"LIVES UP TO THE HYPE"…read more
For the last few years I've been seeing videos on Tik-Tok and Facebook's "Reels" about Brennan & Carr, a Brooklyn institution that serves a famous roast beef sandwich. Video after video of the sandwich being dunked in the equally-famous "au jus" gravy that had my mouth watering. But I live in Westport, Connecticut, and though I go into Manhattan a lot (I used to live in the East Village), a rarely have a reason or need to go to Brooklyn, and I know few people there, so my wish to sample a Brennan & Carr roast beef has gone unrealized.
Until this past Sunday.
I recently befriended a fellow pop culture enthusiast and author who lives in Brooklyn, and he invited me to his book release party for his family and friends at his home on Sunday afternoon. When I Google-mapped my driving route, I wondered if Brennan & Carr might be close enough that I could go there after the afternoon party. To my surprise and joy, they were 5 minutes away!
So I finally got to try a B&C RB sammie. Of course, I asked for it "all the way," with cheese, onions, and fully dipped in the au jus. That first bite was like a little taste of (roast beef) heaven!!! That first surge of "hot beef" flavor is unforgettable! I was amazed that the hefty bun it came on was able to simultaneously soak up all that au jus without falling apart at all! It maintained its integrity all the way to the final bite.
Which, by the way, I could BARELY finish, it was so filling! I came practically starving, and that roast beef sandwich so filled me up that I barely touched the (excellent) onion rings that I had also ordered!
Upon leaving (with a "dry" sandwich to go, with the au jus in a cup!), I had a great chat with the man at the cash register (whom I think was also the manager), Patrick Stackpole, about our shared love for Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone (that's a whole other story!).
Suffice it to say, Brennan & Carr's roast beef sandwich more than lives up to the hype!!!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna have my to-go roast beef for dinner!