A bad sandwich is like a missed layup, it invokes groans and easily avoidable pain. NYC Food Guy is here to tell you to avoid the #2 Italian Style sandwich at Lenny’s (top) and any sandwich that’s made to order at Todaro Brothers (bottom) on 2nd Ave and 31st street.
- Lenny’s rarely disappoints but the generic genoa salami, cappicola and provolone make their #2 Italian Style ($6.99 sandwich, $7.99 hero) a bad sandwich. Extra points lost for jalapenos over banana peppers. Stick with the G3 or Smoked Chicken Deluxe.
- Todaro Brothers, an overpriced Italian grocery in Murray Hill, receives my ire because of their inconsistent pricing and careless attitude towards sandwich construction. The roast turkey with lettuce, tomato, coarsely sliced Swiss and entirely too much mayo cost me $12 one time and $9 another. Absurd. Go here for humus, salads (great vinaigrette), cheese and sliced meats, but avoid anything that doesn’t have a set price tag. You want a good sandwich in Murray Hill go to Lamazou.
Tags: SANDWICHES, Lenny's, DINING DISASTERS, todaro brothers, Lenny's #2 Italian Style
June 24, 2008 at 11:49 am
dude, these sandwiches look just like all the other crap you eat.
June 24, 2008 at 12:12 pm
try the kontatsu chicken cutlet or the spicy chicken cutlet
June 24, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Ha, I have to agree with the above. Also, you can’t suggest a roast beef or chicken sandwich as an alternative to a salami & cappicola!
Don’t get me wrong, still glad you’re out there doing the dirty work and posting pics/reviews.
June 24, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Mr. NYCFoodGuy,
With all due respect, perhaps you might not be ordering the correct sandwiches at Todaro Brothers. I cannot speak for Lenny’s, but I have never gotten a bad sandwich from Todaro Brothers, and I have had my fair share. Try getting the honey mustard on a multi-grain roll with honey turkey, munster cheese, lettuce and tomato-delicious!
And while you’re at Todaro Brothers, pick up their home made turkey meatloaf for dinner-so yummy! Let me know how it goes!
June 24, 2008 at 1:19 pm
you should have gotten frumunda cheese instead of provolone
June 24, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Eat Dirt,
Um okay. Where should I get sandwiches from?
Neeter,
Duly noted. Keep checkin back maybe the kontatsu will appear, I’ve heard good things.
Lauren,
Well since theres so many Lenny’s in this city, I can’t recommend an ideal Italian sandwich everywhere just yet. I can point people towards my two go to sandwiches at Lenny’s, i.e. the G3 and the Smoked Chicken Deluxe. What do you recommend there?
LD,
I’m not going to argue with you but however good your sandwich might be, they’re clueless when it comes to building a sandwich and even more clueless when it comes to pricing. That’s my beef. I’ll go there if I need some good fresh mozz or some nice Italian meats but I’ll stick with Lamazou for sandwiches in that area. Where else do you like to get sandwiches in the city?
Suggestion,
Damn, I knew I was missing something.
June 24, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I agree with you on the Todaro bros though. Place is EXTREMELY inconsistent in their pricing methods.
June 25, 2008 at 11:21 am
i meant to say tonkatsu, not kontatsu. LOL. very good sandwich, but make sure it’s the chicken cutlet cause the grilled chicken tends to be a bit drier
June 25, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Anyone who would pay $12 for a turkey sandwich @ a deli of questionable cleanliness must schedule a psych consult stat.
June 25, 2008 at 1:51 pm
When stuck at Lenny’s I get the pastrami topped with cole slaw on rye, but frankly I don’t think you should be pushing chains on here. It is not really insightful or interesting. And if you are going to suggest what to get at a chain, don’t compare apples to grapefruits. Like saying forget the Filet-O-Fish, get the Big Mac.
June 25, 2008 at 6:20 pm
This is why the nyc food guy rocks..not only does he critique taste, but sandwich construction plays a key role as well. I’m glad he recognizes the importance of the construction of a sandwich…Long live NYCfoodguy.com
June 25, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Farina is right: the construction is VERY important: for example, if you get a sandwich, say, pastrami on rye with mustard, Russian and cole slaw (one of my favorites), does it matter about the placement of the embellishments? I say yes, but maybe I have OCD. Top to bottom: mustard, then slaw, then pastrami, then Russian on the bottom. Mix the Russian and mustard on the same side? I don’t think so.
What say you all?
Doc
PS: in the turkey sandwich, above, the tomato should go on top. All about the gustatory experience of each bite (”Yes,” you think, “the Doctor is pretentious asshole”. Perhaps.
June 25, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Sorry about two colons in the first sentence - the punctuation, not the organ.
June 26, 2008 at 9:52 am
I dont know, that lenny’s sandwich looke pretty good in that pic!
June 26, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Jeremy J,
Ha, well eat it at your own risk dude. It was a crappy sandwich.
July 17, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I’m having an insanely hard time finding a good hoagie in NY.
It seems impossible, but there it is. I can’t even find a good italian hero.
Every street corner has something called a “deli” but they’re not.
I’ve checked food review sites, and went to some highly regarded places.
One didn’t have ham (not kidding), one didn’t have salami (not kidding), and another had hard stale rolls and used, like, salad greens for lettuce.
Somebody kill me.
The closest I’ve gotten was Shorty’s in the middle of the night-mare tourist district. I had thought of it as a ‘B+’, but by comparison it’s gone up REALLY fast.
That’s the only luck I’ve had, but I’ve only been on this particular quest for about a week.
Help. I’m begging you.
July 17, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Karen,
Well first off, please define Hoagie for me.
Faicco’s Pork Store makes an awesome Italian Hero. I review it here. They just have great meats overall. They’re on Bleecker b/t 6th & 7th Avenue. That’s probably the best cold hero I’ve had in the city.
In that same review is a place called Crosby Connection that also has solid sandwiches.
Its funny you ask this because I’m still on the hunt for more great sandwiches myself.
Where are you from originally?