Press 195   

195 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-857-1950

Directions   Email   Send to Cell  

Responding to an American-sized appetite with pressed sandwiches filled to bursting, Press 195 distinguishes itself from the traditional panini bars popping up throughout the city. While influences vary, with different ingredients including homemade roast pork, Mexican Queso Bianco and the Italian dried beef Bresaola, much of the menu has a distinctly regional feel. Certain elements, like honey jalapeno mustard and hard cider, are brought back from weekends trips to the Hudson Valley. Co-owners Brian Karp and Chris Evans even pay homage to their time spent as students in Buffalo with a spicy grilled chicken cutlet sandwich pressed with blue cheese and carrot shavings. All sandwiches are pressed hot between chewy Ciabatta from Park Slope's popular Uprising Bakery. One of the few Fifth Avenue spots open for lunch, Press 195 presses steadily on through the day. Local families abound during the early dinner hours, ceding space to a later-night crowd of casually dressed adults. With Brian grilling chicken in the tiny open kitchen and Chris greeting diners at the bar, this narrow bar with its lemonade-colored walls feels familiar, even if you're visiting for the first time. For dessert, try the apples pressed with wildflower honey. -- Sarah Lagrotteria