Like all Americans I love few things more than a good sandwich. But two slices of bread filled with a heaping of meat, cheese and mayo increasingly feels like an indulgence my gut can’t afford as often as I would like. Of course, that doesn’t mean I want to be stuck eating salads and quinoa bowls for lunch everyday either. Enter Austrian sandwiches.
Duran Sandwiches is a popular Austrian chain with locations there as well as the Czech Republic and Hungary. It’s the latter where Tom Szebeni got hooked on the sandwiches while working as a television producer next door to a Budapest outlet. Tom has now quit the Biz to open the first Duran branch in America. His timing is perfect because these delicious little sandwiches have a lot going for them that plays into how people want to eat right now.
First is the the size. You can take one of these down in about three bites. So they’re perfect for buying couple as a snack or three-to-five for a full lunch. You also can get a lot more variety than with one massive hoagie. And at $2.50-$3.50 a pop, they are reasonably priced for either situation.
The other great thing is they’re healthier than most sandwiches out there. Duran’s are open faced, so you’re starting out with half the bread. A healthy cucumber root puree and farmers cheese (a light cottage cheese) form the base of a number of sandwiches instead of a lump of mayo. Even the salad sandwiches are light on the creamy condiment. There’s a big emphasis on seafood with salmon, lobster, shrimp and caviar all making appearances. In a nod to American diet, Duran offers a number of vegetarian and vegan options as well.
With over 40 varieties of sandwiches, Duran is a place you can easily keep coming back to without getting bored. The size and variety also make it a great catering option, and they’ll even make some bite size hors d’oeuvres for your event. I ate almost ten on my visit and am looking forward to trying the rest. Here are some of my favorites:
Lobster Salad The best seller at Duran and with good reason. Great lobster flavor with a nice array of spices.
Salmon I would take this lox sandwich with celery root cream over 99% of the lox-cream cheese bagels you find in New York. Don’t miss it!
Tuna Salad (center-left) Tuna salad was one of my favorite sandwiches growing up so I’m very picky. This one is chunky with a great tuna flavor due to a mix of both oil and water canned tuna.
Spicy Hungarian Salami (center-right) Duran makes their Hungarian sausage in house with caraway seeds and paprika. It’s incredible and a great nod to Tom’s Hungarian roots.
Sun Dried Tomato & Date My favorite of the vegetarian sandwiches the tangy sun dried tomato gets a nice compliment from the sweeter dates.
Paprika Farmer’s Cheese It’s tough to say no to a spicy cheese sandwich, especially when it’s only a few bites. It’s also the most popular sandwich in the European locations.
Cucumber & Farmer’s Cheese A perfect summer sandwich this cool veggie option combines cucumber, dill and garlic with farmer’s cheese. It’s sort of like a little Greek salad on bread.
Note: I was invited as a guest of the establishment and received a complimentary meal. This was not in exchange for a positive review and opinions expressed are my own.
Duran Sandwiches
62 Madison Avenue (@ 27th Street)
New York, NY
