You’ll need three Alexander Hamiltons to get a taste of Eli Zabar’s ham and cheese sandwich.
Reddit user mauceri posted a picture on Monday from one of the eatery’s Manhattan locations detailing the $29 sandwich “on health bread,” garnering more than 600 comments and 2,000 upvotes. Gothamist reached out to Eli Zabar to get to the meat of it.
“Fake Sandwich News,” said Sasha Zabar when asked what made the ham and cheese worth $29. She described it as Eli Zabar’s “signature sandwich since Eli first opened in 1973.”
Zabar said it was actually two sandwiches packed into one wrapper. A single ham and cheese sandwich, cut in half, goes for $16. A double sandwich, meanwhile, costs $29, and is crafted with the intention of sharing, or, as Zabar put it, “having one now and then the second sandwich later.”
“Every morning we bake our seven-grain health loaf in a special size, which EAT [owned by Eli Zabar Inc.] then slices the long way, schmears with French mustard, and covers with thinly sliced roasted glazed ham and imported Swiss cheese,” Zabar said. “For $16 you get one sandwich cut on a bias and wrapped. For $29 you get two excellent sandwiches not cut but wrapped.”
Gothamist’s reporter took a bite of the $29 Eli Zabar ham and cheese so we could see for ourselves. It certainly tasted like a ham and cheese, but it was also on the dry side.
“The ‘health bread’ tastes … healthy.”
The to-go packaging made for a non-customizable experience. The eating experience improved, however, a few bites in, as the heart of the sandwich started to really sing, meaning you start to taste more than just the health bread.
“The middle is actually a little better, not so dry.”
A cashier at Zabar’s Upper East Side location told Gothamist the $29 ham and cheese was one of its most popular items, along with the $30 salmon sandwich.
Cezar Penha, who spoke with Gothamist near the eatery, said he was surprised to see the $29 sandwich advertised as two. With his casual…
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