Ole & Steen

New York Bakery Ole and Steen’s Danish Toastie Is a Rich, Beefy Wonder - Eater NY

"Located on Broadway just north of Union Square, Ole & Steen was our first branch of a Copenhagen chain founded in 1991, with a focus on artisanal breads and frosted breakfast pastries. With a pair of self-service dining rooms more handsome and comfortable than they needed to be, the bakery also has a sideline in sandwiches and full meals, including open-face smørrebrød with lots of smoked and pickled fish and boiled eggs on the usual demonically dense rye bread. But more interesting is a series of hot pressed sandwiches on a flatbread much like focaccia. Though these sandwiches seemed inspired by Italian cuisine, the catalog of fillings was distinctively Danish. The one that blew me away was called the Danish toastie ($9). It arrived piping hot, with hash marks from the sandwich press. Long-braised Brandt beef from Brawley, California, said to be hormone and antibiotic free, is tucked inside, while a white and mildly flavored Danish cheese called esrom seeped out the sides into little molten pools. Sautéed onions further flavor this rich, beefy sandwich. Really, though half a sandwich is probably enough for a meal, you’ll likely find yourself, as I did, gobbling the whole thing in record time." - Robert Sietsema