David Bowie: Rock Legend, Croque Monsieur Devotee

I believe two (and only two) things: We should all behave more like 1970s rock stars, and we should all be eating more sandwiches. If you live in New York City, you're lucky enough to be able to combine these two pursuits. This week, Eater critic Robert Sietsema revisited David Bowie's go-to sandwich spots in Manhattan, so you, too, can eat like the Thin White Duke.

Bowie resided in a loft in SoHo (285 Lafayette Street) from 1999 until his death in 2016. In that time, Bowie lurked in Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village and, per Eater, ate sandwiches. At Olive's (now 191 Prince Street), Bowie ordered a sandwich with a "healthy aura": grilled chicken, tomato, and watercress on focaccia. Sietsema credits the generous slathering of chipotle-mayo dressing for "boost[ing] this plain sandwich into orbit." I'd trust chipotle-mayo dressing with my first born, frankly, so this checks out.

But the real fun was the '90s Bowie sandwich: a heaping, greasy croque monsieur. This was from French Roast, whose space is now occupied by a Mexican restaurant—but the current chef was a cook when it was French Roast, so he's still cooking up Bowie croques upon request. The sandwich is composed of ham and sourdough soaked in eggs, beer, and Swiss gruyere. In short, Bowie's croque monsieur is not fucking around. Reportedly washed down with a Pacifico Clara or a Stella Artois, it's wild that Bowie retained those razor-sharp cheekbones with this as a regular meal.

The piece feels quintessentially New York, and it's a fun reminder that even seemingly unearthly beings have to eat sometimes, too.