Sammich Wars

Nothing like a classic restaurant war story for a sense of history.

Tuesday, amidst the cold torrents of rain, I set out exploring my new(ish) neighborhood looking for a place to escape and lunch and write.

Passed by the curious duo of "Manganaro's Hero Boy" and "Manganaro Grosseria Italiano"...

The "Manganaro Grosseria" looked familiar to me from some old Anthony Bourdain show. I ended up passing it by for a Thai place that looked a bit more hospitable and warm down the block, but on the way back home I stepped into the Grosseria for a little look-see. Real old school space, a great sense of history. Sandwich shop in the back. Pretty empty. A family perused the sammich selection while I was there, so I didn't attract much scrutiny.

Seems I dodged a bullet...

Looking it up on the internet, I discovered a trail of horror stories.

Over on the CitySearch page, the review headlines read like haunted house warnings:

"The worst place on the planet!"

"Disgusting, filthy pigs -- avoid like the plague"

"WORST PLACE EVER!!! DON'T EVER GO HERE!!!"

"Horrible Place, Horrible People"

A cacophony of one-star reviews, with the inevitable five-star anomaly:

"Favorite place to eat in the world"

Well, what's it going to be then, eh?

The first internet article I discovered was from Midtown Lunch, titled "In Defense of Manganaro's Grosseria". It's a very well-written blog entry that lays out the major narratives.

Essentially, it seems that the Grosseria is much like Seinfeld's Soup Nazi, except for sandwiches. Though unlike the famed Soup Nazi, it doesn't seem that the quality of the sandwiches is enough to counteract the negativity that resonates from the witchy sisters who run the joint... at least from the reviews online.

Most amusing is this account titled "The Bitches of Manganaro's". I highly recommend reading it in its entirety because it is awesome and makes me feel all the better that I managed to avoid getting yelled at during my brief walk through the place. (It seems that the women are no fans of "bloggers".)

The New York Times has an old article breaking down the history of the Manganaro family rift, which is great for a little historical context. Still doesn't quite explain why the folks who run "Hero Boy" don't seem to be as bitchy as the "Grosseria" women. Indeed, when I walked past, "Hero Boy" looked far warmer and more popular while the "Grosseria" resembled some cold, barren spook-house.

Though I might fancy myself a foodie, this is one food war that I've no intention of exploring first-hand, despite the proximity to The Tomb where I live. I enjoy a good sammich as much as the next guy, but I don't need the threat of verbal abuse with my food. It's one of the reasons I've little interest in trying out Shopsin's. Life's too short to be supporting dysfunctional families.