Mathan G.
Yelp
This place should be much better than it is... in fact there should be no place better. And I really really wanted to like it because I like the signage and the general look of the place: it looks like a bougier version of a Italian sandwich place I might find in South Philly. They have the looks down, but there are some critical things off about the sandwiches themselves.
First, the bread is wrong. Yes, it has sesame seeds like Sarcone's bread, which is great, but it's way too soft. It needs to be crustier and have some a bite to it.
Second, the two sandwiches I've had range considerably in quality.
I've had the Italian several times, and it's pretty good - the meats are nice and the pecorino is great - but the lemony arugula strikes me as odd: on an Italian I want acidity to come from red wine vinegar, not... lemon. Also some olive oil and/or oregano would be a nice touch.
I've also had the Philly. This sandwich was flat-out B A D. Like inedible. The brisket was oddly cut (cubes? Why not thin slices?) and it was actually tough. Can't remember the last time I had a tough brisket. I fed most of the brisket to my dog who at least enjoyed it. Not only that, but the sandwich was bland... the meat was under seasoned, and there was no sauce or marinade or juice to liven it up. The only thing providing some flavor were the optional banana peppers I added. I get what inspired this: a Philly roast pork sandwich. But those things are juicy and savory as f*ck and this completely pales in comparison.
I would like to recognize that delivery is pretty fast, and they've honored my substitution requests, which I really appreciate. I think these guys can do better, and I would be more than happy to update this review if they do. Until then the name is just a cutesy irony.