Paesano’s Proves Sandwich Heaven Is A Place On Earth

By: Ben Kessler, posted Feb 19, 2009 at 5:26 pm

Paesano's Proves Sandwich Heaven Is A Place On Earth

This morning I woke up, rubbed my eyes and was disappointed to find myself at home, lying in my bed. Why was I so upset? Because yesterday after paying a visit to Paesano’s the new sandwich shop from the owners of Modo Mio, I thought I died and went to sandwich heaven.

Upon entering Paesano’s, you’re greeted by strong aromas of simmered meats, hot peppers and spices. The menu, which aims to improve on the classic Italian sandwiches of South Philly is both diverse and well priced.

The Paesano, which is the namesake sandwich, consists of strongly seasoned slow-roasted beef au jus, sweet and sour red cabbage and pepperoncini. On first bite, the tangy quality of the jus plus the sweetness of the cabbage and bite of the peppers is almost overwhelming to the taste buds. If I were asked to name another roast beef sandwich with such impressive flavor profile, I wouldn’t be able to do it. As with all Paesano’s sandwiches, it is served on a sesame seed covered hoagie roll with perfect crust on the outside and chewiness on the inside from Liscio’s Bakery.

The Arista stays true to the Philly-famous roast pork sandwich with brocolli rabe, and long hots. Although the sandwich wasn’t as juicy as I like my pork, the meat was tender and extremely flavorful.

Despite their incredible take on the classics, there is one sandwich that will put Paesano’s on the map. The Tuscan Tony is an Italian take on the Texas Tommy, a butterflied beef hot dog wrapped in soppresatta and sharp provolone then topped with bolognese sauce and hot peppers. This is a destination sandwich and at only $4, it’s a steal and will fill you up for the rest of the day.

With sandwiches of this caliber, I’m confident that Paesano’s will quickly become a Philly institution.

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