed on grill. Once cooked thorough strip meat from bone and mix in Frank’s Hot Sauce, clarified butter and a touch of honey, and a few jalapeno seeds (Submitted by Lunch’er Matthew)

April: Chicken Potato Skin Fried Chicken Cutlet, melted cheddar, bacon, potatoes, chives (Submitted by Josh)

Nice!  Congrats to all the winners, and Cer Te wanted me to let you know that if these sandwiches are a success they will continue to pick sandwiches in the months to come- so keeping sending them in.

We’re happy to announce that we’re taking the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge in a new direction, this year we want to challenge YOU! Starting this week, we will be accepting sandwich ideas sent to sandwich@certenyc.com. Starting February (which is actually our one year anniversary creating sandwiches for Midtown Lunch) we will choose one sandwich per month to be featured- the sandwich will of course be named for its creator. In some circumstances, if we see fit to quality of the sandwich, we will modify it to Cer te standards- but ultimately it will fit the vision of it’s creator. We will meet with the creator and give them a tasting of their sandwich before we debut it to the public, and at that time we will ask for their recommended changes and perfect the sandwich!

So there it is. Got a dream sandwich you want to see Cer Te tackle? Email it to sandwich@certenyc.com

A couple weeks ago I kind of flipped out gushed over the new fried burger being sold at the Schnitzel & Things Truck.  I got pretty excited after eating the grease soaked monstrosity- not just because it tasted really good, but also because its unabashed grossness was quite simply unmatched by any Midtown Lunch I have ever had (and I have had quite a few.)  Well, in a surprising turn, the schnitzel burger’s reign atop the grossest-sandwich-in-Midtown heap was short lived.  Because last week I tried Cer Te’s October entry in the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge, the “Tuscan Cheesesteak” ($8.95), and it is without a doubt the most deliciously gross, out of control gut bomb, I have ever had in Midtown, in sandwich form.

Cer Te (on 55th btw. 5+6th) has had a long history of creating sandwich craziness for the ML Sandwich challenge.  But the “Tuscan Cheesesteak” takes the cake.  So much so I devised a list of reasons why you shouldn’t eat this sandwich.  That list, plus a closer look at the madness is after the jump…

The “Tuscan Cheesesteak”, is really just a glorified meatball sub- with peppers, onions, and cheese served on a roll that’s been converted into garlic bread.  It comes wrapped in paper, which would usually be a take out method instituted to protect the sandwich from everything else.  But after unwrapping the thing, I’m thinking the paper might actually be to protect everything else from the sandwich.  A meatball sub in garlic bread is nothing new for the ML Sandwich Challenge.  The Papa Perrone Truck (on 55th btw. Mad+Park) offered a meatball/chicken parm combo on garlic bread back in April, and I’m pretty sure you can still get any of their subs on garlic bread.

But this thing takes it a step farther.  The meatballs are top notch, and perfectly cooked… aka not dry or too dense.  But even if they were, it probably wouldn’t matter- because the oil from the garlic bread and fresh mozzarella, plus the peppers and onions would have covered that problem up anyway. The bread was nice and moist (also from the oil) which is how I like it.

As good as the sandwich was (and I finished every single bite of it) I couldn’t help but think of certain situations when a person might not want to eat this sandwich.  As a public service announcement to you, I figured I’d share those reasons now.

Don’t eat the Tuscan Cheesesteak sandwich…

1. If you are allergic to oil, garlic, or heartburn medication.
2. If you are wearing anything expensive that would be “ruined” by a bit of tomato sauce (and by tomato sauce I mean grease, seasoned with the essence of tomato)
3. If falling asleep at your desk after lunch is a fire-able offense.
4. If you forget to take extra napkins (because the two they give you will be gone after just unwrapping the thing.)
5. If you will be required to speak to anybody the rest of the day and don’t have industrial strength breath mints.
6. If you don’t have access to a bathroom… to wash your hands afterwards!  What did you think I meant?  Oh, right…  that.  Well, yes, I guess that too. Either way, a post lunch bathroom trip will most likely be required.

