Category Archives: New Jersey

the best thing she ever ate. yet.

Posted on April 9, 2018 | 4 comments

She will eat one, Fanny she is. She will eat one with a mouse. She will eat one in a house. She will eat one on a wall. She will eat one in a hall.

TUNE IN TONIGHT, PEOPLE!

The Sandwich Hall of Fame, no less.

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TUNE IN TONIGHT, PEOPLE!

From the Food Channel Website:
We’re honoring the all-time favorite sandwiches in the Sandwich Hall of Fame because it’s all about the bread and what’s in between! If you’ve never had a BL”G”T, Eddie Jackson will tell you where to go. Fanny Slater hasn’t missed a week without her “Friday Special,” and Katie Lee heads to a small shop in New York to get the best Italian hoagie she’s ever eaten. And Southerners don’t have to travel to Philadelphia for the best cheesesteak, as Alton Brown reveals a hidden gem in Atlanta.

TUNE IN TONIGHT, PEOPLE!

In six degress of Kevin-Bacon-Lettuce-and-Tomato-Land, Fanny Slater is the fine, fine sandwich eating niece to My-Main-Sandwich-Man-in-New-York, JAF. Kind enough to clue me in, MMSMINY, sent along the link to the Sandwich Hall of Fame episode featuring the MILBURN DELI. The MILBURN DELI. Shouting it: The MILBURN DELI. Thank you, JAF. I am righteously indebted.

TUNE IN TONIGHT, PEOPLE!

Choosing favorites has never been a happy pastime for me. Do I hafta? No, I do not. Neither do you. So…remember that the Milburn blasts the New Jersey Joe into the universe of STELLAR SANDWICHES. (The Joe with, uh, meat, not tuna. Got it?)

Why there is not a Sandwich Joint Hall of Fame, I do not know. Perhaps because the Milburn is the Sea Biscuit of sandwich joints. No one can touch ’em. Period.

REPRISAL ALERT! REPRISAL ALERT! REPRISAL ALERT! REPRISAL ALERT!

At this rate, The Lunch Encounter will become LRoy’s Lunch Encounter. Deservedly. He’s taking a mess o’ Joe’s for the team. Poor thing. Not.

So, this is where we separate the true believers from the “can I have mine on toast with no mayo please.”

If you’re a religious reader of Lisa’s blog (that is, on your knees, begging for forgiveness), you’ve heard about the New Jersey Sloppy Joe before (all hail the Milburn Deli). Not a mess of ground beef and tomato sauce, but a triple-decker cold cut ‘wich. Best-man (twice!) James provided a long exegesis a ways back, but here I was this week and it was as good (and exactly he same) as my first, 45 years ago. How do they do that? Like this:
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That’s 3 thin slices of rye (buttered), your choice of ham (mine), roast beef (James’), or turkey (WTF?). Swiss. Cole slaw. Russian dressing. To die for (I’m sure some have. Plus, often served when sitting shiva. Make a note for when I pass). Ta-da:

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Rules for eating: left side first. Then the right. Save the wedge for last:

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That first bite of the wedge is better than sex (first, last, ever).

I once had two Joes in one sitting. No problem. Looking forward to doing it again. Then dying.

Know what? What? I’m driving through Jersey on Saturday and I’m gonna stop for a Joe. Life is long and I need the calories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Uncategorized

Do You Know From Joe?

Posted on August 1, 2016 | 2 comments

The New Jersey Sloppy Joe, that is. If you are drawing a blank, please read MMSMINY’s Skinny on the Joe before scrolling even a teensy bit. Click on the link. I promise you will be glad. It will save you a lot of headscratching and me a lot of sammysplaining. When James speaks, one is wise to listen. James knows the Joe, is not afraid of words and does not waste them. Plain speak and essential. He’s gifted that way.

Knowing about the Joe makes me excited about life in general. That is the power of a spectacular sandwich.

This was my maiden voyage to the Milburn Deli. Here’s my bucket list:

  1. Have a Joe at the Milburn Deli.

Check.

