Unlike the title of the Ariana Grande banger that greeted my arrival at Babylon Village’s freshest hotspot, Roast Sandwich House and I can definitely be friends.
Their Crispy Chicken Alla Vodka may not compare to the “Zeldin” from Panico’s Community Market (RIP). Still, my Monday morning lunch—courtesy of the sixth ‘Roast’ to date—more than helped me recover from the men’s league baseball collision that knocked me out of Sunday dinner; but don’t worry, I caught the ball and we got the out. God is good.
In cheating on my current once-a-weekly deli drop-by, Heritage Deli of Smithtown, I knew I was taking a faith-fueled leap when I decided to stray from acute obsessive-compulsive protocol and break in this week’s first meal with a yet-tested undertaking.
Upon that final triple-digit-calorie bite wherein a gargantuan breadth of garlic bread begot even more garlic breath, I knew for sure I’d dine here again, if not expressly because it is quite rare to find a sub-long sammy that (1) satisfies your hunger without inducing a food coma, and (2) doesn't leave you wanting more in short order.
Translation: I didn’t feel unfulfilled, nor did I feel full, either. Rather, I felt like I ate lunch the old-fashioned way—in and out.
As much as I would have liked to take in the ambiance, I had a job to do called writing this article. Thanks to the speedy sandwich artists under Roast’s employ, I was able to do so without one iota of "hangriness" in mind, body or soul.
“Somebody Save Me” by Jelly Roll scored this food humorist’s exeunt back unto Babylon Village, where I freely parked in a 15-minute spot nearby the Argyle Theater; I rolled the diggity dice and, dare I say, it diggity paid off—who wants chowder?
A right order, right place, right time trifecta meant I could sing the soulful lyrics belonging to the aforementioned hit song without identifying with its melancholic message. After all, this was sun-kissed bliss incarnate compared to past experiences I’ve had spending over $15 on lunch at places I had never tried before.
I didn’t know I needed saving, but a hero found me all the same. Though I swore off all non-Philadelphia Philly Cheesesteaks since having my first true Philly Cheesesteak last summer, I implore a reader, any true believer, to order one from Roast Sandwich House and report back to me your findings. If there is one thing I know for certain: I can be swayed.
And so can you. Know how I know? You're still reading. And like me, you'll soon be eating at Roast—which grand-opened its newest storefront on May 19th at 114 Deer Park Avenue in Babylon Village.
The inaugural Roast Sandwich House, still serving the fine folk of and around Hicksville to this day, dates back to 2011, courtesy of Joseph Corrado.