I guess what I’m saying is Cer Te should provide handi-wipes and bibs along with this sandwich.  You only have until the end of October to enjoy this sandwich- although it is supposed to return as one of the sandwiches being offered at Pizza by Cer Te when they open (on 56th btw. Park+Lex) in November.  All I know is if this is a sign of things to come from Pizza by Cer Te- I am already a big time fan.  (Although they’re probably going to have to budget for more napkins.)

Related:
Check Out All 5 of Cer Te’s Crazy August Sandwiches
Certe’s Thanksgiving Dip is the Greatest Sandwich Ever Created

Check them out after the jump…

Colonel’s Heart Attack: Southern Fried Chicken Breast, Mac n Cheese Melt with Collard Greens served on a Biscuit. On description alone I would expect this one to my favorite, and it seems like most MLers gravitated to this one from Day 1.  Sadly it wasn’t really any better than the sum of its parts.  Don’t get me wrong, it was good enough to demolish every single bite (how could I not?) But not so much better than you would expect.  The biscuit was really tasty, and surprisingly stayed together far better than I expected (although I’d still recommend snagging a fork and knife.) But the other three ingredients were a little under-seasoned.  Sure, who doesn’t love a fried chicken breast, and why wouldn’t it taste good on top of collards and mac & cheese pearls. But the whole thing would have been greatly improved with a little salt.  (Of course that’s easily fixed, and maybe it has been since I ate the sandwich on Day 2.)

Portobello Lettuce Tomato (PLT): Smoked Portobello, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes with a scallion and caper aioli on a sliced semolina club. This vegetarian take on the club sandwich is the least exciting of the five, but it’s the only cold option (and probably the healthiest.)  Even so, if this sandwich sounds good to you (aka you love portobello mushrooms), you’ll love it.  Not as good as Cer Te’s previous vegetarian entry into the Sandwich challenge, but still a tasty sandwich.

Croque Monsieur: Jambon, gruyere on brioche with a thyme béchamel. In early voting, the croque has lagged behind- but after trying it, I have to think it’s because nobody has ordered it!  If you like ham and cheese sandwiches, this could be the best one I’ve ever tried.  The thick bechamel toppping puts the whole thing over the top.  Could I eat this every single day?  Probably not without doing significant damage to my body.  I guess I’ll have to settle for every other day.

Florentine BBQ: Melted short ribs with Bel Paese and an arrabiata tomato chutney served on a tuscan round. This one could have used a little more meat (then again what sandwich couldn’t…)  But it was still tasty. It’s basically just a fancy version of a BBQ beef sandwich, with a nice sweet tomato based BBQ sauce.  Very tasty, and the cheese added a nice creaminess.  (These guys just don’t know how to make a bad sandwich.)

Gulfano (Southwestern Cuban): Braised shoulder pork, Tasso ham, Tomatillos, Jalapeno Mustard and Monterey cheese on a pressed Panini baguette. Another fan favorite, how could this thing be bad?  The braised pork shoulder is perfectly executed, and while the bread might be a bit too hefty for some- I’ve got no complaints.

Cer Te never ceases to amaze me.  Is $8.95 too expensive for a sandwich?  In most cases, yes.  And some of their offerings are not as filling as they could be.  But their willingness to adapt to the comments of the Midtown Lunch readers, their never ending supply of (amazingly gross!) ideas makes them my favorite sandwich spot in Midtown.  You have another three weeks to sample these 5 creations, and then vote for your favorite on Cer Te’s blog. The winner will be sold throughout the month of September.  Right now I’m torn between the Cubano and the Croque.  Might have to go back and try them again…

Whoever does marketing for Cer te deserves a gold star.  Since we launched the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge Cer Te, on 55th btw. 5+6th, has used it as their own personal promotional machine- which of course was ok with us because we were getting amazing sandwiches.  There was the Thanksgiving Dip (which I believe is still available on Thursdays), the Bayou, the Primavera, the Mexican torta, and the soft shelled crab.  And of course that whole lobster roll thing, which was kind of an honorary entry.

The slightly upscale deli took the month of July off, but they plan on coming back with a bang in September and want you to help pick the sandwich of the month.  Every Monday and Tuesday, today through the end of August, they will be serving 5 (yes, five) special Midtown Lunch sandwiches and asking you to vote for the best one.  Shameless promotion designed to get Midtown Lunch’ers to come in and eat five sandwiches?  Of course. But once you see some of these sandwiches, maybe you won’t mind as much.

