City Sandwich by Michael Guerrieri Inaugural Review Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Owner and Executive Chef of City Sandwich, Michael Guerrieri
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All sandwiches are not created equally. Some are just better!
And, should you find yourself in Hell's Kitchen, you should go see our friend Michael Guerrieri at City Sandwich. This is his first feature and he got off to a strong start with the James. Note all his works of art between lovely handmade bread made on premises are named after people.
The James is composed of Roast Beef, Roasted Peppers, Fresh Mozzarella, Sauteed Onions, Seasonal Lettuce and Olive Oil. City Sandwich opened on 9th Avenue in 2010 and native Italian Michael has had an established culinary career including a 17 year stint in Portugal. The fresh mozzarella is crafted daily and is absolutely delicious.
"My sandwiches are different because they're an Italian-Lisbon-New York fusion of edible cultures that will enlighten your palate," Michael tells Whom You Know readers.
We are extremely pro-green salad during dinner and though we absolutely do not think it should be the focus or singular sensation alone of dinner ever, we do think it is an important component of a balanced meal. There are two salad options at City Sandwich and we chose the S.O.S. Kale Salad which stands for Savory Outstanding Salad. Though we were happy with it we think it should be at least twice the size; it is the most petite salad we've seen. The ingredients include a base of lovely shredded kale which is joined by onion, tomato, cranberries, raisins and avocado. Michael is extremely creative with all of his dressings that include peanut butter vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette and mustard seed vinaigrette.
The next sandwich we tried included an omelet paired with portuguese pancella, sauteed onions, melted mozzarella and olive oil. It's perfect for breakfast and we like eggs early in the day. Michael's philosophy is to take out the inside of the bread and refill it with ingredients, so if you are counting your carbs or don't like the inside of bread, you are going to go crazy for his sandwiches.
Next, meet the LGBT: Linguica Spread, Bacon, Mozzarella, tomato, sauteed onions, seasonal lettuce and olive oil. All sandwich components are terrifically fresh and Michael has good idea combinations that qualify these sandwiches to be of the artisan variety.
The pasta we tried was from the catering menu. Of course, you know we are pasta advocates! We tried the hot penne, garlic, oil, tomato, chicken and kale and thought the flavor was outstanding. It is in the same size as the green salad, above.
The soup section has a few engaging choices and the tomato jumped out at us. Roasted tomato puree with spinach and cubed potatoes make a delicious piping hot companion to your favorite sandwich.
The last sandwich we tried might have been our favorite. Meet Salvatore! He's filled with homemade la parma prosciutto spread, roasted peppers, chicken breast, sauteed onions, watercress and olive oil. This is a succulent combination that has a winning Italian flavor we enjoyed. F
inally, do not miss the wonderfully creamy Panna Cotta with Strawberry Port wine sauce that Michael is quite proud of.
