Mile End Sandwich

Mile End Sandwich’s Noho storefront looks like the kind of chic converted garage that should be peddling $500 motorcycle boots and deconstructed jackets instead of Jewish soul food. This arm of the popular Boerum Hill deli is located on a stretch of Bond Street so posh that you might even think the neon “Sandwich” sign denotes a new gallery devoted to postmodern food art. Actually, “art” isn’t a far-off descriptor. The owners are serious about interpreting Montreal’s delicatessen fare—so serious that when it opened in April, Mile End offered no chairs at its long communal table.

I’m guessing customers complained about this set up, because on my recent visits I’ve gratefully plopped on one of many available stools while awaiting a meaty gut-bomb. Seating is a welcome addition—not just for the sake of laziness, but because comfort should be emphasized with this cuisine. You don’t dig into a bowl of poutine in the tropics. Only blustery winds could drive a sober person to seek such a refuge.

Here’s the run-down from my visits:

Great: Breakfast sandwich ($9). I know. It’s weird that this would be my top pick, but it was really the ideal breakfast bite: fried eggs folded on toast, with melted, slightly sharp cheddar. The slab bacon was awesome—crisp on the edges, but reminiscent of tender pork belly in the middle.

Very Good: Smoked meat sandwich ($14). This consists of Montreal-style smoked brisket served with mustard on rye bread. The brisket was peppery, salty-sweet, and tender with a nice mix of charred ends. Strangely, this was much juicier and better-tasting the second time I ordered it (this past weekend), so I’m basing this rating on that version. The portion is not as big as the meat pile you’ll get at Katz’s, and I could see some patrons taking issue with that. I thought the size was filling without seeming deadly, and this is a worthy contender to the New York City institution. On a side note, you’ll never convince me that rye bread is a worthy vehicle for a sandwich like this, but there are some food traditions I don’t argue with.

Good: Bond Street burger ($13). This burger was cooked to a medium-pink perfection, topped with cheddar and a sunny-side-up egg, and served on an English muffin-type roll with onion marmalade on the bottom half—which quickly turned into a soggy mess. Thankfully the table is stocked with bins of knives and forks, and lots of napkins. This was an interesting burger, with the egg adding richness, but I was more intrigued than in love with the boozy punch from the onion marmalade. Or maybe someone dropped a shot on my sandwich?

OK: Classic Poutine ($12). I’ll admit it. This unholy Québécois union of french fries, cheese curds and gravy is what lured me into Mile End Sandwich in the first place. For the price, I wished that the gravy had more flavor and the curds were a touch more melted, which could be remedied by simply making the gravy hotter, I suppose. Make no mistake, I’d order this again once the temperature hits zero, but I think there’s probably better out there. In Montreal, somewhere. But I’ve never been there so maybe fancy Canadian disco fries just bring out the optimist in me.

Honorable Mention: Beef on weck. This Buffalo NY favorite is simply shaved Wagyu beef and horseradish on a weck roll, and it would have been in the “Great” category. It’s no longer on the menu because the Red Hook facility where Mile End produced their smoked meats and from-scratch breads was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. They’ve been operating on a limited menu since the storm, but all of the above-mentioned items are available, with the smoked meat sandwich reappearing this past Friday.

Mile End Sandwich
53 Bond St., between Bowery and Lafayette St.