Digest

You could probably put rubber gloves in Sullivan St Bakery’s light, crusty sandwich bread and have a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, suggests funkymonkey. But luckily for all, a rubber glove sandwich is not on the menu. Instead, try the nearly perfect springtime special sandwich of hard-cooked egg, artichokes, fresh mozzarella, and ramp-anchovy vinaigrette.

The bread is just right; the egg, cheese, and artichoke harmonize beautifully; and the dressing pulls it all together, “with just enough of a salty tang to season the rest of the ingredients, but not fishy enough to put off my anchovy-hating co-workers.” Ramp season is nearly over, so try this soon.

NYU hounds and other downtown types score great sandwiches at Bite, which runs a tiny kiosk on Lafayette as well as a sit-down restaurant on 14th Street. billyboy loves the spicy Middle Eastern turkey sandwich (smoked turkey, hummus, greens, and plum tomatoes on ciabatta). Other favorites: curried tuna (with carrots, cabbage, and raisins) and panini with prosciutto and mozzarella, smoked turkey and pesto, and other fillings. Refreshing house-made lemonade goes well with any of them.

A few blocks uptown and several steps upscale, Gramercy Tavern makes a dressed-up pulled pork sandwich enlivened with a scoop of slaw and pickled jalapeño and onion, Scott V reports. A light vinegary dressing complements the pork without overpowering its smokiness. It’s $16 but a worthwhile splurge, Scott promises.

Lunchtime perennial Lamazou has earned a loyal following with top-notch meats, cheeses, and breads (some from the above-mentioned Sullivan St Bakery). “Like other fans, I’m in love,” confesses RGR. “It’s the high quality of all the components that makes Lamazou’s sandwiches so outstanding.” Greatest hits include the Milano (salami, turkey breast, provolone), the Brima (roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, Brie), and the Caprice de Lamazou (smoked salmon, capers, cornichons, red onion, and a delicious lemon-oil dressing).

Finally, in the narrow but important salami-and-egg category, Fallon nominates Barney Greengrass, the venerable Upper West Side store that draws crowds for its smoked fish. Salami and perfectly timed scrambled eggs come on rye, pumpernickel, bagel, or bialy. For an extra $1.50 you can add caramelized onions, and you should.

Sullivan St Bakery [Clinton]
533 W. 47th Street (between 10th and 11th avenues), Manhattan
212-265-5580
Map

Bite [NoHo]
335 Lafayette Street (between Bleecker and Houston), Manhattan
212-431-0301
Map

Bite [East Village]
211 E. 14th Street (between Second and Third avenues), Manhattan
212-677-3123
Map

Gramercy Tavern [Flatiron]
42 E. 20th Street (between Broadway and Park Avenue S.), Manhattan
212-477-0777
Map

Lamazou [Gramercy]
370 Third Avenue (at E. 27th Street), Manhattan
212-532-2009
Map

Barney Greengrass [Upper West Side]
541 Amsterdam Avenue (between W. 86th and 87th streets), Manhattan
212-724-4707
Map

Board Links: Sullivan Street Bakery–excellent sandwich
Flatiron lunch notes
Good Panini Near NYU?
cheap eats for lunch-Lafayette and 4th
Excellent Sandwich around 16th St. & 5th Ave
what’s your fave LAMAZOU sandwhich?
Current Favorite Dish/Item for Less than $10?
salami and egg sandwich

Even for confirmed carnivores, the vegetarian combination is a rewarding choice at Zoma, a newish Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem. For $17 you pick four dishes; the combo can feed two and comes with plenty of injera, the spongy teff-based flatbread, for dipping and scooping.

Best bets include fassolia (green beans sautéed with garlic and tomato), misir wett (red lentil stew), and gomen (sweet, long-cooked collard greens). Buticha is a coarse chickpea mash, served cold; it’s tasty, but some may find it disagreeably mealy. Preparations are varied, and seasoning is clear and appealing. “This isn’t Spicy Mina cooking, with complex layering of flavors,” writes rose water, referring to the Bangladeshi gem in Woodside, Queens. “It’s not subtle. I love it.”

Among the nonvegetarian dishes, kafka1 recommends tibs wett: sirloin cubes in an intense, dark red stew flavored with berbere (a blend of chile and other seasonings), kibe (seasoned butter), and other spices and herbs. Other standouts: assa tibs (tilapia in currylike sauce), doro wett (a rich chicken stew with egg), yebeg alitcha (tender lamb braised in mild sauce), and samosalike sambusas (labeled “fillo pastry” on the menu, and filled with either lentils or ground sirloin).

Another relative newcomer, Meskel in the East Village, was swamped by crowds for weeks after a rave newspaper review, resulting in long waits, service meltdowns, and lots of angry muttering (and online posting). Now things have settled down, and the place sounds like a solid neighborhood Ethiopian option.

Here, too, the vegetarian combo is a smart order. zorgclyde reports uncommonly fresh flavors in the string beans (a similar preparation to Zoma’s) and tikil gomen (a currylike sauté of cabbage with carrots, garlic, and ginger), both a fine match for the tangy injera. Meat dishes—including many of those offered at Zoma—get mixed but mostly encouraging marks; some, however, find them underspiced.

Zoma [Harlem]
2084 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (a.k.a. Eighth Avenue, at W. 113th Street), Manhattan
212-662-0620
Map

Meskel Ethiopian Restaurant [East Village]
Formerly JahMama’s
199 E. Third Street (near Avenue B), Manhattan
212-254-2411
Map

Board Links: What to order at Zoma new Ethiopian place ?
recent visit to meskel