Do you know from MMSMINY? My Main Sandwich Man in New York is the inimitable James Farber, a man who has stayed successfully under the internet radar until…now. Sorry James. Sandwiches will put a person in  the spotlight. James’ phone numbers, SSN, mother’s maiden name and routing numbers are all below. Sorry James. Thanks, Obama.

 

I know from Joe now and can dish on its squish. A Joe is wet. At the Milburn the bread is very thin and firm, and there are three slices. They used to butter it, but no longer, unless requested. Personally, I think butter would take this sandwich from spectacular to stellar. We did not have butter, but I will next time. I like butter on  a sandwich, especially cold butter. Most folks do not, and that  is a-ok. The Joe is a stand out, butterless. Miraculously, the bread is not soggy.

Cole slaw is all over the place on a Joe. Between the layers, spilling out on the paper, on your hands, in your lap. If you start with a napkin, you will need a mess of em. What do you mean, you don’t like cole slaw? Speaking of head scratchers. It’s the mayonnaise,  you  say? No, say it ain’t so.

Are you a control freak? To find out, answer these questions.

When someone claims to dislike mayonnaise do you

  1.  Think that they do not know what they are talking about?
  2. Believe that they really do like mayonnaise but are unwilling to admit it?
  3. Think they are out of their minds?
  4. Feel sorry for them?

If you answered yes to any of the questions you are a control freak.

At the Milburn they make their own iced tea. And bottle it. Plain labels. Love me a plain label. Love me a plain anything. Anything that does not scream in your face. “Unsweetened Iced Tea” says it all. Succinctly. It tasted just right. Plain. No need to brag. Super cold, too.

James and I were at the Milburn Deli on a hot Thursday and we sat outside to accommodate my dog. At James’s insistence I did peek my head inside to absorb the atmosphere. Mayhem! Correction: orderly mayhem. Sandwiches flying out the door in  giant brown bags. These Jersey folks are on to something.

The Joe. Unleashed. I’m ALL in.

 

 

 

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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Sandwich Joints, Uncategorized

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Identifying As

Posted on May 19, 2016 | 2 comments

Salty pork roll vs. Taylor Ham debate may rest in politicians’ hands

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Two competing bills are before the Legislature on whether New Jersey’s official sandwich should be pork roll, egg and cheese or Taylor Ham, egg and cheese. 

TRENTON — Is it pork roll or Taylor Ham? The processed meat product is a staple of breakfast sandwiches in New Jersey, but the question of what to call it has long divided the state. Read on here.

And you may weigh in, as well. Are we defined by what we eat or by what we name what we eat? Lord have merciful pork product, it’s a rivalry – Taylor Ham or Pork Roll! Not being from New Jersey I am free to like both equally. Whew, that’s a load off my identifier.

Rolls of thanks to Joan Lebow, New Jersey sandwich sleuth.

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Posted in Link to article, New Jersey, Uncategorized

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The Best Thing Outta New Jersey, They Say

Posted on August 24, 2015 | 2 comments

 

LRoy Goldberg made a trek to his homeland. While there he hadda have a Joe, a New Jersey Sloppy Joe, at the Milburn Delicatessen.

The Joe. You know, you love it. Do it again.

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Ooh, ooh, here it comes. Can’t wait, can’t wait. Best thing to come out of New Jersey, and I’m including Bruce and Jon Stewart.

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Outer wrap is off. I may eat the wax paper. I already want a second one.

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Naked. Oozing. A threesome like no other.

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No, you can’t have any. It’s perfect, in every way. It’s Joe love. Knows no bounds.

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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe

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Pecking Order

Posted on September 9, 2014 | Leave a comment

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Pecking Order

The heart of Pecking Order, as announced a while back, is chicken marinated in Subido’s mom’s marinade (including soy sauce, sugar, garlic and vinegar), which you can order grilled, roasted or fried. Sides will include “Saucy Tots” which she describes as “a Filipino poutine” with tomato gravy over housemade tater tots, garlic rice, adobo-stuffed rice puffs, or housemade (by Mama Subido) pickles.”  YES PLEASE.

To that signature lineup she’s now added a selection of sandwiches on pandesal bread, the primary bread of the Philippines, similar to Mexican bolillo rolls, with fillings such as chicken, housemade pate, pickles and fried egg. And she’s planning salads with brightly-flavored ingredients like mango, jicama, and calamansi (a Filipino citrus) dressing. There will be Halo Halo, the traditional fresh fruit and shaved ice dessert. Read on here.  UH HUH.

