Your Guide to Authentic Regional Eats
Moe Wilensky's Light Lunch – a Spartan corner diner with institutional green walls and an elbow-worn wood-grain pattern Formica counter – might depress a patron in search of fun. Wilensky's has no sense of humor. It has rules. Pay when served. No tipping allowed. Sandwiches will not be cut in half. The Wilensky "special" is available garnished one and only one way, with mustard. Because all specials are the same, yours will be slapped down on the counter in seconds. It comes on wax paper; a plate would be too decorous. It is thin slices of all-beef baloney and salami on a roll (a slice of cheese is the one option), the whole package cooked in a press similar to the plancha used to make a Cuban sandwich. The press squeezes it flat and the roll becomes two crisp tiles around the meat. Served steaming-warm, its flavor teases the same pleasure zone as a kosher hot dog, but with the added crunch of the toasted roll. Soda fountain Cokes are available with cherry flavoring; the beverage menu also includes soda frappes, known in New York as egg creams.