Check out the list after the jump…

• Colonel’s Heart Attack: Southern Fried Chicken Breast, Mac n Cheese Melt with Collard Greens served on a Biscuit
• Portobello Lettuce Tomato (PLT): Smoked Portobello, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes with a scallion and caper aioli on a sliced semolina club
• Croque Monsieur: Jambon, gruyere on brioche with a thyme béchamel
• Florentine BBQ: Melted short ribs with Bel Paese and an arrabiata tomato chutney served on a tuscan round
• Gulfano (Southwestern Cuban): Braised shoulder pork, Tasso ham, Tomatillos, Jalapeno Mustard and Monterey cheese on a pressed Panini baguette

My lord.  Is the mac n cheese served on the actual fried chicken sandwich?  That would be out of control.  Kudos to you Cer Te. You have now insured that I will come eat at Cer Te multiple times over the next month- and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.  (At the very least I’m going to have to try the Colonel’s Heart Attack, the BBQ sandwich, and the Southwestern Cuban.)

As always, the sandwiches are $8.95 and available for take out, delivery, and eat in. Once you try the sandwiches, you can vote for your favorite on their blog.  The winning sandwich will be the special sandwich for the month of September.

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

The June offering from Cer Te is a soft shelled crab sandwich, and I stopped by yesterday to try it for myself.

Man I love soft shelled crab.  So good… and not that expensive when all is said in done.  I mean, if a Midtown deli can afford to put it on their by the pound buffet, certainly we can get more under $10 soft shelled crab sandwiches!  I didn’t make it to Cer Te until 2pm yesterday, so the place was empty and I was told it was taking awhile because they were frying the soft shelled crab fresh.  I’m saying this because there is a huge difference between fresh fried soft shelled crab and something that gets fried in advance and site out.  I’ll eat ‘em both happily, but one is clearly going to be better than the other.

I’m also mentioning this because I have always tried my hardest to stay under the radar when eating out in Midtown. I never introduce myself, never say who I am, and more importantly, I never accept free food (unless it is a free food promotion that all Midtown Lunchers can partipate in.) I always go in, like a regular customer, order my meal and pay for it like a regular customer.  Obviously some places know who am (mostly carts, because you can’t communicate with them over the phone like a brick and mortar store), but I still never accept free food.  Not a single cookie from the Treats Truck.  Not a single kati roll from the Biryani Cart.  (I always pay.)  Even though Cer Te has been part of the sandwich challenge for months now, I have never met anybody there in person, never have said who I am, or talked to anybody in the context of Midtown Lunch.  Everything has been done over email.

Of course after yesterday, I can’t say for sure whether or not they knew who I was.  (I had the baby too, who was already a Midtown celebrity long before yesterday.)   They didn’t say anything, and I ordered and paid for my meal like a regular customer.  But the cook was told by the manager to make the soft shelled crab sandwich fresh (it took about 4-5 minutes, even though the place was empty.)  And it was freakin’ awesome.  I loved the potato roll, the beer battered soft shelled crab, and the tartar like remoulade sauce (which you may remember from the catfish sandwich a few months ago.)  It came with a tasty potato salad, and cole slaw and for somebody who loves soft shelled crab, I thought it was well worth the $9.

But I don’t want any special treatment…  so here’s what we’re going to do.  If they thought they were serving a delicious looking, fresh made soft shelled crab sandwich with a good amount of coleslaw and potato salad to a regular customer, than you should get the same thing right!  Granted, I was there at 2pm- and the place wasn’t that crowded… so clearly they had more time then if it had been during the lunch rush (when Cer Te can be completely insane.)  If you don’t get the same great sandwich, I think Cer Te should suffer the shame of being outed on the site.  If they didn’t know who I was- it shouldn’t be an issue. Obviously they can fry every sandwich fresh during the rush, but if they’re not that crowded, and you ask for it- they should be able to make you a fresh sandwich in 5 minutes.

