Since the 1930s this narrow coffee shop with its timeworn counter and cramped tables has been providing the city with some of the best tuna, chicken, and egg-salad sandwiches. During the lunch rush, counter workers shout orders at one another down the line as they make sandwiches, ladle soups, and slice dill pickles. They still use the cryptic language of soda jerks and diner cooks, in which "whisky down" means rye toast and "Adam and Eve on a raft" means two eggs on toast. Considering the feeling of mayhem in the place, it's always a pleasant surprise when you actually get your sandwich, quickly and precisely as ordered. Subway: R, W, 6 to 23rd St.