Planet Hoagie

30 W State St.
Media, PA 19063
(610) 891-1919
Website

Yes, there is a planet hoagie at Citizen's Bank Park; no, it's not nearly as good as the little spot tucked away on State street in Media. This is seriously my favorite hoagie spot, currently. I am obviously fickle, and this could change, but they just do everything right, all the time.

The inside is what you would expect of a little hoagie joint, nothing fancy, and with a meat slicer that probably costs more than anything else in the place, I could relate to their taste for the finer things as soon as I walked through the door.

In order to compare apples to apples, I offer up the turkey Schwartzie and the Italian. These are two staples at Primo's, but I think that Planet Hoagie does BOTH better. Don't get me wrong, Primo's is delicious, but Planet Hoagie has the rolls! Corropolese bakery rolls to be exact. They have the crunch and chew of a Sarcone's, but with a lighter interior. This roll is perfect.

The Rocco features hot sopressata, capacola, genoa salami, and sharp provolone. I usually get it with the works, which includes lettuce, tomato, onion, and banana peppers.

The deli meat is sliced exceptionally thin, and the sharp prov is quite a healthy portion. Everything is perfectly distributed, and the roll holds it all together nicely. It's the perfect Italian hoagie.

The Schwartzie boasts thin sliced turkey, coleslaw, Swiss, and Thousand Island. It's a perfect blend, and they don't skimp the dressing, which helps ease it all down my gullet.

Again, this sandwich is just wet enough, and the roll holds up perfectly. It's something you start to crave again not long after hosing yourself off from the sandwich you just ate.

But maybe that's because my hands smell for the rest of the day anyway.

Cacia's Bakery & Primo Hoagies

Ritner & Mole Streets
(between 15th & 16th)
South Philadelphia

Any time I take a trip down south of Snyder, I find it hard not to hit the amazing couple of blocks on Ritner just west of Broad. Here's where you can get a slice of pizzaz, a top-notch Italian hoagie, a ham pie and a dozen cannoli's - just to name a few, all at 4-6 neighboring old-school establishments. Two of my absolute faves: Cacia's and Primo's.

I'm no stranger to Cacia's, it's like visiting your grandmother, if your grandmother lived in a bakery. They're beyond friendly and never turn down a special request - like baking a 6 foot long roll for your 6 foot hoagie party, or making a big frisbee loaf for muffaletta because the Saints are in the Super Bowl.

But I digress. There's no special order this time, just getting down and dirty with some pizzaz.

Cacia's is the authority on pizzaz pie, with its creamy American cheese bubbled and browned to perfection every time. You can buy a slice for $1.30 or cater your next party with a whole pie for $11.50 - just make sure to invite me.

The pickled banana peppers add a warming tang that lends a sort of (out-of-a-jar) brightness to each bite. The fresh tomatoes give it a smack of juiciness to make up for the omission of sauce. Look at this buttery crust. Incredible.

Something about the green on the broccoli pie called to me. It was probably the fact that I hadn't eaten vegetables in nearly 3 days.

The chopped bits of blanched broccoli definitely filled my need for vitamins & minerals. Another slice of crispy, chewy, buttery crust was the perfect vessel to deliver the firm bits of green. Who knew eating healthy could be so delicious?

As if the visit to Cacia's wasn't enough, an order from Primo Hoagies seemed like it would fulfill (almost) all of my Saturday morning, pre-Flyer's game needs.

Primo is an eastern PA-NJ franchise that just recently broke out in the FL market (thank you spring training), but this one here on Ritner, it's the O.G.

They use rolls baked specially by my favorite regional bakery, Liscio's in South Jersey, and their quality is unmatched. I read that each seeded roll is baked "using a technique that is optimal for transport... It gets baked seven-eighths of the way, and then we flash-freeze it. Each franchise has a small convection oven and when it comes out, it's like it's fresh right out of a bakery oven."

And I'm okay with that, because I can attest to that truth.

The crusty roll is by far the best part of these hoagies, but the fresh-slicing of Thumann's deli meats doesn't hurt either. This is the Sicilian with dry cured capacola, sharp prov & natural casing genoa salami. A sure bet to satisfy any hoagie-driven hunger.

So, in conclusion, head to 15th & Ritner with an open mind, an empty stomach, and about $20. You'll leave wishing you lived right around the corner and that eating like a king didn't require so much exercise.

Cafe Nhu Y

802 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-6544

Cafe Nhu Y is my favorite Banh Mi in the city. They are a tiny Mom-and-Pop shop with cheap, fresh, extremely delicious sandwiches. When I say "Mom-and-Pop," it's literally a two person team, preparing delicious Vietnamese hoagies in tandem.

While you wait, be sure to grab an iced coffee.

My two favorites are the shredded pork and the tofu. The tofu is fantastic when you want something light and healthy, yet filling and flavorful. These sandwiches look exactly the same, so there is no real difference between the pictures.

They use all of the authentic ingredients for a Banh Mi, including cucumber, shredded carrot, jalapeno slices and flavored rice noodles, in addition to the protein you select.

The rice noodles pack a deep flavor that transfers well to the overall taste of the fresh vegetables. A certain "umami" characteristic that can only come from fermentation. Overall, this is one of, if not the best, authentic Bahn Mi around. Give it a try. I mean seriously, they are only $4.