Initially, I’d meant “gorge” to be short for “gorgeous,” in reference to this photo of a sandwich from Sal, Kris & Charlie Deli in lovely Ditmars-area Astoria. But, ha, now I see the more obvious meaning, when considering the sheer girth of “The Bomb” and other legendary heroes from this great little Italian sandwich joint.

But they do make a beautiful sandwich–and they know it. Every time I’ve been in there, the deal wraps up, just in front of the cash register, with this lovely little ritual: the guy (Sal? Kris? Charlie?) puts the sandwich on the big sheet of deli paper, slices it in half, and then ever so briefly tips the sliced sides up and toward you, to show off the sandwich’s perfect striation, like a little cutaway from the Grand Canyon of Lunch. Then the guy proceeds with wrapping the sandwich, which takes .02 seconds.

And then you pay, and push out between all the assembled cops and various other regulars, and, perhaps you end up sitting on the Ditmars train platform, waiting for a train and unable to wait to eat this most beautifully striped sandwich.

And then the train comes in, and the conductor gets off and walks right past you, and then does a full slapstick double-take. “LADY,” he gasps, “where did you get that BEAUTIFUL sandwich?!”

So I told him: 33-12 23rd Ave., right under the Amtrak tracks. Very convenient for MTA employees, and anyone else in search of lunchtime perfection.