On National sandwich day, Red Bank’s Butcher and the Bull makes us their signature sandwich
The Butcher and the Bull, located inside Anderson Market in Red Bank, makes us their signature sandwich, ‘The Bull’
The Shore is home to some stellar sandwich shops, like Taliercio’s Ultimate Gourmet in Middletown, Lenny’s Colonial Ranch Market in Point Pleasant Borough and Speakeatery in Asbury Park, to name a few.
But diners seeking a top-notch sammy can also find them at Shore restaurants, delis and markets.
From crispy chicken cutlet sandwiches to the hard-to-find muffuletta, here are 10 to try.
The Joey at d’jeet? in Shrewsbury
Chef and owner Casey Pesce has championed cooking with locally grown, seasonal ingredients since before it was mainstream, and when that is the focus, he doesn’t need a long list of ingredients to make a great dish.
Take The Joey, for example. This sandwich starts with crusty seeded semolina filled with crispy chicken cutlet, mayo flecked with bright herbs that Pesce and his team grow themselves, peppery arugula, balsamic and sweet tomato.
Seemingly simple, but very well done.
If you’re feeling extra hungry, try the Grandpa Joey, which is everything above plus ingredients from the Grandpa sandwich: soppressata, roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella.
Go: 637 Broad St., Shrewsbury, 732-224-8887, djeetcatering.com.
Muffuletta at Durazzo’s Italian Market and Deli, Brick
The muffuletta may be most famously associated with New Orleans, but the sandwich actually has Italian roots.
It is said to have been created by an Italian grocer who settled in the French Quarter in the early 1900s; he stuffed ingredients from his shop — meats, cheeses, olives — into flat, round Sicilian bread called muffuletto.
At Durazzo’s, you can order a muffuletta on a roll, ciabatta bread or semolina, and their version of the sandwich is made with mortadella, salami, provolone, Swiss cheese and marinated olive salad.
The meat is sliced paper thin, the olive spread is briny and bright, the provolone is creamy and the Swiss adds just enough funk to the generously sized sandwich. Seeded semolina is a good choice; it has great chew and holds up to the ingredients.
Go: 375 Drum Point Road, Brick; 732-709-9559, durazzosdeli.com.
Big City Sandwiches, Eatontown
At his 9-month-old sandwich shop, John Bettigole and his family make more than two dozen types of sandwiches from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago and Brooklyn.
“These are some of my favorite sandwiches,” he said of the menu, which has John’s Beef, made with house-roasted beef, housemade mozzarella and brown gravy; the Yo Adrian! with roasted pork, provolone and broccoli rabe; Rico’s Italian Beef with breaded steak, red sauce, fresh mozzarella and giardiniera; and chopped cheese made with ground beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and ketchup.
A popular option is the Cap-Bri, which has crispy fried chicken cutlets, sharp provolone, peppery arugula, sweet fig jelly, roasted peppers and balsamic glaze. The sandwich’s ingredients are great on their own but even better together, and be sure to order a side of Bettigole’s mac and cheese to go with it.
Go: 115 Route 35 North, Eatontown; 732-343-9970, bigcityfoodz.com.
Reuben at Forked River German Butcher, Lacey
A great Reuben starts with great corned beef, and great corned beef comes from the Forked River German Butcher Shop.
The Barsch family has been in the meat business for more than a century, and the sandwiches on their menu highlight cuts that are prepared in house.
The Reuben is made with housemade corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese pressed on panini bread. The secret is in the layering — the sauerkraut is in the middle, which gives you some in each bite — and the crispy housemade potato chips on the side can’t be missed.
Go: 109 Lacey Road, Forked River section of Lacey; 609-693-7100, germanbutcher.com.
The Bull at The Butcher & The Bull, Red Bank and Point Pleasant Beach
The sandwich menu at this butcher shop inside Red Bank’s newly opened Anderson Market has a handful of options highlighting its natural and sustainably raised meats.
One of these is The Bull, a rich, savory sandwich that begins with tender, house-roasted beef on a toasted onion roll. Then, giardiniera, which adds a pop of color and pickled flavor; sweet sautéed onions, horseradish aioli, Gruyere cheese and au jus. The aioli has just enough bite, the au jus soaks into the bread just right, and when you get a bite that has a little bit of everything, it wows.
