I haven’t returned to Johny’s Luncheonette since I tried their disappointing Famous Sloppy Johny (grilled chicken, bacon, onions, cheese and coleslaw on a hero). Sounds amazing, but didn’t work for me. It says a lot when you put “Home of the Sloppy Johny” on your awning, so I didn’t expect much from anything else on the menu. I was dead wrong. The Melissa Munchie (Hot Roast Beef, Sautéed Mushrooms, Onion Rings, and Melted Mozzarella on Garlic Bread) is frickin’ awesome. They even threw in a few fries in there. All the ingredients work together and melds into one hell of a trucker-style sandwich.
I feel bad that I wrote off Johny’s after that first sandwich. Now I have to eat my words …and I’d be happy to.
Johny’s Luncheonette – 124 W. 25th Street (btw 6th & 7th Ave) New York City, NY 10001
As a truck driver (seriously, I am currently running the Western 11 states) I can assure you that most of us don’t go for mixed-metaphor, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sandwiches. On the contrary, most of us try to eat as healthy as possible given whatever environs we may find ourselves. Although we’re more peanut butter, jelly and potato chips than watercress on thinly sliced bread with the crust removed, I can assure you that calling that mess “trucker-style” is a bit of a misnomer.
I’ll forgive you for the gross mischaracterization this time, but if it happens again I’m gonna drive over there and park 80,000 pounds of truck (currently a Freightshaker tractor and 53′ reefer trailer) on your new camera. Hell, I’d block your driveway too, if you had one.
Abraço.
What’s a reefer trailer?
Unlike the fun kind of reefer, in trucker jargon a reefer is a refrigerated trailer. I don’t know why they spell it with an extra “e”; perhaps to make them sound fun rather than the never-ending royal pain in the ass that they are?
BTW, just had a great meatloaf meal at a classic truck stop: Sapp Brothers in Salt Lake City. They have a wonderful sign in the shape of a coffee pot (http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsv/2727408371/). I hadn’t been here for years, but the food is still damn good and the decor of the truckers’ section — vintage/well-worn ’50s — hasn’t changed a bit. Fabulous! Also, they now have free wifi, which surprised the hell out of me. Hopefully they will never redecorate the trucker’s section or “modernize” the sign.
That’s a cool sign.
Catching curiosity has started to become gradually more daunting. It’s as simple as that.