R2L is serving up some of the city’s most inspired and delicious sandwiches from their perch high above the city in Liberty Two – a location that happens to overlook South Philadelphia.  The symbolism is not lost on the menu, as Chef/Owner Daniel Stern has created food that “walks the fine line between traditional and modern, where the old school things that people grew up on also grow up.”  Old school sandwiches like cheese-steaks, burgers, lobster rolls and the Reuben are transformed by Stern into unbelievably decadent, yet unpretentious finger-foods.

We started with cocktail Reubens.  Stern had to get this one perfect, as he is a believer that there ”probably hasn’t been a better sandwich invented.” House-brined corned beef, fresh-made sauerkraut, Gruyere cheese and a stone ground mustard are wrapped in a pocket of homemade rye dough, grilled and baked.  The crunchy, tangy and savory delight is served on a plate dressed with celery-root ketchup based thousand island dressing and stone ground Dijon. “Eat it with your hands” – the Chef insists.  Our complaint was that we didn’t have 700 of these little treasures lined up to knock down.

The venison cheesesteaks draw inspirations both from South Philly and Stern’s days as executive chef of Le Bec Fin.  The cheesesteak has grown into a seriously sophisticated sandwich here, as venison loin, sauteed wild-mushrooms and carmelized onions with a reduced venison jus is served inside an Amoroso roll, cut bite-sized to force you to savor the richness of this masterpiece.  The Amoroso roll and Fontina fondue “whiz” that the morsels rest upon both ground us in this dish’s roots, while the old-world preparation of the venison brings the flavors sky-high.

The lobster roll, inspired by the chef’s visits to the coast, is lip-curlingly delicious and has us inventing adjectives. Tail, claw and knuckle-meat is dressed with a smooth and light, yet rich home-made lavender mayonnaise. The finely diced blanched celery balances well texturally with the hunks of lobster, and the home-made potato roll brings a very homey property to the sweet and savory sandwich.

The Chef has imparted his decadent signature on the classic cheeseburger, and to do so spent weeks experimenting to get his meat proportions perfect.  We love when a chef aims for “optimal fat and flavor content” when selecting what to grind – and this burger, with aged cheddar and smokey bacon, can’t help but make you giggle like a school girl.  Both the mind and taste buds are absolutely tickled by the unsweetened donut that it’s served on, as well as by the fermented mushroom-ketchup that the chef created after “researching the various forgotten ketchups that stopped being made when people started relying on the grocery store for their condiments.”  This burger is legit.  To paraphrase MC Hammer, this burger is R2L2Q.

R2L is open from Monday through Wednesday 5pm to 1am and until 1:30 Thursday through Saturday, serving food until 10 and 11 respectively, and offers a full menu fit for the exclusive and inviting cocktail-party ambiance that the decor and highrise view suggests.   While we came for the sandwiches, we wouldn’t mind spending an evening here, eating the finger food, sampling the well-crafted cocktails and moving on to the full menu.

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R2L
37th Floor of Two Liberty Place
50 S. 16th Street – Philadelphia, PA (Google Map)
(215) 564-5337

Its origins are subject to debate, but there is no question that the Reuben is one of the country’s most popular and most delicious sandwiches.  Crispy buttered rye with russian dressing, sauerkraut, corned beef and swiss, the Reuben is a staple of deli cuisine, but two different Reubens claim to have created the eponymous sandwich.

Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocery owner from Omaha, is often credited with creating the sandwich at a poker game in 1925.  Arnold Reuben, a German-Jewish delicatessen owner in New York, also is believed to have invented the sandwich as early as 1914.  No matter what the true history of the sandwich may be, the Reuben can now be found on menus around the country, and is a quick and easy sandwich for the home cook.

But for those who really want to go the extra mile, try making your own corned beef or sauerkraut.

On a sunny corner of South Street that straddles Washington West and Bella Vista, seemingly miles removed from the blaring car stereos a few blocks to the east, Supper’s new lunch menu boldly re-imagines classic sandwiches with a welcoming, come as you are attitude.

Acclaimed Chef Mitch Prensky strives to create “the ultimate version” of iconic sandwiches, adding his own stamp to a Reuben, a French Dip, a Hot Dog and a Banh Mi.  Having once worked as Sous Chef for the lunch service at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill (in addition to his classic French training and New York fine dining experience,) Chef Prensky truly loves the action at lunch and needed to get his ideas for sandwiches out onto plates.  Now available Monday through Saturday, Supper’s lunch menu has some serious sandwich action.

Supper’s version of the Reuben is served on Famous 4th Street rye bread, sliced thick and brushed with bacon fat and a mustard aoili.  Fried carnitas-style pork belly is tossed with thousand island dressing, and toasted with cooked sauerkraut under a layer of gruyere.  Chef tops the open-faced sandwich with apple chutney because pork, apple and gruyere work so well together, even when served as a reuben with a side of pastrami chips.

The Banh Mi features crispy fried Malaysian-inspired squid with bits of spicy Sichuan sausage, heaps of cilantro, lettuce and pickled peppers on a baguette that was baked fresh a few blocks away at Ba Le Bakery, paired with five spice chips.

