Looking for kosher deli? The Brooklyn Sandwich Co. has you covered. (Photo by Evan Caplan)

by DCist contributor Evan Caplan

Picture this: a Jewish girl comes to the big city and can’t find a decent kosher meal—so what does she do? If she’s Carly Meisel, she establishes her own startup food truck with the help of a friendly rabbi.

Thus was born Brooklyn Sandwich Company, now plying the streets of downtown D.C.. When Meisel came to the District to begin her studies at George Washington University, she encountered a dearth of quality, college-kid-affordable kosher eats. While there are several such places in the surrounding ‘burbs, and even a few in town, they tend to be far from campus—a problem for students living in the country’s fifth largest Jewish campus community who might be craving pareve goodies.

Undaunted, Meisel, 19, partnered with Rabbi Yudi Steiner, codirector of GW’s Jewish Colonials Chabad, crowdfunding more than $17,000 in gas money to get a truck on the road and the pastrami sliced just right. Rabbi Steiner told us from the back of the truck on a hot, sticky afternoon, “It was important to offer something authentic that would be true to our Jewish identity. In terms of food, that’s got to be deli.”

Knishes, pastrami, and sour pickles are just a few of the kosher offerings from Brooklyn Sandwich Co. (Photo by Evan Caplan)

Kosher food’s cool factor has increased dramatically as of late (even being called “trendy” by The Atlantic), so it’s no surprise the truck has sold out of goodies every day since it started the food truck circuit on July 5.

To stay on trend, Rabbi Steiner and Carly hired a Brooklyn-based culinary advisor and consultant, which then led them to a name for the truck that epitomized good deli. The truck’s aim is to “transform old-school, drab delicatessen-style food into something fun and creative,” Meisel says from Israel, where she’s studying this summer.

The menu ranges from ruebens to knishes, as well as classic matzo ball soup and a vegan version of cholent (chili) made with portobello mushrooms and sunchokes. A secret spice blend sous-vide pulled brisket sandwich is topped with chipotle broccoli slaw on a pretzel bun, while other goodies include truffle cauliflower mash and potato wedges with horseradish dijon aioli.

Brooklyn Sandwich Company’s mobile truck location can be found daily on Twitter and Facebook. Menu items range from $6-12.