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  • Chicken cutlet, eggplant, roasted peppers, provolone cheese and marinara sauce...

    Suzie Hunter, smhunter@courant.com

    Chicken cutlet, eggplant, roasted peppers, provolone cheese and marinara sauce on a hoagie roll ($8.50, $7.95 on seedless rye).

  • Romaine lettuce and grilled chicken doused in caesar dressing. Wrap...

    Suzie Hunter, smhunter@courant.com

    Romaine lettuce and grilled chicken doused in caesar dressing. Wrap options include wheat, spinach and tomato.

  • The Knuckle Sandwich is a thick stack of roast beef,...

    Suzie Hunter, smhunter@courant.com

    The Knuckle Sandwich is a thick stack of roast beef, roasted peppers, pickles, provolone cheese and garlic mayo on perfectly toasted seedless rye ($9.95, $10.50 on a hoagie roll).

  • A cute little crock of coleslaw ($2) is great for...

    Suzie Hunter, smhunter@courant.com

    A cute little crock of coleslaw ($2) is great for piling on your sandwich.

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What is it about the classic deli sandwich that we love so much? Maybe it’s the way layers of sliced meat and toppings harmonize in flavor with every bite. Maybe it’s the way warm, toasted rye bread is both soft and crispy. Maybe it’s the way you can lovingly hold your favorite ingredients in your hands without cold, impersonal utensils getting between you and this, the most perfect of foods.

At the Pickle Stand Delicatessen and Tavern in Middletown, take your pick from a menu of 43 sandwiches (and, like, six salads). We’re talking reubens, rachels, wraps, grilled cheeses and basically any classic deli sandwich that pops into your noggin.

I invited my friend to help me tackle these sandwiches: She ordered the chicken eggplant, with chicken cutlet, eggplant, roasted peppers, provolone cheese and marinara sauce on a hoagie roll ($8.50, $7.95 on seedless rye).

Not to be a brat, but since I’m the one taking everyone out to lunch, I’m expecting some of your sandwich. But my friend was weirdly possessive of her chicken eggplant and wouldn’t let me have more than a bite. (Honestly I can’t blame her.)

The Knuckle Sandwich was as thick as my fists — just a stack of roast beef, roasted peppers, pickles, provolone cheese and garlic mayo on perfectly toasted seedless rye ($9.95, $10.50 on a hoagie roll) ready to punch me right in my hungry, empty stomach. It was good, but a little bland. I ended up taking some of my side order of cole slaw (which came in the cutest little crock, $2) and piling it onto my sandwich.

When it came to the wraps, our server recommended the chicken Caesar ($8.50). Though it’s not the most original choice, I am a basic b, and I consider myself to be somewhat of a chicken Caesar wrap connoisseur. But she was right. It was one of the best chicken Caesars of my life: fresh, crispy romaine, thick pieces of grilled chicken, a healthy portion of Caesar dressing, and, most importantly, the wrap that didn’t fall apart on me.

My favorite thing about the Pickle Stand (and it’s subtle) is that they serve breakfast sandwiches. In a world where so many establishments won’t serve breakfast sandwiches after 11, the Pickle Stand doesn’t start serving them until 11 (because that’s when they open). The Pickle Stand gets it: Breakfast doesn’t have to be early in the morning. You want breakfast for lunch? Go for it. You want a beer to wash down that egg-and-cheese? You do you. Because breakfast isn’t a time of day, it’s a state of mind.

But wait, what about the pickles? For a place called The Pickle Stand, the pickles themselves were the least exciting part of the meal. Sure, we got a spear with each sandwich and they were good, but that’s it. But with sandwiches so perfect, I think we can all forgive the Pickle Stand for lackluster pickles.

>>The Pickle Stand, 195 Main St. in Middletown, is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Sunday through Wednesday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 860-788-3570, thepicklestand.com