Shamrock Deli - Audubon

So it's Friday! I figured today would be a fine day for a good lunch. So I went for my normal Italian Hoagie at..you guessed it, the Shamrock Deli on Cuthbert Blvd in Audubon. Now aside from some bizarre spelling inside (homemade was spelled home maid everywhere!) this was a typical deliccatesen. Barrels of pickles and Dietz & Watson meats (again).
I had high hopes for my large Italian Hoagie with hot peppers - it was huge and the $5.75 sticker price was A-OK. I patiently drove back to my office and tore into it. To start, it was wrapped in a very nice roll. Not Amoroso but still nice. The portions were good although there was an abundance of lettuce and little onion which can and did in this example lead to a weaker taste.
As I was eating this, I noticed that something was off. The lettuce/onion thing contributed but something else was wrong. Upon peering into the sandwich I found cooked salami. If you are not familiar, hard & Genoa Salami are the darker red salamis about 3 inches in diameter. Cooked salami is much lighter almost pink and averages 6 inches in diameter. Cooked salami is a staple of American Hoagies and I find it to be horrible!!!!! So I took it off the second half. Instantly, the sandwich improved but wasn't perfect.
Overall it was a decent standard hoagie with a nice price. Not great though!

Shamrock Market & Deli
31 N. Davis Avenue
Audubon, NJ
856.646.6370

Salumeria Reading Terminal

Today I went into Philadelphia as I was going to court. Not for me mind you, no I was a witness to an accident two years ago. So since the municipal court is near the Reading Terminal, I went in for some lunch. I must say that in the year since I worked in Center City, The Reading Terminal has changed considerably. But I knew I could find an outstanding hoagie! I originally started waiting in line at Carmens Hoagies but it was taking forever so I went over to Salumeria. The hoagie I ordered was the small (tough to walk and eat with anything larger) Italian for $5.00. I skipped the house dressing which looked that an absurdly thick balsamic vinegarette - no thanks! Otherwise this sandwich was perfect. Great roll, quality meats in the correct thickness, good spice/oil mixture and even Parmesan cheese which you don't often see. And no wait, well at least for me - as soon as I ordered a bunch of people serving jury duty got in line. Unfortunately as I was under a time crunch, I didn't take any pictures but then I found out the trial was tomorrow and not today..marvelous!

Salumeria
Reading Terminal Farm Market
Philadelphia

Old Fashioned Style Hoagie Works - Haddonfield

So on my lunch break today, I traveled to tony Haddonfield and visited a small place I have seen several times - Old Fashioned Style Hoagie Works on Haddon Avenue. Now be careful, the sign is very small and easily missed, but if you are near the Post Office you are very close.

Enough nonsense, lets get to the sandwich. Today I had medium (9 inch) Extra Italian with hot peppers on a seeded roll (which I generally dislike). It had a generous helping of Genoa Salami, Proscuitto, Hot Capicola, Soppressata, and Sharp Provolone. I liked this rustic, fancy sandwich for several reasons although it had room for improvement. First of all, the roll was decent even though it was seeded. It didn't break your teeth biting into it and wasn't overpowering. As previously mentioned there was more meat than lettuce which is a positive. And it had some hair on its chest from the hot capicola and hot peppers.
Where did this otherwise fine sandwich have room for improvement? First of all, they used diced red onions. To a hoagie purist, thinly sliced white or yellow onions are where it is at as the proper amount gives a hoagie its signature taste. Secondly, meat and cheese were sliced paper thin which meant there was no distinct taste of any of the quality meats. Third, the sharp Provolone was a bit lacking in taste. Last of all, the price $7.50 for the medium. Although when it comes to the rustic, fancy hoagie the price will almost always be higher.

As I was eating this hoagie I began to think that there is a reason, many actually, that so many people love the White House and Sack'o Subs - the layering. Where most hoagie shops assemble in layers, the White House takes the layers and forms into almost in an S shape. The result is that you get roll, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, & hots in every bite. Very nice indeed!

All in all, I enjoyed this hoagie. If you are in Haddonfield, check them out.

Old Fashioned Style Hoagie Works
13 S. Haddon Avenue
Haddonfield, NJ.
856.745.4435

Best Hoagies!

So no hoagie today, Popeyes instead. But for your entertainment, I thought I would list some of the best hoagies I have had.

1. Sack'o Subs in Ventnor - Admittedly, I think this is the same hoagies as The White House (below). However, the price and lack of waiting notch it just above.
2. The White House in Atlantic City - No explanation necessary.
3. Special Invitation Deli in Richboro - Now I think this place is gone but their hoagies were unbelievable. I couldn't tell you why though, maybe the oil/vinegar/spice mixture - who knows? But anyone that has had one will attest that their hoagies were tip top.
4. Rocco's in the Reading Terminal - Once again, I think they are gone being replaced with a Carmens. Good stuff though.
5. Tony's in Center City - Truth be told, I love their Italian Hoagies and Corned Beef hoagies. Really excellent sandwiches. Plus they cook most of their meats in-house.

So of course I am interested in other people's favorites. Feel free to comment and if I can get there somewhat easily, I will check it out.

Toscana's Audubon

Monday..Back to work after the New Years Weekend! And another hoagie. I am quite certain I could eat hoagies everyday. So today I went to Toscana's on Kings Highway in Audubon. I have driven past this place several times and figured I would give it a shot. So I opted for their Italian Hoagie although today I decided to go without the hot peppers.

I must say I was not extraordinarily impressed with this offering. It was a "standard" hoagie with provolone, capicola, and genoa salami. There was no vinegar to balance the somewhat overwhelming taste of the oil and they could have used a bit more pepper in the spice blend. The roll was decent - a nice chewy Italian roll, although not sure from where. The proportions of the hoagie were nice although the lack of vinegar definitely let the onions and oil come through.

While this clearly wasn't a bad hoagie, there is certainly room for improvement. It was priced at $5.99 plus tax.

Toscana's Pizzeria & Trattoria

51 East King's Highway

Audubon, NJ. 08106

856.310.0940

WilJax Famous Sandwiches & Deli

So today I took my two sons to WilJax on the White Horse Pike in Oaklyn. Truthfully, I have driven past this place hundreds of times on my way to work or wherever and never gave much thought to it. Maybe the reason was the Dietz & Watson signs and having worked in a deli for 10 years, Deitz & Watson was the brand behind such delicasies as deluxe loaf, pickle & pimento loaf, and olive loaf. Definitely not Italian Hoagie material. I was wrong!

I ordered the large (12inch) Spicy Italian Hoagie on an unseeded roll with hot peppers of course. This is where my opinion of Dietz & Watson changed. This hoagie was packed with a perfect portion of spicy cappicola, ham capicola, genoa salami, pepperoni, proscuitto, and soppressata. It was complete with sharp provolone and seasoned with oil/balsamic vinegar. Very nice indeed! But just as important as the meat/cheese selection was the roll. This was a crusty unseeded Italian loaf that was awesome from Liscio's Bakery in Glasboro, NJ. The roll would have been a nice meal all its own but since it was filled with all the goodness, i ate everything! In my humble opinion, this hoagie was top notch and falls into my very academic category of sort of fancy hoagie.

I would highly recommend checking this place out! Don't wait 3 years like I did.

WilJax Famous Sandwiches & Deli

612 White Horse Pike

Oaklyn, NJ. 08108