Simply Sandwiches

You know sandwiches have made it to the big leagues, when they’re chosen as the casual arm of a swanky new hotel. No.7 Sub (1188 Broadway, between 28th and 29th St), by the same owners as No7 in Brooklyn, is just that and provides gustatory support to the Ace Hotel. While the Ace’s lobby is sprawling and cozy, No.7 Sub is just a few square feet to stand in while you wait for your sandwiches. I went on a Friday afternoon and it was jam packed. Oddly enough, especially for new york, everyone was clean, not-smelly and pretty happy. I always expect at least one weirdo / bum to show up in any group larger than 7, but alas the class of the Ace has them scared away.

I tried two sandwiches, both served “hot”, both $9:
Roast beef: Horseradish, Pickled Endive, Fried Scallions
Turkey Cubano: Pickled Daikon, Chinese Mustard, Swiss

In reality both were served barely warmer than room temperature. Perhaps they sat a bit after they were finished or maybe they were never properly warmed? Regardless, they would’ve been much better piping hot. Both sandwiches combine odd flavors and ingredients in new ways. I’ve never heard of fried scallions and would never have thought to put them on a roast beef sandwich; likewise for pickled daikon on a cubano. These guys are really pulling out the stops to spice up old standbys. It usually works, though can occasionally be a bit too ‘funky.’ My sandwich companion didn’t much like how red the roast beef looked and didn’t really like the turkey because it had a funky sweetness to it. I was intrigued by both, but haven’t rushed back to have them again.

The roast beef was the better of the two: the beef was tender and moist. I loved the spice and crunch from the daikon and horseradish. The scallion provided a pleasant crunch, but the one hard over-fried bit I got, made me a bit wary of knocking out a tooth each time I took a bite
The turkey was delicious, but a bit funkily sweet. I ate most of the sandwich wondering what that mushy stuff was and eventually settled on ‘pulled turkey’ (brown meat). It was good, but didn’t taste anything like any cuban sandwich I’ve ever had.

In all, No 7 Sub has some creative sandwiches that are fun to try out now and then. It’s not the kind of place I could ever go back to regularly, but if I’m with someone who likes to try new food experiences and doesn’t mind being a little risky with their $9 sandwich I’d go back.