#89 – TURKEY HERO AND ARNOLD PALMER at DOUGLASTON DELI

I’ve spent the last nine months searching for authentic New York food. In case you’re just joining me now, I’ve done pizza, corned beef/pastrami, and now ice cream. So what about that other quintessential NY dish – the cheap turkey and swiss sandwiches from the corner deli?

When I first moved to the city this is all I ate for a cheap, quick lunch. And they were from bodegas named Sunshine Deli or Corner Deli. Places that we go for a late night beer run or our morning newspaper. The turkey was almost always Boar’s Head. Served on a generic roll with swiss cheese, mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes. And back in 2001 (when I first moved here), you got it all for about 4 or 5 bucks.

Could Time Out really have included one of these on their list? And could it really be out in almost Long Island?

The Douglaston Deli is in Douglaston, Queens. It’s technically within the five boroughs but it’s close to the border of Nassau County and has the feel of upscale suburbia. Inside the deli is laid out a bit differently than the ones in Manhattan (a bit more narrow, believe it or not), but the products are pretty much the same. Even the Boar’s Head line-up.

Except, supposedly, the turkey breast here is an exception. It’s advertised as roasted in house so it should be moister and fresher. I ordered the hero minus any cheese so I could get the true flavor of their turkey. Lettuce, tomato, and just a shmear of mustard and I should be good to go.

But wait a minute, TONY also includes in this list item a drink pairing. Not a Riesling or a Prosecco, but a more appropriate choice for turkey: an Arnold Palmer. For those unfamiliar with the lunch drink, it’s half lemonade/half Iced Tea and all golf pro. It’s never been my favorite since I’m not a huge fan of lemonade, but I thought this could be the AP that changed my mind.

This deli’s version is also homemade so they use fresh squeezed lemons. If they were going to go for it, they should probably brew their own iced tea as well, but this tasted much like it came from a package. And I found the lemonade a bit too tart and the tea a bit cloyingly sweet. Making it in store should allow them to fine tune the combinations and adjust.

The sandwich was also nothing special. The meat may have been a little more moist, but I don’t think I could pick it out against Boar’s Head in a blind tasting. I missed the cheese which would have added some flavor to the sandwich. The meat also seemed to get lost in the bread which happens alot with these types of heros. The turkey was fine, but certainly not worth the trip and not much better than any corner deli’s version. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Would Douglaston Delicatessen’s Turkey Hero and Arnold Palmer make my Top 100 of the year? The sandwich is pretty average and seems like something you could get on any street in Manhattan and the Arnold Palmer may just not be my cup of tea (and lemonade). Together they get a 5 out of 10.