Some people want to watch the world burn, but others just want a fat hero sandwich stuffed with various meats and cheeses, with toppings and dressings.
The hero sandwich is the symbol of truth, justice and the American way of cramming whatever we damn well please onto a loaf of bread and unhinging our jaw for a hulking bite. Avenging hunger for us all, the hero sandwich doesn’t need a secret identity—for it proudly serves sandwich-seekers from its headquarters at the ubiquitous Long Island deli.
Syosset’s Village Heros, 80 W. Jericho Tpke., swoops in to save the day with absolutely gigantic hero sandwiches that come in two sizes, large and small. The large is two meals in one, while the small remains stocky and powerful. There are many favorites on the menu like the Wild Willy and the Italian Stallion Bomber, but ask for the special Donnie Brasco with fried chicken cutlets, American cheese, crisp bacon, sautéed onions and Russian dressing on a garlic hero.
Leaping over to Plainview, Fireside Caterers has been a staple in the community for a number of years at 513 Old Country Rd. Regulars to the sandwich haven are well versed in the menu’s classic sandwiches like the Captain Hook, The Islander and Mussolini’s Revenge—but hot hero fans need to bite down on the G-Man, with roast beef and melted mozzarella on a garlic hero.
In Garden City South, Adelphi Deli, 351 Nassau Blvd., has a long list of sandwiches like the Crackerjack, the People’s Chicken and the Cattleman, but its best sandwich might be its simplest—The Snack, with chicken cutlet, melted mozzarella and brown gravy.
Farther west, Cherry Valley Deli, 168 Hempstead Tpke., stays open 24 hours in West Hempstead, and while the parking situation is anything but super, the sandwiches are a high-caloric wonder. The Last Call is the perfect nightcap with chicken cutlet, mushrooms, mozzarella and gravy, while the Macho Man adds Swiss and fried onions to the team—but the Bomb Hero is perhaps the most powerful, with brown gravy covering grilled steak, bacon, cheddar and onion rings.
And finally, the South Shore’s local hero, the chicken Bindy, is presented in its most savory form at Green Deli, 1710 Rockaway Ave. in Lynbrook. Another 24-hour shop, Green’s Bindy is the classic combination of chicken cutlet, bacon, mozzarella and Russian dressing.
With remarkable delis in seemingly every single neighborhood, it’s impossible to list all the best—this was just a sample of shops that know that with great ingredients, come great sandwiches.