Though the store is closing, the Pecking Order brand will now focus more on catering, pop-up dinners, special events and farmer’s markets, including the Low-Line Market outside the Southport Brown Line station every Thursday, and The Nosh, a lunch market Downtown every Thursday and Friday, where Pecking Order will appear every other Thursday. Read more here. OH NO.

 WHAT GAWKER SAYS

Stuff like this:

Man vs. Food Host’s New Show on Hold After He Called Woman a “C**t”

Adam Richman, a man who eats sandwiches professionally, was scheduled to eat some other things professionally today as part of a new show called Man Finds Food. That’s no longer going to happen, because the Man vs. Food host started an Instagram flame war that culminated in his calling a woman a “c**t.” » 7/02/14 10:12am

AND THIS

GAWKER’S SANDWICH PECKING ORDER

55. Elvis                                   26. Veal parm
54. Fat Darrell                        25. Fried chicken
53. St. Paul sandwich           24. Lampredotto
52. Chow mein sandwich     23. Primanti Bros.
51. Tuna salad                        22. The Gatsby
50. Roast beef                        21. Caprese
49. Fluffernutter                   20. Bacon, egg & cheese
48. Italian beef                      19. Oyster po’ boy
47. Eggplant parm                18. Ice cream
46. Beef on weck                   17. Peanut butter & jelly
45. Horseshoe                       16. Cuban
44. Tuna melt                       15. Shrimp po’ boy
43. Cheese                             14. Club
42. Hot Brown                      13. Pulled pork
41. Sloppy Joe                       12. Kokoreç
40. Chip butty                       11. The Dennis
39. Chicken salad                 10. Cheesesteak
38. Ham                                  9. Chicken parm
37. Croque-monsieur           8. BLT
36. Croque-madame             7. Bánh mi
35. Turkey                               6. Muffaletta
34. French Dip                       5. Pilgrim
33. Corned beef                      4. Porchetta
32. Steak                                  3. Lobster roll
31. Patty melt                          2. Grilled cheese
30. Pastrami                            1. Italian hoagie
29. Reuben
28. Egg salad
27. Bologna

WHAT I SAY

HEY WHAT ABOUT 

Fried Brain, Mother-in-Law, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Felafel, Meatball, Breaded Pork Tenderloin, Grouper Dog, Peanut Butter and Banana, Gyro, Pork Roll, Spiedies, Tomato Sandwich and Souvlaki

???

My Pecking Order

1. Reuben, Hot Brown, French Dip, Cuban, Breaded Pork Tenderloin, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Cheesesteak, Banh Mi, Italian Hoagie, Beef on Weck, Fried Perch, Grilled Cheese, BLT, Corned Beef with Cole Slaw and Russian Dressing, Primanti Bros, The Gatsby, Meatball, Egg Salad, Croque Monsieur and Madame, Porchetta, Lobster Roll, Muffaletta and Poor Boy.

2. Everything else.

Fall In

Thanks to the Sublime Miss M for the aLeRt!

 

 

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Posted in BLTs, Chicago, Cubano, Grilled cheese, Link to article, Miriam Rubin, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Pastrami, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Reuben Sandwich, SANDWICH LINKS, Sandwiches, Sandwiches in the News, St Paul Sandwich

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The Proof is in the Macaroni

Posted on July 4, 2012 | 3 comments

The Watchung Delicatessen is a thing, thang, thung. They are famous for the Bennie Mac, so I’m told. I told you the mac and cheese sandwich was a thing.

            

            

Here stands the brilliant technique for loading the Bennie Mac. A chicken cutlet is the landing pad.

There’s things and there’s things. Macaroni is amazing, no doubt, and makes one curtsy to the inventiveness of humans. Peaches we have nothing to do with, thank goodness. They are perfect as they are. Possibly particularly in New Jersey.

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Posted in Delicatessens, Mac and Cheese, New Jersey, Sandwiches

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The Joe, Loosed Upon the World

Posted on July 1, 2012 | 2 comments

As reported by Stalwart-Sandwich-Eater LRoy:

The center cannot hold.

