What? No catchy names invoking quasi-unknown bands or indie-film actors? No ingredient mashups of Asian spices with honey-baked ham and fried Provolone? No Twitter feed? How can Jersey's on 6th, the new pint-sized Inner Richmond sandwich shop possibly survive? The roast beef is called "the roast beef." The ham and Swiss simply "the ham and Swiss." It works: Owners Shannon Gnatek and Erick Morton are pumping out simple, straightforward sandwiches with high quality, house-made ingredients, on breads from Raymond's in South San Francisco.
The aforementioned roast beef sandwich ($9) came loaded with a fistful of bright pink, thinly sliced rare beef, roasted in-house. It packed a powerfully meaty punch. Some seriously sharp onions worked well, and a soft, warm white roll made for the perfect casing.
We also liked the turkey Reuben ($9), still warm and not gooey, though it'd waited 15 minutes before we unwrapped it. Kudos to Morton for not globbing on the Russian dressing and sauerkraut ― the house-roasted turkey was moist enough on its own. Dressing and sauerkraut gave the bird a pleasant buzz, though the bread had scant rye flavor.
A word to the wise: Call ahead to order. Morton works solo, so waits of 20-30 minutes are typical. That aside, in a neighborhood long on eateries representing all corners of the globe, a simple sandwich shop like Jersey's stands out as a welcome addition.
Jersey's on 6th: 200 Sixth Ave. (at Cornwall), 221-0444.
