Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

141 S. State Rd
Springfield, PA 19064
(484) 472-6257
Website

Given such beautiful weather on a Sunday in March, I decided some hiking might be nice and made the trip out to Ridley Creek State Park. It's not without some hesitation that I also thought some hoagies might be nice. Tucked away (not at all) in a quaint little strip mall (also not true) was a little mom-and-pop place (wrong) by the name of "Capriotti's."

While the original shop in Wilmington, DE may have had an air of originality, this new breed has more of a Quizno's or Jimmy John's feel to it. Now, I'm all for operating a lucrative business, but some of the experience is lost on the corporate aesthetic that's heavy in their franchising.

Now, I don't know if you know this, but they're especially known for their "Bobbie®," which is a straight-forward interpretation of Thanksgiving leftovers in hoagie form. "In 1976, Lois Margolet's (original proprietor) concept was to capture the hearts of 'real turkey lovers,' an idea that would separate Capriotti's Sandwich Shop from almost all of its competition."

And that's pretty much where the story ends, I won't bore you with the hunger for money and the need to grow into a formulaic chain, etc. The 'kitchen' was staffed by a number of local high schoolers.

Obviously, I ordered the Bobbie® and also went with a classic Italian - to be used as more of a gauge for comparison to the competition.

Behold, the glory of Thanksgiving in March. I will say, for being so packed full of stuff(ing), this sandwich did not come across as heavy by any means.

The balance of flavors was there, with the tart, sweet cranberry sauce lending a welcome contrast to the amalgam of turkey and stuffing. Not that their individual presences weren't entirely noticeable - it's just that everything was so icy cold that it was sometimes difficult to discern them.

Now, that being said, I held the second half of this one for snacking later, and once the ingredients had settled themselves into a room-temperature presentation, it was 110% improved. If you get this one, don't eat it right away, definitely save it for later.

Next up was the Italian hoagie, with the works - which obviously includes oil AND mayo, always.

The bread left a lot to be desired. Hailing from a city that creates some of the best seeded rolls in the world, I find it nearly impossible to take an Italian (hoagie, of course) seriously when it's on something that's obviously been created to host a meatball sub.

The meat was sliced way too thick and the oregano-crusted ham overpowered the other flavors to an unforgivable degree.

Overall, if you're out in the suburbs where Cap's is the only place around to get your hoagie fix - go early, get the Bobbie and eat it once it's been left to sit for an hour. Otherwise, make the drive into Philly and get yourself some cold cuts on a proper long roll.

-Posted by gabulous