NEW YORK (WABC) — From fine dining to freshly chopped sandwiches, Brown Bag Sandwich Co. is quickly becoming one of New York City’s most popular new sandwich spots, thanks to the chef and owner behind its booming success.
“We’re at Brown Bag Sandwich. This is our second location,” said Antonio Barbieri, the chef and owner. “We’re in Flatiron right now, and we’re super excited to have you.”
I was the kid that was bothering his nana and cooking with his nana.
Antonio Barbieri, chef and owner
Brown Bag was created as an accessible, neighborhood focused, fast casual restaurant, the kind of place where you can grab a sandwich, eat at the counter or take it to go. Its roots come from the chef’s earliest days cooking with family.
“I was the kid that was bothering his nana and cooking with his nana,” Barbieri said. “Professionally, I didn’t get into cooking until after college.”
His culinary journey brought him to New York in 2015 to work at Eleven Madison Park, where he stayed until the pandemic in 2020.
“I think it really helped shape who I am as a chef,” he said. “It was a tough but amazing experience.”
Leaving fine dining meant embracing a different mission. “Eleven Madison is an incredible restaurant, but it is a three Michelin star fine dining restaurant, it’s not accessible to everybody,” Barbieri said. “When we opened Brown Bag, our intention was to keep the price point as low as we possibly could, while still making everything in house and using whole ingredients.”
The menu focuses on classic New York sandwiches, curated favorites from across the city brought under one roof. “We’re handpicking some of our favorite sandwiches throughout New York City and consolidating them onto one menu,” he said.
Quality is the guiding principle. “We want to have the best ingredient possible going into that sandwich,” Barbieri said. “And one way to do that is to do it yourself.”
The result is a lineup of fan favorites, including their chopped cheese. “We’re known for the chopped cheese, that’s a banger,” he said. His personal favorite is the hot roast beef and cheddar. “It’s simple, delicious, savory.”
Brown Bag is also in the running for what he calls the “infamous New York chicken Caesar wrap battles. ” A toasted flour tortilla, romaine, Parmesan, croutons, shredded chicken and Caesar dressing are mixed and wrapped to perfection. “There are only a few ingredients, and the Caesar dressing is one of the most important parts,” Barbieri said.
Other standouts include the Italian: prosciutto, soppressata, sharp provolone, mozzarella, red onion, tomato, cherry peppers, lettuce and Italian dressing on a toasted hero, and the roast beef, built with Brown Bag’s housemade sweet and tangy sauce, au jus dipped roast beef, cheddar sauce and fried onions.
You don’t have to sacrifice sliced rye, you can come in and get a rye hero.
Antonio Barbieri, chef and owner
The newest addition is their in house pastrami sandwich, made with help from Breads Bakery, which developed a custom rye hero for the shop. “You don’t have to sacrifice sliced rye, you can come in and get a rye hero,” he said.
Even the chopping method follows a philosophy. “Any sandwich that’s chopped is chopped so the end result is a better product,” Barbieri explained. “The pizza cutter allows us to chop things in a bowl. Bowls have rounded edges, pizza toppings have rounded edges, so they make perfect harmony.”
Consistency, he says, is the backbone of the business. “Our main priority is creating a consistent product over and over again,” he said. “We want to make sure our guest has a product they can trust and believe in.”
With countless sandwich shops in New York, Brown Bag aims to honor its predecessors while standing apart.
What sets us apart is we are a very New York centric sandwich shop. I want this to be a place where you feel a little nostalgia and pick your favorite top ten sandwiches.
Antonio Barbieri, chef and owner
“Brown Bag was created to pay homage to all the predecessors,” Barbieri said. “What sets us apart is we are a very New York centric sandwich shop. I want this to be a place where you feel a little nostalgia and pick your favorite top ten sandwiches.”
Ultimately, the mission is simple. “My job is to make sure you are having one of the best sandwiches you’ve ever had,” Barbieri said. “For restaurant operators, our job is to make you happy, and that’s what I try to do every day.”
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