Ed Levine describes the perfect (and proper) Hero sandwich in great detail in today's NYTimes:
. . . Let there be no misunderstanding by those who have never ventured to New York, or by those who have come lately, or by those who diet. The hero is a sandwich of cured Italian meats. These are layered into a forearm's length of fresh crusty bread, often with a few slices of Italian cheese and a condiment or two atop them — pepperoncini, yes; roasted peppers, yes; mayonnaise, an emphatic no. Also, perhaps, a splash of vinegar, certainly a drizzle of olive oil. Some ground pepper, a sprinkle of salt. But no more. No sun-dried tomatoes sully the interior of a true hero, no pesto, no Brie, no fancy pants ingredients at all.
. . . There are a number of things the discerning eater should look for in a cold hero. The flavors of the sandwich should be complementary, as should the textures. Meat should marry fat, crunch should dance with cream, tangy should balance the sweet, the salty, the plain. The sandwich should be beautiful. And, as is true of virtually every great dish, a great hero should be made of only the finest ingredients.
But where to find a sandwich of such beauty?
The NYTimes list of sandwich shops "worthy of hero worship" for Manhattan and Brooklyn:
MANHATTAN:
FAICCO'S 260 Bleecker Street (Cornelia Street), (212) 243-1974
ITALIAN FOOD CENTER 186 Grand Street (Mulberry Street), (212) 925-2954
MELAMPO IMPORTED FOODS 105 Sullivan Street (between Spring and Prince Streets), (212) 334-9530
SALUMERIA BIELLESE 378 Eighth Avenue (28th Street), (212) 736-7376
TODARO BROTHERS 555 Second Avenue (between 30th and 31st Streets), (212) 532-0654
BROOKLYN:
BROOKLYN BREAD BAKERY 436 Court Street (between Second and Third Places), (718) 403-0234
CAPUTO'S FINE FOODS 460 Court Street (between Third and Fourth Places), (718) 855-8852
LIONI MOZZARELLA 7803 15th Avenue (78th Street), (718) 232-1166
PIAZZA MERCATO 9204 Third Avenue (92nd Street), (718) 513-0071
