No. 7 Sub Review

Have you ever thought about what to have for lunch, considered a sandwich and then concluded that a plain old turkey and cheese with wilting lettuce and a soggy tomato just seemed boring and uninspired? No. 7 Sub is attempting to change that attitude by offering crafty sandwich combinations. It's just a small takeout-only joint on Broadway near 29th Street, around the corner from the hip Ace Hotel, joining Stumptown Coffee and The Breslin restaurant in making this the new "it" neighborhood.

After perusing the menu that includes both options for vegetarians or omnivores, I narrowed my choices down to the Braised Lamb and the Ceviche. Upon asking for a recommendation, the woman at the counter offered not her preference, but her approach to choosing a sandwich: She tries to tailor her choice based on what kind of day it is. Given that it was rainy, to her it was a ceviche sort of day; she wished to be on an island somewhere, so she'd want something refreshing. Though I had been leaning toward lamb, I let her convince me. And I figured if I went with the one I was feeling less and it impressed me, that would be that much stronger of a statement.

As seems to be the theme of much of NYC food, the $9 (without tax) for any of the sandwiches here seemed to be on the expensive side. I mean, c'mon, there aren't even any seats or stools in the place! 

When I unwrapped it and saw how puny the sandwich looked, my skepticism only increased.

Besides the fish, the ceviche sandwich was stuffed with cucumber, red onion, avocado, fried hominy, and Leche de Tigre mayo. The homemade bread was soft, but not hugely flavorful and, while I hate to say it, had I not read that it was homemade, I could almost have mistaken this for the bread Subway uses for their sandwiches. The ceviche was a little too fishy and overall made the sandwich not as refreshing as I had hoped. While I look for complexity in my sandwiches, I have to admit this took it a bit over the edge and the result was muddled. The fried hominy added a good crunchy texture contrast to the sandwich, but between the mayo and the watercress-like greens, the avocado and the cucumbers, there was too much going on. And, in the end, I felt like I had eaten something heavy and my stomach felt loaded. So, though the sandwich was small, I was full, but not in a great way.

I also decided to try one of the homemade sodas for $3 — the hibiscus ginger ale. It was unexpectedly stronger on the ginger flavor than the hibiscus despite the pink color of the drink. The sharpness with the carbonation was the only part of my lunch that provided the uplifting feeling I was seeking.

So, the soda plus the sandwich made for a $12 lunch, not exactly a budget meal. While I wasn't wowed, I'm still curious to return to try the lamb sandwich, which Midtown Lunch did enjoy.