The Supper Dog is made in house from 100% pork shoulder – “all killer, no filler” – on a house baked, buttered bun.  Wrapped in bacon and deep fried, it is served with grain mustard, BBQ onions, kraut and buttermilk fried pickles.  The Lamb French Dip, served with Herbs de Provence chips, is made from house-prepared lamb pastrami and lamb jus, is served with feta and olives on a baguette cut on a bias to help with the dipping.

The menu also features a burger borrowed from the dinner menu with horseradish cream, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, gruyere and a side of duck fat fingerlings. The lobster roll is served as a tried and true classic and paired with Old Bay chips.  Traditional fresh steamed lobster is mixed with lemon aioli, chopped celery, salt and pepper on a top-loaded buttered bun.

Chef Prensky is openly enthusiastic about sandwiches because in his opinion, the layers of ingredients combine to make each bite the perfect bite.  Among his local favorites are John’s Roast Pork, Sarcone’s, Jim’s Steaks, Ba Le Bakery, even a late night panini at Old Nelson.  He stresses that people should not overlook the bread when making sandwiches – you want the right type, the right thickness, and sometimes, like with their house made charcuterie, older bread can better than fresh.

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Supper
926 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (Google Map)

We know that a great sandwich starts with great bread.  But what makes great bread different and better than ordinary breads?  We asked a true expert: Metropolitan Bakery’s head baker, James Barrett.

The answer is fermentation, and they figured it out hundreds of years ago in Europe.  Today, while most commercial bakeries pump out breads at breakneck speeds, Metropolitan takes 48 hours to let the dough rise under unique parameters of time, temperature and fermentation (Barrett’s approach is long, slow and cool.)  After spending 8 years as pastry chef at White Dog Café, Barrett developed his sourdough natural starter in 1987 and has kept the cultures alive and active for almost 20 years.  He considers himself a vessel for an age-old technique, allowing the natural bacteria and acids in the yeast to impart blisters on the crust.  Many bakers seek to avoid such imperfections, but that is exactly what Metropolitan aims for to bring out the flavor of the wheat.  Barrett believes their process results in chewier, moister breads with flavorful crusts.

Of course, it also starts with great flours, which the yeast eats three times a day.  Sourced primarily from Lindley Mills, an organic miller in North Carolina, the flour comes from Central US wheat fields.  Metropolitan uses no additives, fillers or conditioners, and grains and seeds are mixed and roasted by hand.

The French baguette is Metropolitan’s top seller, and always has been.  It is perfectly suited for a sandwich like prosciutto, fennel, onions and mustard.  The whole wheat sandwich bread is moist, fresh and light; great for a toasted sandwich or panini.  The multigrain bread pairs well with cheese and apples; and the nutty, sour, crisp and moist organic miche with rye flour is ideal for a chicken salad sandwich with tarragon mayonnaise.  For James Barrett, who prefers sandwiches toasted and pressed, it doesn’t get much better than a Reuben on NY rye – gooey, creamy, crisp and bursting with flavor.

After 15 years, Metropolitan now has 5 retail locations.  The Rittenhouse and Reading Terminal Market stores are managed by the company; the University City, Chestnut Hill and Old City (inside Farmicia) locations are managed by licensees.  At the University City store, breakfast and lunch sandwiches are made fresh to order.  Metropolitan also provides bakery and training for the H.O.M.E. Page Café at the Philadelphia Free Library.  Metropolitan breads are available at gourmet markets in the region, and can be found on the menu at restaurants including Rouge, Butcher & Singer and Pumpkin.  New cookies and pastry items are introduced frequently, and both breads and pastries change seasonally.

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Metropolitan Bakery
262 S 19th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)

A great beer selection and imaginative menu make Local 44 a welcome addition to the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Spruce Hill. Opened this past January, the bar has been working on perfecting and improving on its existing menu of delicious sandwiches and pub grub.

During a recent visit we found a very intriguing addition to the menu – Reuben Fritters. Although by definition not a sandwich, these delicious bites pay homage to the classic – pastrami and swiss cheese are fried golden in a rye bread batter. The dish is fittingly garnished with sauerkraut and drizzled with Thousand Island dressing.

The ‘Breakfast BLT’ further improves on one of my all time favorite sandwiches: well cooked Lancaster County smoked bacon, lettuce tomato and pepper jack cheese are topped by a monstrous sunny-side up egg that was cooked to perfection. Cutting the sandwich in half sends yolk oozing throughout, gently softening the thick cut toasted sourdough and adding an incredibly delicious texture. The dish is served with housemade chips and horseradish sauce for dipping.

The ‘All-Day Veggie Burger’ consists of two large homemade patties, lettuce and tomato on a bakery fresh brioche bun served with a side of fresh cut fries. This monstrous sandwich is the closest a herbivore will get to a Big Mac and only gets more exciting when adding a combination of the slew of toppings offered including jicama slaw, vegan chili, bleu cheese and more.

Polish off these great eats with a Ayinger Celebrator or one of the 19 other brews on tap or cask and you’ll leave Local 44 with a giant grin and a full stomach.

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Get your sandwich on:

Local 44
4333 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Google Map)