Hoagie
TONY LUKE’S OLD PHILLY STYLE SANDWICHES
576 Ninth Ave.
212-967-3055
One bite of the “roast pork Italian” (thinly sliced, juicy pork, sharp provolone, and softly cooked broccoli rabe) and you’ll wonder why Philly is better known for its cheesesteaks.
Cuban
5 NINTH
5 Ninth Ave.
212-929-9460
A gourmet upgrade—organic pork, prosciutto, Boerenkaas, pickled jalapeños, Sullivan St. Bakery baguette, all carefully smooshed in the sandwich press—that strikes a blow for gourmet upgrades.
Banh Mi
NICKY’S VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES
150 E. 2nd St.
212-388-1088
Authentic banh mi, beautifully constructed on good bread by a second-generation banh mi maker who trained in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a.k.a. Banh Mi Central.
Asian Fusion
CHINO’S
173 Third Ave.
212-598-1200
Like a banh mi but maybe even better: rice-wine-marinated pork roasted to a deep mahogany, lacquered with plum sauce, topped with kimchi and cilantro, and served on a springy, grilled Mandarin bun imported daily from Chinatown.
Vegetarian
SUKHADIA’S GOKUL
17 W. 45th St.
212-395-7300
The Bombay pav vada (deep-fried potato turnover, chickpeas, and chutneys on what looks like a KFC dinner roll) is strictly vegetarian and may be worse for you than a Big Mac.
Salami
’WICHCRAFT
49 E. 19th St.
212-780-0577
No olives or provolone on this latest ’wichcraft concoction, but the lively cauliflower-salad condiment gives it a winning muffuletta-like effect, and, as any sandwich snob can tell you, a good muffuletta is hard to find.