Midtown Lunch

It’s been a couple of years since I stepped into Downtown Deli on Church St. (nr. Park Place) in order to try their reuben on a recommendation from a luncher. I was thwarted when they were out of the proper meats and instead had a thoroughly OK brisket sandwich with gravy.

This time around, the place wasn’t busy at all, and my reuben with pastrami was in my hands within a few minutes of my meat being sliced to order. It’s always a good sign when you can smell your sandwich through a plastic container and paper bag.

The $8 sandwich ($9.25 if you want fries with that) is a sizeable number, and comes with a nice dill pickle spear. It’s more meat than bread, and contains a nice layer of bright orange Russian dressing and some melted swiss on rye bread that was just the right side of greasy.

Really, you’re in this thing for the meat. While you can also get it with corned beef (perhaps for upcoming St. Patrick’s Day), I liked the pastrami that was salty and meaty and had plenty of moisture from both grease, cheese and dressing.

I’m no expert on reuben sandwiches, but I think you’ll be perfectly happy with the version from Downtown Deli. Or if you’re not a fan of the reuben gut bomb, they have many, many other sandwiches to choose from – you’ll just have to peruse the neon poster board signs on the wall for what you want.

Downtown Deli, 107 Church St. (nr. Park Place), (212) 233-2911 or 2971