The Transcendent Tuna Cranberry Sandwich New Yorkers Love
In our humble opinion, one of the best sandwiches is a classic chicken salad. Creamy mayonnaise and juicy chicken mixed with crunchy celery and punchy green onion is an elite combo. However you make it, there is always one extra ingredient that can really elevate the dish: fruit. If you've never had chewy, tangy cranberries or juicy apples in your chicken salad, you need to run to your local deli and order it. It adds an incredibly satisfying layer of complexity that other chicken salad recipes lack.
We can talk about this fantastic combination all day, but when we heard about this similar — yet somehow stranger — New York City combo, we were surprised. Court Street Grocers' Tunaberry sandwich serves up tuna salad alongside cranberry sauce, horseradish mayo, white onion, and arugula. This bold sandwich has a unique combination of flavors, so it has a devoted fan base and an interesting history.
A sweet and savory pairing
The Tunaberry sandwich from Court Street Grocers can be traced back to Providence, Rhode Island where the creator, Dewey Dufresne (acclaimed chef Wylie Dufrense's father), invented it at his sandwich shop, Joe's (per Grub Street). The future owners of Court Street Grocers, Eric Finkelstein and Matt Ross, first tried this sweet and savory combination at the same restaurant, but it was under new ownership. Court Street's rendition of the original most likely has a few more ingredients mixed in, but it "pays homage to those seminal sandwich shops."
The sandwich is a highly-praised favorite with customers calling it "the best tuna fish sandwich ever," (via Tripadvisor). In fact, the popular shop's entire sandwich lineup is quite strong, with other unique concoctions like the V-roopy, which features roasted rutabaga, French's fried onions, arugula, and horseradish mayo. There's also the Yam & Cheese, which has roasted sweet potatoes, pickled beet spread, whipped goat cheese, pickled red onions, arugula, and sumac vinaigrette. No matter what you order, this hot spot is definitely worth a try.