NYC Best Sandwiches: Tiny’s Giant Sandwich Shop Is No Pun (Vegetarians Welcome)

February 20, 2009

Not that we didn’t already know, but Tiny’s Giant Sandwich Shop, on the corner of Rivington Street and Norfolk Street in the Lower East Side, is awesome. Seriously spicy chipotle mayo fires up the off-the-menu “Chicken Special” filled with juicy grilled chicken, thinly sliced tomato and onion, crisp bacon, and melted cheddar on a toasted semolina hero ($8.00). It’s the chicken version of the famous “Spicy Rizzak.” Read on to find out about another off-the-menu special and why Tiny’s is equally delicious for Vegetarians…

A Closer Look at the “Chicken Special”

Part of the key to Tiny’s sandwiches is construction. The placement of flavors and textures can alter deliciousness immensely. The hearty amount of tender grilled chicken inside the “Chicken Special” is carefully placed to guarantee chicken in every bite.

The melted cheddar is the glue to this sandwich, holding the sliced onion, grilled chicken and bacon in place. The sliced tomato marries flavor with the surprisingly spicy chipotle mayo, which covers the inside of the top bun. The heat of the mayo infiltrates every delicious bite while leaving a smokey spice lingering behind. A handful of generic potato chips accompanies each sandwich.

The “Chicken Special” is technically an off-the-menu item, but if you switch the grilled chicken for sliced turkey, you create one of Tiny’s most popular sandwiches, “The Spicy Rizzak.”

A Vegetarian Vision & the Other Off-The-Menu Sandwich

A lot of notable sandwich places in NYC don’t offer many options for vegetarians, but this is just another area for Tiny’s to excel in. Every one of their sandwiches can be “Tofu-ized.” Tofu chicken, tofu bacon and tofu turkey can turn a carnivore’s delight into a vegetarian vision. The “Big Mack Daddy ($6.50)” has a strong vegetarian following, a tofu-based veggie burger is topped with mild cheddar, tofu bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, and special sauce and served on a brioche bun. Even NYC Food Guy is now intrigued to try a veggie burger.

The second off-the-menu item is the “Turkey Special”, oven roasted turkey covered in mozzarella cheese and Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and a brightly flavored herb mayo. Although it sounds like a nice, lighter alternative to the “Spicy Rizzak”, it couldn’t hurt to add some bacon to this sandwich, could it?

Beverages, Anyone?

In addition to a full menu of GuS Sodas, you’ll smile at the balance between spicy and sweet in the ” Olde Brooklyn Root Beer”, served in a glass bottle ($1.50). Next on my list is the Brooklyn Cream Soda, the Black Cherry and the Orange soda.