Between the Bread

If Manganaro's Hero-Boy is the put-together, friendly, and popular kid on the block, Manganaro Groceria is its somewhat surly (but still worth knowing) older brother. Indeed, this antique Italian market is owned by the older brother of James Dell'Orto, who until he retired ran the flashier hero shop next door.

The brothers haven't spoken in more than 20 years, which made it even sadder to go from bustling Hero-Boy into the spare Manganaro market. But Manganaro Groceria gets points for old-fashioned charm.

Please pardon my absence over the past week. I have been on vacation in New York City with my boyfriend Andrew, visiting family and friends, exploring the city, and eating lots and lots of sandwiches.

Researching the Reuben and the hero and random sandwiches in between, I sampled my fare share of sandwiches from many fine purveyors. Stay tuned for full posts, but for now, here's a sampling of the sandwiches we sampled:

• Egg and cheese sandwiches from a Harlem corner store
• Chicken cutlet hero and "The American" hero (roast beef, turkey, and ham) at Faicco's Pork Store
• Eggplant parmesan hero from Manganaro's Hero-Boy
• Prosciutto, mozzarella, and roasted pepper hero from Manganaro's Groceria
• Pastrami sandwich (pictured) and corned beef Reuben at Katz's Delicatessen
• Avocado BLT at Alias Restaurant
• Maple peanut butter and bacon and tuna melt at Peanut Butter and Co.