As previously reported by Sir James (aka, MMSMINYC – My Main Sandwich Man in NYC): The Milburn Deli, NJ.

The sandwich – the ham joe. Also available in turkey and roast beef.

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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe

#NewJerseySloppyJoe

Posted on December 22, 2011 | 3 comments

HASH MARK sandwichnirvana

The mysterious Joe had seduced me with its reputation. Exotic, unattainable, available only indigenously. While I know in  my heart that settling is a crime, punishable by misery, and  that doing without is preferable, noble even, I would have settled for an imitation, an imposter, a reasonable facsimile. I did without though, and my appetite sharpened until it was as pointy as a larding needle.

Head scratcher (honey, don’t do that at the lunch table please): The New Jersey Sloppy Joe has not been pirated to other locales. Muffaletas, pulled pork, Cubanos, Reubens, the banh mi, Philly cheesesteaks, and countless other notable wiches have emigrated to parts far slung. The Joe? Uh uh. No franchised Joe. Although the Town Hall Deli will ship one to you. I wonder how they hold up?

The reputation of the Joe faded to beige once I had experienced the genuine article. I’m a goner and have joined the tribe of fanatics. 

The Town Hall Delicatessen lies in wait between NYC and me. A connector, touchstone, seducer. Connecting the dots from home to Joe with a sprinkling of rye bread crumbs and splashes  of sauce.  Holy cow that sandwich was good.

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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, SANDWICH LINKS, Sandwiches

The best thing about New Jersey…

Posted on December 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

According to L Roy Goldberg:

The New Jersey Sloppy Joe

Sooooo good. Lauren was surprised that I ate the whole thing. I was surprised that she even thought there was an option.

(I think it’s about time someone opened a Joe shop around here. Me, for instance.)

I’ll come to it! And help advise as to how to create the Milburn Deli Joe. They also have a new sandwich called the Monster Joe, but I was afraid to ask.

Larry (L Roy)

The skinny on the Joe.

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Posted in New Jersey Sloppy Joe

Sloppy Joe Diaspora

Posted on July 20, 2009 | 1 comment

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From My-Main-Sandwich-Man-In-NYC, JAF, The Skinny on the Joe.

Read no further before you have clicked on the above link and done your homework on the New Jersey Sloppy Joe!
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From New Jersey to New Zealand expat Pamela Jenkins

I grew up in (then tiny) Chatham Township, NJ where Sloppy Joes were a mainstay. It wasn’t until we grew up and all moved away that we found out the rest of the world thought we were eating Hamburger Helper.

The top four contenders for Joe construction are Chatham Deli, Millburn Deli, Short Hills Deli, and Hickory Tree Deli in Chatham Township. Town Hall Deli in South Orange and Towne Deli in Summit are runners up. Local mythology claims the recipe was brought in the ’30’s from Havana by the Mayor of Maplewood. The Joetreigns as iconic food of the century (I vote turkey but would never turn down ham!) in my ratings.

There’s a Facebook group of Chatham Township natives who are now scattered all over the world. Long threads are devoted to of lustings for Sloppy Joes, a sandwich that is not found outside of northern New Jersey.

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Pamela, I got word from Cape Cup‘s proprietress, Ellen McAteer, that a NJ Sloppy Joe is featured on the Cape Cup sandwich menu in Orleans, MA.

Cape Cup
54 Main Street, Orleans Ma 2653
508.255.1989

Anecdotal Joe lore from Pamela:
A Sloppy Joe fan, media mogul type, had a meeting with a new client and couldn’t close the deal.  At the 11th hour the client mentioned he was from Millburn (a few towns over from Chatham, home of the delightful Millburn Deli, which also is famous for its Joes).  The “media giant”, a man who could secure you the best seats at any Ranger or Yankee game, or the best table at any restaurant in the city, immediately mentioned Sloppy Joes. Both men enthusiastically waxed estatic, and the deal was sealed.  The Millburn man went on to become a major client.  The Power Of The Joe! No need to pull out the big guns.
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Posted in New Jersey, New Jersey Sloppy Joe