I know it’s kind of unfair to make an example of Cer Te (especially because I don’t know if they knew who I was or not), but I don’t want to write that this sandwich was amazing- only to have you guys go get some cold soft shelled crab grossness.  More than that, I want this to be a lesson to all Midtown Lunch spots. Now that my photo is out there, if you give me special treatment, or give me  a larger portion, or put more care than normal in preparing what you serve to me- the readers of this site will be able to tell. And when that happens, they will do what they can to shame you into making the same good food for every single customer!  And they’ll do it with my full support.

If my photo is out there, I can’t stop places from making me things that tastes extra good (or is a bigger portion.)  But together, we can make sure all Midtown Lunchers get the “special” treatment!  Not just the ones who write stupid blogs…

Now, go get a Cer Te soft shelled crab sandwich!  It was freakin’ awesome.

Related:
Certe’s Thanksgiving Dip is the Greatest Sandwich Ever Created (With address and phone info)
The Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge

Also happening today in the Midtown Lunch sandwich world… Certe (on 55th btw. 5+6th) introduces their June entry to the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge: a beer battered jumbo soft shell crab with bibb lettuce, remoulade sauce on a toasted butter potato roll ($8.95).  Nice.  I love soft shelled crab, so I’m thinking this sandwich will continue the same streak of awesomeness that brought us the Thanksgiving Dip and The Primavera.

There’s a reason that most Midtown pubs are not considered Midtown Lunches.  First off, few serve lunch for under $10.  Tack on tax and tip, and you’re usually spending a ton of money for food that is fine by Midtown standards… but kind of boring.  And not better than what you can get for less at a real “Midtown Lunch” spot.  Sure, there is the added bonus of beer and TV during your lunch… but is that really worth paying $4 for a soda?  Yeah, that’s right… Channel Four (on 48th btw. 5+6th) charges $4 for a soda.  I know it’s expensive to run a restaurant in Midtown, and I won’t pretend to understand the financial difficulties of being in this high rent part of town. But $4 for a soda?  That says one thing to me… tourist trap. (Or, rich lawyer happy hour spot.) Either way it’s unforgivable.

But I’ll give credit where credit is due.  Channel Four stepped to the plate with this bacon explosion thing.  If you haven’t heard of the bacon explosion, it was one of those gross food sensations that hit the internets earlier in the year. Essentially a bacon wrapped, ground pork roll covered in BBQ sauce, Channel Four decided to recreate it for consumption in Midtown. (Amazing, right?)  Even more than that, they were willing to turn it into a sandwich (called the “Bacon Implosion”) and charge under $10 for it as part of our Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge.  So I swallowed my cheap bastard, Midtown Lunch’ing standards and stepped into Channel Four yesterday for a taste.

Be prepared to be rocked by the “Implosion” after the jump…

Yeah, I was a little disappointed too.  Not by the taste but by the look.  If something is called the “Bacon Implosion” it should be… well… I don’t know… grosser looking.  If the bacon implosion sounds good to you, and you like bar food- you’ll probably enjoy the sandwich.  The bread is what you would expect, and the most prominent flavor is less the bacon than the sweet and smokey BBQ sauce it’s covered in.  It’s moderately fatty, and overall pretty tasty… although I would have liked it to have more meat (surprise surprise.)  I’m sure they use quality ingredients, and good bacon and pork is not super cheap… so I won’t question.  But there is no doubt this sandwich would be 10 times better with 10 times the meat. (Hell, even twice the meat.)  Of course then it wouldn’t be under $10.

All in all it was a good BBQ bacon/pork sandwich, and the fresh fried potato chips and pickle make the whole thing worth the $9.95.  But it wasn’t the explosion of grossness I think a lot of people will be hoping for. Not enough pork, too much BBQ sauce flavor. If there is a ton of meat, the BBQ sauce flavor is perfectly fine. But if using high quality ingredients means the sandwich has less meat, I think I’d prefer the BBQ sauce flavor to be dialed back a bit- so we can taste the quality meat.

In the end if you normally like bar food, and bacon and pork, I would definitely recommend trying it at least once… but real Midtown Lunchers should take it to go.  If not, you may end up paying $4 for a soda!

Channel Four, 58 W. 48th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-819-0095