Feature

In Season, Part II: BLTs

For some, a bumper crop of late-summer tomatoes is just an excuse to eat more BLTs. Here’s where.

By Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite
Published Sep 14, 2008

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

Frankies Spuntino
Frankies might be better known for its meatball and eggplant-parmigiana sandwiches, but its lunch-only BLT is top-notch, too ($9). The thick-cut bacon is from Faicco’s, the heirloom tomatoes come courtesy of the Greenmarket, and the mayo is Hellmann’s. It’s served on crisped-up Grandaisy Bakery pizza bianca (457 Court St., nr. Luquer St., Carroll Gardens, 718-403-0033; and 17 Clinton St., nr. E. Houston St., 212-253-2303).

Jarnac
This interpretive take ($14) is all about the love apples: a multicolor tower of red, green, and yellow heirloom slices, layered with thin, crisp sheets of pancetta, some wild arugula, and an unbridled slathering of homemade mayonnaise. No bread. There’s even a stack of cult tomato farmer Tim Stark’s new memoirs for sale in the foyer (328 W. 12th St., at Greenwich St.; 212-924-3413).

Union Square Cafe
There are few better ways of celebrating your survival of a typically harrowing Saturday-afternoon excursion to the Greenmarket than with a stiff drink and a classic $13.75 BLT at the bar (21 E. 16th St., nr. Union Square W.; 212-243-4020).

Bar 89
An off-the-radar BLT for aficionados of the old school, with good balance and a proper crispy-crunchy-juicy interplay of textures, all in perfect proportion ($8.75, pictured). Flavorwise, the Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon is out front (89 Mercer St., nr. Spring St.; 212-274-0989).

’wichcraft
Believe it or not, there exists a lunatic BLT fringe group that swears by untoasted bread, but ’wichcraft has a compromise: The inside of the bread gets toasted to avert sogginess, the outside doesn’t ($9.75; several Manhattan locations; available through tomato season only).