Gary Cohen and Ron Darling sniffed around Citi Field’s pastrami and found out

It took more than 15 years, but Gary Cohen and Ron Darling finally learned the best part about going to a New York Mets game at Citi Field. The pastrami.

The Mets weren’t much of a sight to be seen as they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. But Citi Field’s pastrami is always a sight to be seen. And during the fifth inning Sunday afternoon, Cohen and Darling caught a glimpse during the broadcast.

“Can’t beat pastrami at the old ballpark,” Cohen said somewhat sarcastically, prompting Darling to ask if they had pastrami at baseball games when he was younger.

“No!” Cohen replied emphatically. “When I went to the ballpark as a kid, they had hot dogs. If you really wanted to wait, you could get a hamburger. But the underrated concession stand food was the knish.”

The broadcast went back to the pastrami station, where the sandwich maker could be seen haphazardly smearing mustard on the rye bread. Cohen and Darling were not happy.

“You gotta spread it across the bread!” Cohen said with disgust. “You left the whole side of the piece of bread without any mustard on it!”

Darling accused the pastrami artist of being too concerned with speed, with Cohen calling it “assembly line pastrami.” And in their defense, the bread was carelessly mustarded, and the meat was run through with a knife one too many times.

Soon after, two pastrami sandwiches with evenly distributed mustard were delivered to the booth, looking good enough to garner a thumbs up from Gary.

No offense to the pastrami artist, but as a seasoned Citi Field pastrami eater, I prefer to control my own mustard quantity on the bread. And a tip for Cohen, Darling, and anyone who orders this sandwich at Citi Field, if you show an interest in the pastrami while the chef is cutting the brisket, you’re almost certain to get more meat on the bread.

Citi Field opened in 2009, the pastrami was introduced in 2011. One year later, they introduced the Pastrachos, which may have been the best food item without a line in the history of Citi Field. Nachos with shredded pastrami, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese sauce. Those pastrami and Swiss cheese sauce filled nachos were special after a few adult beverages. Unfortunately, they didn’t last long, maybe only a season or two at Citi Field. But we’re thankful the pastrami sandwich station is now a staple and has lasted long enough for Gary Cohen and Ron Darling to enjoy it.