'Wichcraft's Marinated White Anchovy Sandwich

By Robert Sietsema Fri., May 21 2010 at 9:15 AM

Categories: Featured, How Do You Spell G-U-T-B-O-M-B?, Sietsema

The marinated white anchovy sandwich swarms with contrasting flavors; it's like a wild party in your mouth.

Whatever your opinion on his far-flung restaurant empire, and career as actor-chef, you've got to admit that the least of his projects -- covering the city with 'Wichcrafts -- is one of Tom Colicchio's better endeavors.

Some go for the cookies, some for the breakfast coffee and sandwiches. Others zone in on one or two of his lunchtime sandwiches -- some hot, some cold, all of them striking in the balance of their elements.

In fact, even though they cost about 50 percent more than comparable deli sandwiches, the product is not only consistently excellent, but it allows you to buy into many modern food fads without blowing a bundle.

My current favorite is a cold sandwich, priced at $8.95: the marinated white anchovy. It features little slivers of pickled fish, a thicket of bitter frisee, an intensely green relish that oozes out of every pore in the bread, and a gooey egg that gums up the whole contraption. The sandwich is a mess to eat, tastes incredible, and easily qualifies as a gutbomb in the classic sense.

The 'Wichcraft at Bryant Park is well situated for an impromptu picnic on the lawn. If you go at lunch, you can sit with thousands of office workers.