The difference between a hoagie and a sandwich is in the quality of the meats, cheese and as PP mentioned, roll. A lot of places do shitty hoagies around here. You don’t get a pass just bc you are in Philadelphia!
The Italian deli meats make or break it. And there is nothing like a good sharp (SHARP) provolone. If it isn’t crumbly it isn’t sharp enough.
The roll is a real thing. It has something to do with the pH or the mineral content of the water in this very specific area of the country.
ETA: I say so as to acknowledge there is no superior baking method employed by people here. To say the bread is better isn’t meant to be condescending - it’s luck and science. We aren’t doing anything magical.
You cannot get a Philly hoagie roll in the midwest. Not even close.
Can you get tomato pie outside the tri-state area? I'm imagining what would happen if you called up Joe's pizza in Kalamazoo and asked for a pizza crust with just tomato sauce.
Not Super Bowl related but a story about how good Philly bread is because I love talking about food:
Every year we fly to my ILs for Easter. On Good Friday all the women (5-6 of us) go down to the Italian Market to get all the food for the weekend. First stop is Sarcones where we get 6-8 loaves of the seeded Italian bread (and a tomato pie). Then we go out on the sidewalk and my SIL pulls out a ziploc bag with a stick of butter in it and a plastic knife. We then tear through a couple of loaves right there like a bunch of middle aged goblins. It's probably my favorite day of the year.
The bread really is that good.
We used to go to Del Buono's in bellmawr, nj and do that. You can get fresh hot bread off the rollers. We'd sit in the parking lot and eat the hot rolls. I might just go get some rolls from there today, I haven't been since my mom passed. Thanks for the memory and a reminder how much I love fresh hot bread.
Del Bueno's is my favorite. I take my kids every time we're home to visit so they can experience rolls right out of the oven!
Not Super Bowl related but a story about how good Philly bread is because I love talking about food:
Every year we fly to my ILs for Easter. On Good Friday all the women (5-6 of us) go down to the Italian Market to get all the food for the weekend. First stop is Sarcones where we get 6-8 loaves of the seeded Italian bread (and a tomato pie). Then we go out on the sidewalk and my SIL pulls out a ziploc bag with a stick of butter in it and a plastic knife. We then tear through a couple of loaves right there like a bunch of middle aged goblins. It's probably my favorite day of the year.
I had a tastycakes tree shipped to Chicago, lol. (Philly native.)
Pretzels and hoagies are spot on. Tomato pie if you want a pizza variant.
What Philly things are you drinking? Yuengling, Yards or Victory beers!
Just a note-the owner of Yuengling is a Trump loving piece of shit. Also Victory and Yards are made way closer to Philly anyway.
For non-alcoholic beverages, Turkey Hill teas are more Lancaster County but Philly-adjacent.
On top of the bread being an essential feature of hoagie-ness, they also have to have oil and vinegar. Also in my town, shredded lettuce, tomato, paper thin red onion, and banana peppers are the standard toppings.
fernweh did! It was just overshadowed when she maligned pork roll. (I'm teasing you Fernweh!)
I also feel like scrapple is like a 400 level course in Philly foods. If you have never seen it or tasted it before, I wouldn't attempt to cook it at home.
fernweh did! It was just overshadowed when she maligned pork roll. (I'm teasing you Fernweh!)
I also feel like scrapple is like a 400 level course in Philly foods. If you have never seen it or tasted it before, I wouldn't attempt to cook it at home.
I kinda feel like scrapple may not be Super Bowl party food, lol
fernweh did! It was just overshadowed when she maligned pork roll. (I'm teasing you Fernweh!)
I also feel like scrapple is like a 400 level course in Philly foods. If you have never seen it or tasted it before, I wouldn't attempt to cook it at home.
I know nothing about Philadelphia food except for the aforementioned cheesesteak and cream cheese. But you could also do a play on things that Philadelphia is famous for.
Rocky (Balboa) road ice cream?
Stuffed Liberty Bell peppers?
Okay, that's also all I know about Philadelphia but someone else could come up with better ideas based on this.
I know nothing about Philadelphia food except for the aforementioned cheesesteak and cream cheese. But you could also do a play on things that Philadelphia is famous for.
Rocky (Balboa) road ice cream?
Stuffed Liberty Bell peppers?
Okay, that's also all I know about Philadelphia but someone else could come up with better ideas based on this.
Oh. This has potential. And also I've been thinking of food puns this afternoon because of the Oscar post on Money Matters.
Independence Halloumi Philadelphia Freedom Fries Beignet Franklin
I know nothing about Philadelphia food except for the aforementioned cheesesteak and cream cheese. But you could also do a play on things that Philadelphia is famous for.
Rocky (Balboa) road ice cream?
Stuffed Liberty Bell peppers?
Okay, that's also all I know about Philadelphia but someone else could come up with better ideas based on this.
Oh. This has potential. And also I've been thinking of food puns this afternoon because of the Oscar post on Money Matters.
Independence Halloumi Philadelphia Freedom Fries Beignet Franklin
Soft pretzels with mustard. (although I prefer ketchup on mine---go ahead and make fun of me)
Yoo Hoos to drink.
I 1000% agree with the Tasty Kakes. As a kid we've buy a dozen boxes in NJ and bring them back home to the south. My mom, who was from the Philly area, about died when she saw them in the local grocery store in SC sometime in the 1990s.
Can you get tomato pie outside the tri-state area? I'm imagining what would happen if you called up Joe's pizza in Kalamazoo and asked for a pizza crust with just tomato sauce.
The definition of tomato pie varies WILDLY. Even between Philly and Bucks County.
When I was a kid you couldn't get it in SC. We had to wait to go to our relatives in Philly or NJ, just like Tastykakes (OMG, Butterscotch Krimpets!). So to me when I was a kid it was regional.
Can you get tomato pie outside the tri-state area? I'm imagining what would happen if you called up Joe's pizza in Kalamazoo and asked for a pizza crust with just tomato sauce.
The definition of tomato pie varies WILDLY. Even between Philly and Bucks County.
It does? I'm a Corropolese loyalist. I live in Bucks but can't say I've ever tried to get tomato pie locally.