Philly By Way of DC...

The month of January found the FDP’s recovering from the holiday season in more ways than one. After all the money spent and rich food consumed throughout December, we went looking for something a bit more casual--sandwiches seemed like the perfect solution to our bloated bellies and depleted wallets. There are plenty of great places to get a good sandwich in the DC area (including our beloved Italian Store that we frequent often), but we had heard through the grapevine about a new place offering Philadelphia-style hoagies.

Taylor Gourmet Deli is located in the up-and-coming H Street NE neighborhood and has quickly carved a niche for itself as having delicious, high-quality subs at great prices. The small, yet funky deli was built out of an old barber shop and offers a limited amount of seating. Gourmet items are offered for sale including Italian goodies such as gelato, pasta, sauces and a selection of wines. But let’s talk about the hoagies—Philadelphia seems to have set the gold-standard for subs on the east coast, and part of that is due to the bread. The sub bread in Philly just tastes BETTER, and although DC has long tried to compete, there is just something about those sandwiches to the north that reign supreme. Sarcone’s Bakery in Philadelphia has long been creating the bread for those fine subs, and the owners of Taylor’s in DC went straight to the source--bread from Sarcone’s is trucked down to Taylor’s daily.

In addition to the fresh bread at Taylor’s, turkey is roasted onsite, while other meats are imported straight from Italy, along with the delicious aged, sharp provolone that is used on many of their creations. The menu consists of many traditional sub sandwiches, all named for different streets or parks in Philadelphia. In keeping with the tradition of the Italian-style subs, Mayo is NOT allowed (as is spelled out on the menu) and the hoagies are adorned with a nice squirt of oil and vinegar. Wanting to try a variety of items, we opted to each get a different 6" sub (nicely priced at under $8 each) and an order of Risotto Balls.

And here are the selections: The Philadelphia Landfill – home-roasted turkey, imported herb roasted ham, Genoa Salami, roasted red peppers, sharp provolone; Vine Street Expressway – chicken cutlet, prosciutto, pesto, sharp provolone; Church Street – Taylor sausage, peppers, onions and sharp provolone; Pattinson Avenue – roast pork and broccoli rabe with sharp provolone. Each sandwich was unique and the high-quality of ingredients was apparent. The roast pork on the Pattinson Avenue was juicy and flavorful, accented nicely by the broccoli rabe and sharp provolone (this sandwich is a classic in Philadelphia). The sausage and peppers was delicious; the sausage pounded flat by hand before cooking to create an easier-to-eat concoction. The chicken cutlet was fried to perfection, crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, accompanied perfectly by a light pesto and salty prosciutto. And the Philadelphia Landfill was an Italian hoagie at its freshest and best. The risotto balls came five to an order and were huge and dense, accompanied by a tangy, fresh marinara sauce—very rich, but very tasty.

Taylor’s is a fantastic new deli offering fresh, delicious sandwiches at great prices. We are sure to go back whenever the craving for a Philadelphia hoagie strikes. 3 Oinks!