Manhattan Sandwich Company

by Theresa Regli

Roger was the only patient real estate agent I ever knew. Last year, he tirelessly sought out a great apartment for me. This year, I discovered that he had abandoned real estate for his dream of becoming a restaurateur. My loss is Brookline's gain: his Manhattan Sandwich Company, a colorful neighborhood take-out counter that serves real Manhattan-style deli fare, is already proving successful. As he said, it took a nice Jewish boy from Brookline to do it right.

The Manhattan Sandwich Company combines quality ingredients and New York-deli excess to make some of the biggest and freshest sandwiches ($3.90 to $7.65) in town. I particularly enjoyed the Second Avenue Reuben, made with fresh bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss, and Russian dressing, without the greasiness of most Reubens. The Brookline Club, a gargantuan triple-decker of turkey breast, roast beef, corned beef, Swiss, and coleslaw, was as delicious as it was challenging to consume. Salads, soups, and side orders (69 cents to $4.85) are nice accompaniments if your stomach is up to the challenge.

The Manhattan Sandwich Company, located at 1364R Beacon Street (entrance around the corner on Centre Street), in Brookline, is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Call 730-5433.