{"id":16127,"date":"2025-10-25T11:52:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T11:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/16127\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T11:52:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T11:52:11","slug":"the-5-best-deli-sandwiches-in-new-york-city-according-to-professional-chefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/16127\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Best Deli Sandwiches in New York City, According to Professional Chefs"},"content":{"rendered":"

A New Yorker\u2019s deli order defines them just as much as the trains they take in the morning. \u201cWhat\u2019s your go-to bodega order?\u201d was even asked at the 2025 mayoral debate<\/a>. If you\u2019re going to visit NYC, a city known for its sandwiches, you should take your cues from the locals. Here are five of the best deli sandwiches in the Big Apple, endorsed by professional chefs who live in the city.<\/p>\n

Related: America’s Best Delis<\/a><\/p>\n

Italian Special, Faicco\u2019s Italian Specialties\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of ItalianEnclaves<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Italian at Faicco\u2019s<\/a> on Bleecker Street is hands-down my favorite in New York City,\u201d says 2006 F&W Best New Chef Jonathan Benno, culinary director of Four Twenty Five<\/a>. This Greenwich Village deli specializes in cured meat and imported Italian goods. After four generations, John Faicco sticks to the classics. The Italian Special, for instance, has prosciutto, capicola, soppressata, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and roasted peppers, all layered on fresh hero bread. \u201cIt\u2019s almost big enough for two people, but it never works out that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Italian Combo, Sunny & Annie\u2019s Deli<\/p>\n

For 2025 F&W Best New Chef Telly Justice, chef and co-owner of HAGS<\/a>, the perfect Italian combo comes from Sunny & Annie\u2019s<\/a> deli in the East Village. \u201cI have a lot of opinions on what makes a great sandwich and I could write an essay about the complex simplicity of a Sunny & Annie\u2019s sub,\u201d she says. \u201cThey use the best bread, they slice the meat and cheese fresh to order, the vibe of the place is immaculate, and the prices are neighborhoody.\u201d The sandwich comes with ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, and tomato on a hero, but Justice recommends adding hot peppers, as well.<\/p>\n

Katz\u2019s Pastrami, Katz\u2019s Delicatessen\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Katz\u2019s Delicatessen<\/a> in Manhattan\u2019s Lower East Side has long been a tourist destination thanks to its appearance in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally. And, according to 1997 F&W Best New Chef Dan Silverman, vice president of Standard International Hotels<\/a>, its hot pastrami sandwiches are well worth traveling for. \u201cMy favorite deli sandwich is and always will be pastrami on seeded rye with extra pickles at Katz\u2019s,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Katz\u2019s is among the oldest Jewish delis in New York City \u2014 the iconic spot has been curing, brining, and smoking its pastrami in-house since 1888. The sandwiches are simple: a hefty amount of hot, fresh, thick-cut pastrami on seeded rye with a smear of mustard, always served with a side of dill pickles. \u201cThe pastrami is smoky, peppery, and piled so high it defies gravity,\u201d says 1999 F&W Best New Chef Rocco DiSpirito<\/a>. \u201cAnd guaranteed to leave mustard on your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Classic Banh Mi, Saigon Social\"Courtesy<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Saigon Social<\/p>\n

Sure, the banh mi from Saigon Social<\/a>, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Lower East Side, isn\u2019t technically a deli sandwich, but if 1988 F&W Best New Chef Daniel Boulud<\/a> praises it as his favorite, we simply have to include it on this list. \u201cIt\u2019s bright, bold, perfectly balanced, and every element hits its mark,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom the crackly, airy baguette to the richness of the chicken liver p\u00e2t\u00e9, and the layers of Vietnamese ham and head cheese, it\u2019s just an incredible combination. And then you\u2019ve got the pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, mayo, and jalape\u00f1o bringing it all together with that perfect, tangy, creamy, spicy bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: Daniel Boulud\u2019s Ultimate Guide to Eating in New York City<\/a><\/p>\n

Bacon, egg and cheese, the local bodega\"Ant<\/p>\n

You\u2019d be hard pressed to find a New Yorker who doesn\u2019t love starting their mornings with a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a kaiser roll (aka \u201chard roll\u201d). But which deli makes it best? According to chefs, it\u2019s whichever deli is closest. \u201cYou can get it on almost every block and it is the perfect sandwich for all occasions,\u201d says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Calvin Eng<\/a>, chef and owner of Bonnie\u2019s<\/a>. He usually gets his BEC at Hana Food in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Sydell Group<\/a> culinary director and 2015 F&W Best New Chef Bryce Shuman visits his local bodega on 23rd and Madison Square Park. \u201cI\u2019ll order a bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll with ketchup and hot sauce. Unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the original article on Food & Wine<\/a><\/p>\n