LA strip malls $38 sandwich divides fans as its crowned one of Americas best

Pita pilgrimage.A beloved Glendale deli has been hailed as “sandwich heaven” by the New York Times.Famed for their day-making, budget-breaking brisket basturma sandwich, Yerord Mas Bakery and Deli opened earlier this year in a former strip mall donut shop.

Chef Arthur Grigoryan has staunchly defended his viral, violently contested, $38 sandwich from critics who have called his hand-held heaven absurdly overpriced.As Grigoryan previously told the LA Times, the controversial price reflects the $12 worth of top-tier ingredients that it comprises and the rent, labor, utilities, equipment, maintenance and insurance that support its divine design.Each sandwich is laden with at least half a pound of Australian Wagyu, which costs about $11.50 per pound and can take up to a week to prepare.Further, the dairy he uses is local, the bread is organic, and the price is, for many, well worth the experience.The NY Times describes the freshly baked, fermented pita bread that the sandwich is served on as “a marvel.”That pocket is layered with Wagyu brisket seasoned with fenugreek, smoked paprika, and cumin.As part of the transformation from dead to divine, the brisket is cured, smoked, and finally steamed a process that, according to the NY Times, ensures “the meat is buttery, the fat beautifully rendered.”The basturma sandwich is stacked with Persian pickles and Gruyère cheese and generously baptized with Grigoryan’s housemade Mornay sauce.Though the sandwich’s heft is matched by its price tag, the NY Times notes that many Los Angeles eateries sell lesser dishes for the same price or more.Moreover, it’s a lot of bite for the buck.In May, L.A.

Times restaurant critic Bill Addison called the sandwich “phenomenal, a statement piece of excess and engineering … easily enough to feed two people.”Predictably, the sinkhole symposium that is Reddit has been rife with diner discourse.“Arthur has been perfecting this for years now, literally over a decade.

He’s ...