Best New York Deli Sandwich 2005 | Deli Tech | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best New York Deli Sandwich

Deli Tech

New York City is famous for lots of things. It's got Broadway and the Empire State Building, the Rockettes, Donald Trump's hair, more hookers per capita than any city outside of Southeast Asia, and the best restaurants anywhere in the world. Of those, some of the most universally recognizable are the delis that dot Midtown and the outer boroughs, and it was to these bastions of old-world sandwich craftsmanship that the owners of Deli Tech looked when seeking inspiration. As a result, in Denver you now can get a killer Reuben (literally -- the sandwich is big enough to choke a donkey), a decent bowl of chicken-and-matzoh-ball soup, and a slice of real New York cheesecake imported straight from the cheesecake sweatshops of Park Slope. But if a true taste of the Big Apple is what you're after, skip the preliminaries and go straight for the stacked pastrami and corned beef on rye. Assembled from ingredients brought in from some of those same New York delis and served with the best sandwich mustard in town, this monster is piled so high you've got to unhinge your jaw like a python just to get a bite. But once you do, you'll never be satisfied by another sandwich.

Best New York Deli Sandwich

Deli Tech

New York City is famous for lots of things. It's got Broadway and the Empire State Building, the Rockettes, Donald Trump's hair, more hookers per capita than any city outside of Southeast Asia, and the best restaurants anywhere in the world. Of those, some of the most universally recognizable are the delis that dot Midtown and the outer boroughs, and it was to these bastions of old-world sandwich craftsmanship that the owners of Deli Tech looked when seeking inspiration. As a result, in Denver you now can get a killer Reuben (literally -- the sandwich is big enough to choke a donkey), a decent bowl of chicken-and-matzoh-ball soup, and a slice of real New York cheesecake imported straight from the cheesecake sweatshops of Park Slope. But if a true taste of the Big Apple is what you're after, skip the preliminaries and go straight for the stacked pastrami and corned beef on rye. Assembled from ingredients brought in from some of those same New York delis and served with the best sandwich mustard in town, this monster is piled so high you've got to unhinge your jaw like a python just to get a bite. But once you do, you'll never be satisfied by another sandwich.

Best Jewish Deli

Bagel Deli & Restaurant

Three things are always true about the Bagel Deli. First, there's inevitably someone in line ahead of us arguing with the counter help over how to assemble his sandwich, proving that not only does the staff take sandwich-making seriously, but so do the customers. Second, there will always be someone who -- despite the big board listing all the available sandwiches and the glass-front deli cases showcasing every meat, fish, side, salad and knish in the joint -- asks for a ham sandwich. Whoever is working behind the counter will then patiently explain (for the thousandth time, no doubt) that this is a kosher-style deli, and that means no pork products, but how 'bout a nice smoked turkey instead? Third, there will always be fresh potato knishes and warm six-packs of Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray and black-cherry sodas available, and they're absolute necessities for any proper Jewish deli lunch. And there's none more proper than lunch at the Bagel Deli.

Best Kosher Deli

Bagel Deli & Restaurant

Molly Martin
Three things are always true about the Bagel Deli. First, there's inevitably someone in line ahead of us arguing with the counter help over how to assemble his sandwich, proving that not only does the staff take sandwich-making seriously, but so do the customers. Second, there will always be someone who -- despite the big board listing all the available sandwiches and the glass-front deli cases showcasing every meat, fish, side, salad and knish in the joint -- asks for a ham sandwich. Whoever is working behind the counter will then patiently explain (for the thousandth time, no doubt) that this is a kosher deli, and that means no pork products, but how 'bout a nice smoked turkey instead? Third, there will always be fresh potato knishes and warm six-packs of Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray and black-cherry sodas available, and they're absolute necessities for any proper Jewish deli lunch. And there's none more proper than lunch at the Bagel Deli.

Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Chedd's Gourmet Grilled Cheese

At Chedd's, Dirk and Wendy Bruley have elevated the humble grilled cheese sandwich to an art, doing it better, smarter and in more wondrous variety than anywhere else in town. Grilled cheese is just about all they do at Chedd's, in a thousand different combinations that no one may have tried before. You want ham and limburger? Chedd's can do that. Bacon-studded cheese and salami on potato bread, or three different kinds of cheddar on twelve-grain bread? Chedd's can make those, too. With thirty cheeses, a dozen breads and innumerable meats, veggies, spreads and condiments available, Chedd's is the place where cheeseheads realize their most fervent sandwich fantasies.

Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Chedd's Gourmet Grilled Cheese

At Chedd's, Dirk and Wendy Bruley have elevated the humble grilled cheese sandwich to an art, doing it better, smarter and in more wondrous variety than anywhere else in town. Grilled cheese is just about all they do at Chedd's, in a thousand different combinations that no one may have tried before. You want ham and limburger? Chedd's can do that. Bacon-studded cheese and salami on potato bread, or three different kinds of cheddar on twelve-grain bread? Chedd's can make those, too. With thirty cheeses, a dozen breads and innumerable meats, veggies, spreads and condiments available, Chedd's is the place where cheeseheads realize their most fervent sandwich fantasies.

Best Sandwich Board

A La Tomate

Phil Collier, the owner of A La Tomate, is a man multiply obsessed. He and his kitchen do great pastries, decidedly Frog-ish pizzas that are both weird and wonderful, and also put out a sandwich board so full of high-class, high-quality ingredients that the only way to contain it is on a huge chalkboard hung behind the counter. Absolutely everything adorns this list, from snipped leaves of fresh basil, real chvre, Genoa salami and four different kinds of mustard to housemade olive-and-fig spread and French Brie so strong it tastes like your hands after a trip to a petting zoo (but in a good way), and while there are no prepared versions of sandwiches that you can order by name, the big board does offer maybe a dozen suggestions. Still, in the end it's up to you -- and with this much good stuff available, it would be hard not to come up with something wonderful.

Best Sandwich Board

A La Tomate

Phil Collier, the owner of A La Tomate, is a man multiply obsessed. He and his kitchen do great pastries, decidedly Frog-ish pizzas that are both weird and wonderful, and also put out a sandwich board so full of high-class, high-quality ingredients that the only way to contain it is on a huge chalkboard hung behind the counter. Absolutely everything adorns this list, from snipped leaves of fresh basil, real chvre, Genoa salami and four different kinds of mustard to housemade olive-and-fig spread and French Brie so strong it tastes like your hands after a trip to a petting zoo (but in a good way), and while there are no prepared versions of sandwiches that you can order by name, the big board does offer maybe a dozen suggestions. Still, in the end it's up to you -- and with this much good stuff available, it would be hard not to come up with something wonderful.

Best Off-the-Menu Sandwich

Mikey's Italian Bistro

The menu at Mikey's Italian Bistro is filled with well-executed Southern Italian dishes, from simple spaghetti and meatballs to calorie-laden lasagnas. But it's an off-the-menu item that's a must-have. Ask chef/owner Alaya Ouerfelli for a chicken-parm sandwich, and prepare to melt into food-coma delight. While too many chicken parms are made of old bird that's been breaded and flash-fried, Mikey's is tender and moist, with just the right amount of cheese and sauce poured on the fresh rolls. Menudo is touted as a hangover cure, but this sandwich always does the job for us.

Best Off-the-Menu Sandwich

Mikey's Italian Bistro

The menu at Mikey's Italian Bistro is filled with well-executed Southern Italian dishes, from simple spaghetti and meatballs to calorie-laden lasagnas. But it's an off-the-menu item that's a must-have. Ask chef/owner Alaya Ouerfelli for a chicken-parm sandwich, and prepare to melt into food-coma delight. While too many chicken parms are made of old bird that's been breaded and flash-fried, Mikey's is tender and moist, with just the right amount of cheese and sauce poured on the fresh rolls. Menudo is touted as a hangover cure, but this sandwich always does the job for us.

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