Cheeky

:Cheeky:

An addict to New York's Time Out, when an up and coming restaurant named "Cheeky" was mentioned as a trendy sandwich take-out spot for LES residents, I just couldn't stay away. Even if that means an hour train ride on the Weekends. The prices for sandwiches ranged from 6.50 to 9 dollars, a tad bit steep for me, but after a quick scan of featured sandwiches with ingredients like home made butter milk biscuits,braised short ribs, fried oyster (and even ginger tea!!!), I was sold. Located on 35 Orchard Street, which is now my new favorite area to shop for groceries and vintage clothing, Cheeky stands out from its neighbors not in a luxury setting, but complete opposite: beach shed style. The exuberant blue and white on wood panels is the first thing you'll notice about Cheeky. As I stand in front of the sandwich/brunch take out, it almost seems like I was taking a break from the beach and the sun down in Miami, even though the weather here was gray and gloomy. I quickly stepped in, and voila! A long and tiny Cheeky is consisted of kitchen, cashier, bathroom ( a real wooden- made shed!!), and a diner-bar like sitting area for customers. The vibe was friendly and reminded me of a hint of Greek white stones meet spontaneous graffiti and hand-drawings.

Wall decor in Cheeky

Yes, the bathroom.

Since I avoided the brunch crowd, the sandwiches choices were limited. I chose the butter milk biscuit with fried chicken, coleslaw mix, and gravy while my friend aimed for braised short-ribs with arugula, cherry tomato, and horse radish sauce on challah bread. The chicken sandwich was everything I imagined, except the size. I'm a girl with an appetite, and the biscuit sandwich probably counts as a snack in between meals. I know, living in New York=higher appetite and expanded belly.

Butter milk Biscuit with fried Chicken, coleslaw mix and gravy



















Braised Beef with Arugula, horse radish dressing and challah bread.















Okay, the chicken sandwich looks pretty awful here, but as I recalled, the biscuit was fluffy while the fried chicken was tender and well seasoned. My friend's beef sandwich was equally yummy. The braised beef was a little dry, but the horse radish sauce with grilled challah bread were a hearty combination. After a delightful chow down, we started chatting with the owner and some loyal customers. We even got some free fried dough topped with powder sugar when he found out that we hailed from upper west side. Anyway, for future reference, I would definitely come back to try out the fried oyster sandwich....or two...