Despite this horrible, blurry picture (we can thank my brother Adam for that), my Ham and Cheese sandwich at Bierkraft on Union street and 5th avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn was absolutely sensational.
While Bierkraft is known for its vast beer selection, the sandwiches here are fresh, consistent, and made with high-quality ingredients that are often made in-house. My favorite is the souped-up French-influenced Ham and Cheese, made with Applewood Smoked Ham, Cave Aged Gruyere cheese, Arugula, Tomato, Red onion, Cornichons and spicy Dijon mustard, on a ciabatta roll.
The key to this sandwich's success is fresh, delicious ingredients and an attention to textural detail. The pungent gruyere and savory ham are the two most powerful flavors here, but with one bite you can also taste the spicy dijon mustard in the back of your throat and the moist sourness of the cornichons. The tomatoes and onions are freshly sliced, and taste like it. The arugula is a great touch, and is much more flavorful than the average deli lettuce, which usually just tastes like water. Bierkraft makes all of their sandwiches with arugula, ensuring that the lettuce portion of their sandwiches is more than just an afterthought.
The texture of this sandwich also puts it at a high level. The cornichons have been sliced delicately in half, the onions placed in a slicer and sliced so very thin. There is no lumpiness or chunkiness to this sandwich, only smooth, clean flavors in near-perfect harmony. The one question I had was: how would this sandwich taste grilled? Gruyere is known to be a terrific cheese for melting (it's divine on a burger for example), so the possibilities of making this into a hot sandwich are intriguing.
Bottom Line: The Ham and Cheese at Bierkraft is worth the trip, even for non-beer drinkers. Fantastic ingredients and relentless attention to detail make Bierkraft one of the top places to get a sandwich in the neighborhood.
Cost: $9 (expensive but worth the price)
Rating: 9.25/10
