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A roast-beef sandwich operation in the old Birdies fried-chicken space is the brainchild of Artichoke’s Francis Garcia and Sal Basille (plus an unaffiliated friend), and joins their nascent pizza-and-zeppole East Village empire. This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef brings to the neighborhood Artichoke’s trademark nostalgia, but no little piggies (“Everybody’s doing pork,” says Garcia). The featured attraction here is roast beef, and plenty of it. Sandwiches come “This Way,” in homage to Sheepshead Bay’s venerable Roll ’n Roaster, on a roll, au jus, with Cheez Whiz, or “That Way,” an Italian-American riff on half a hero loaf from Reliable Bakery, with onion, gravy, and fresh mozzarella. There are housemade fries and milkshakes, too, plus "The Other Thing," a pastrami sandwich with cole slaw and mustard on rye. “I cracked the code for Katz’s Deli,” says Garcia, who seems to be remaking New York’s culinary institutions one by one. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Roast Beef Sandwich (2010)

Featured In

• Adam Platt's Where to Eat 2011 (1/3/11)