For Celiacs, it doesn't matter what it's called, we can't eat it anyway, so everyone just shut the fuck up about it already.
At least, that's how my life used to be.
And then, like the shadow of an action hero emerges slowly out of the wreckage towards Camera 2, back lit by bursts of flames and buildings collapsing in the background, one man came into my life.
His name is Chef Peter McAndrews.
And he believes that sandwiches, whether you call them hoagies, subs, heros, grinders, blimpies, or poor boys, are a basic, inalienable right which cannot and should not be stripped from any American, regardless of race, creed, color, or intestinal ability.
McAndrews owns several restaurants in Philadelphia, all of which I will rave about in separate, and most likely multiple future posts. Two of his children have Celiac, and all of his restaurants are super gluten-free friendly. I'm not just talking about some crappy gluten-free menu omitting all the good stuff, informing the reader in an exasperatingly cheerful type-face that they can eat "any of the above sandwiches without bread" (thanks guys, I could have never made that intellectual leap on my own). I'm talking about gluten-free dishes that are so amazing and delicious that the first twenty words you would use describe them would not even include "gluten-free" because their gluten-freeness becomes just another inherent composition of the dish, like "beef" or "pork" or "chicken."
So, anyway, we will start off with the basics. And the basics for me are that I live in South Philadelphia, home of Pat's, Geno's, John's and Bill, the old Italian guy who lives down the street from me, and I had not had a freaking sandwich that was any good in at least eight years.
Which brings us Paesano's. They have two locations- one on S. 9th Street in the Italian Market and one on Girard at 2nd.
Walk into Paesano's from the bustle of the Italian Market- cars triple parked, wayward bicyclists weaving though vendors and carts, and the smell of cured meat and fresh seafood- and you will be greeted by a chalkboard hanging over the counter, framing the small kitchen which echos the sound of metal spatulas on a sizzling grill. The guy behind the counter will usually be wearing a grey houndstooth fedora cocked to one side and a blue t-shirt with yellow text proudly posing the question to end all questions: "Jaeatyet?"
The Daddywad is an Italian Hoagie made with delectable layers of Mortadella with Pistachio, Genoa Salami, Sopressata Cappacotta and Prosciutto Di Parma. To me, these words strung together are strangely reminiscent of something that your Great Uncle Sal starts mumbling when he has one too many shots of Sambuca (I grew up in an Irish-Catholic family where lunch meats were simply referred to as "ham" or "turkey.") But this salty, delicious, slightly spicy blend of meat is cushioned by thick slices of Sharp Provolone and is pretty much the best thing ever. The sandwich is finished with arugula, tomato, onion, and both sweet and hot peppers, and it's oily, hoagie-y deliciousness seeps all over the thin sheets of deli paper like little drizzles of happiness as you struggle to strike the perfect balance between enjoying it as it should be, and not ruining your shirt.
But let's be real here. We know the sandwich rocks. For people with Celiac, the meats, the veggies, the cheeses could be hand-crafted by Jesus Christ himself and we would still raise an eyebrow and ask skeptically, "Okay. But how's the bread?" The bread holds up to the sandwich in a way I have not seen anywhere before. It stays intact, which, as we all know, is a huge check in the "Win Column" for gluten-free breads off the bat. It comes lightly toasted, but is still as spongey as gluten-free bread can get. The gluten-free rolls are a bit smaller than the regular rolls, so there is some lunch meat carnage, but nothing that can't be scooped up and rescued into the ends of the sandwich roll. It even holds in the refrigerator really well for one day if you can only eat half your sandwich (I should clarify: I don't actually know if it holds well for longer than one day because I have never been able to wait more than one day to eat my leftovers). Because it doesn't seep the oils into the roll and get soggy, I actually feel like it holds up better than regular bread. I am not sure what its main ingrediant is, but it is one of the best gluten-free sandwich rolls I have had.
And so now, I can officially join the debate. It's called a hoagie.
Visit Paesano's
(Word of advice: just call ahead and ask if they have gluten-free bread because sometimes they run out)
1017 S. 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-440-0371
152 W. Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19123
267-886-9556
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