FOOD & DRINK

Bread and better

Hell’s Kitchen has plenty of sandwich options, but to slice through the unimaginative and boring, experts Jonah Levy and William Widmaier take us on a tour of spots that really earn their crust

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orget five-dollar-foot longs. Forget chicken gyros from the halal cart. It’s time to eat sandwiches that are thoughtfully prepared and exceptionally delicious. These Hell’s Kitchen favorites will become your new go-to spots – and for good reason. It’s no coincidence that some of the best sandwiches in New York City are concentrated in Hell’s Kitchen. A sandwich in and of itself, it’s a residential neighborhood smack dab between the bread slices of Times Square and the Hudson River. This means that what was once the busiest commercial port in the world has historically had a certain need for grab-and-go eats; compounded by the roughly 300 million square feet of office space that the Crossroads of the World contain.

COURT STREET GROCERS GOTHAM WEST MARKET

www.courtstreetgrocers.com

IMAGES: PHIL O’BRIEN

“A sandwich in and of itself, Hell’s Kitchen is smack dab between the bread slices of Times Square and the Hudson River.” Furthermore, all the struggling actors, writers and stage hands that are busting their butts in Off-Broadway theaters and moonlighting at the endless night spots of Hell’s Kitchen need to eat on the move. We’ll start with Amy’s Bread on 9th ave 47th/46th, and its grilled NY state cheddar cheese sandwich ($7.25+tx). It’s a pressed sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese, tomatoes, spicy-smoky chipotle pepper puree, smattered with cilantro and red

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“The pork shoulder sandwich is an experience that should not be missed. It tastes like an Italian holiday.”