The cheesesteak may be Philadelphia’s signature sandwich, but the region also has an abundance of other great long-roll offerings, including roast pork, chicken cutlets and hoagies. I don’t eat nearly as many of the latter as I used to – in part because I only have so many large sandwiches in me during any given month, and most of those are allotted for cheesesteaks and the occasional pastrami or corned beef on rye.
But every once in a while I get a craving for an Italian hoagie and it had been starting to build in recent weeks. Seeing someone post online about his hoagie from Talluto’s deli and Italian gourmet shop of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, last week pushed me over the edge. They are only about a 15 minute drive from my home, so I headed over there late last Wednesday morning to pick up an Italian hoagie for me and a veggie hoagie for my wife.
Talluto’s has been around since the 1960s and also has a store at Philly’s legendary 9th Street Italian Market. A timeline of their history can be found here. The shop in Ridley Park that I went to only opened in 2013, but it has an abundantly classic look.
They don’t have quite the array or volume of goods that I’ve seen at a few other Delaware County Italian delis, but what they do have looks very good.
In line with that, the sandwich menu at Talluto’s is a relatively small one.
There were two Italian hoagie variations on the menu. I opted for the Old World, which includes aged sharp provolone in addition to dry cured capicola, Genoa salami, prosciutto, veggies and seasoning. And I requested the addition of oil. My wife’s veggie hoagie included grilled eggplant, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers and sharp provolone.
I brought the sandwiches back home for consumption.
Between the red peppers, green broccoli rabe and white cheese, my wife’s veggie hoagie featured the colors of the Italian flag. She voiced approval of it from a quality and taste standpoint.
As for my Old World Italian hoagie, either the man who took my order misheard me or I didn’t say what I intended to. I was expecting a large – 12 inch – hoagie, but when I took it out of the bag upon returning home, I saw that it was a small – 6 inch – sandwich. What initially seemed disappointing wound up being a lucky break, as the small was enough to satisfy my appetite without leaving me either disgustingly full or having to save half for later – after it’s gotten soggy in the refrigerator.
The variety and sharpness of the meats at Talluto’s isn’t what I’ve seen at the other Delco Italian delis that I previously alluded to. But what was on my hoagie came together beautifully and resulted in a very good – but not overpowering – overall flavor.
Everything on the sandwich was ideally proportioned, and the roll had a nice chewy crust in addition to being very fresh. The hoagie included both chopped red and white onions. That’s a rarity and was most welcome.
I can certainly see myself returning to Talluto’s. Their meatball sandwich is of particular interest for a future visit. Whether I get another Italian hoagie there may depend on whether I’m in the mood for something sharper or the milder, yet well-balanced taste of the one I had last week.
BZ Maestro Eats 