Dont’ skip the fiery bread and butter pickles served on the side; they help cut the richness of the sandwich.
Go: 200 Monmouth St., Red Bank; 732-701-7244, thebutcherandthebull.com.
Grilled cheese at C’est Cheese, Asbury Park
Tina Haskopoulos sources cheese from all over the world for her Asbury Park shop, and some make their way into grilled cheese sandwiches.
There is the Morty D sandwich, with housemade mozzarella, mortadella, pesto and hot honey; the Pig & Fig, with Point Reyes Toma (a cow’s milk cheese made in California) with Prosciutto di Parma, fig jam and a balsamic glaze; Funk & Fire, with taleggio (a creamy Italian cheese) with Calabrian chili and orange jam; and the Rampage, made with wild ramp cheese, carrot spread and caramelized onion jam.
If it’s a classic grilled cheese you’re after, she makes that, too, with American cheese from New School American Cheese, a company founded by Chef Eric Greenspan, who literally wrote the book on grilled cheese (“The Great Grilled Cheese Book”).
Go: 516 Summerfield Ave., Asbury Park; cestcheeseasburypark.com.
Meatball sandwich at Papa D’s Original, Tuckerton
When you visit Papa D’s, a tiny restaurant built in a converted garage, chances are owner Dominick Corazza Jr. will hand you a plate with a piping hot meatball on it and invite you to have a seat at his counter.
Corozza makes double the amount of food he needs each day — especially meatballs and rice balls — so he can offer customers a taste while they wait.
After a few bites, you’ll want more, so go ahead and order the “Italian ice cream cone,” a hollowed-out loaf of North Jersey Italian bread stuffed with meatballs, fresh mozzarella and grated cheese.
It’s an experience reminiscent of Sunday family dinners, and talking with Corozza and eating his food will put a smile on your face.
Go: 224 West Main St. (Route 9), Tuckerton; 609-722-1411, instagram.com/papadsoriginal.
The Hoboken at Gio’s Italian Deli and Market, Toms River
There are decisions to be made when ordering a sandwich at Gio’s.
Want a cold sub? There are more than a dozen options stacked with Italian meats, fresh mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and hot peppers.
Prefer a hot one? Nearly a dozen choices range from chicken cutlets with broccol rabe to the Half and Half, which is part meatball and part sausage with fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheese.
The Hoboken, though, is definitely a good choice. It has just four ingredients: delicious roast beef, fresh mozzarella and gravy that soaks into tender bread (you choose, seeds or no seeds). This is the kind of sandwich you can devour without a second thought.
Want it with turkey instead? Just ask for the Jersey City.
Go: 896 Fischer Blvd., Toms River; 732-734-3133, giositaliandeliandmarket.com.
Torta at Delicias Sobre Ruedas, Little Egg Harbor
Delicias Sobre Ruedas is part Italian restaurant, so if you are craving a cold sub or an eggplant parm sandwich, they have it.
But its owners, the Carrasco family, are from Puebla, Mexico, so the menu also includes Mexican dishes — including tortas. This is a sandwich that starts with meat, like chicken cutlets (Milanese de pollo), grilled chicken, al pastor (pork with pineapple) or steak. Then come the toppings: black beans, jalapeños, avocado, Oaxaca cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayo.
The torta, made with crunchy bread and pressed, is enormous. The chicken is crispy and juicy, the beans are creamy, the cheese is stretchy and the veggies add much-needed crunch. Share it with a friend, as this is a sandwich made for two.
Go: 916 Radio Road, Little Egg Harbor; 609-294-3400, deliciassobreruedas.com.
Fried tomato BLT at Almost Home General, Middletown
If you think the BLT couldn’t be approved upon, think again.
The delicious version made at Almost Home General starts with buttery, toasted sourdough from Little Silver’s Benchmark Breads, which guarantees an amazing sandwich. Then comes crispy, thick-cut bacon; crunchy lettuce, roasted garlic aioli, and fried tomatoes.
The tomatoes lend an eggplant parm-type taste and feel, thanks to the breading. Fresh tomatoes are an option, too, but try it first with fried.
Go: 276 Sunnyside Road, Lincroft section of Middletown; 732-590-5199, almosthomegeneral.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, and for more Jersey Shore food news, subscribe to our weekly Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
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