Philadelphia Style Hoagies in San Francisco?
Yes, this is an Oyster blog. No, this post is not on Oysters. But, I recently found something so incredible that I had to share it with other SF and Bay Area residents. And you know it's got to be good if it warrants a non-Oyster post.
Upon moving to San Francisco, there were many culinary treats I thought I would miss from the the Mid-Atlantic. But, I soon came to realize that a soft pretzel is a soft pretzel, for the most part. There actually are good cheese steaks out here, despite what some may say. All the great microbreweries around made me soon forget Yuengling. And there are so many "micro-chipperies" that Herr's potato chips are easily replaced. However, the East Coast delight that has simply not been made in the Bay Area is the Philadelphia style Italian Hoagie. Over the past two years I've been frantically searching for one, taking any and all suggestions. None have been up to par, until now.
I've paid $10 for my fair share of SF sandwiches, and some are very good. However, often you just end up with avocado covered nonsense, shabby "house roasted" turkey, and some damn "aioli" that you wish you could forget. Nothing like the value and quality you receive with an Italian Hoagie. Also aioli is not technically aioli if it does not have garlic in it. It means "garlic" and "oil." Somehow, mayonnaise has become a dirty word and aioli has replaced it, even though 9 times out of 10 it's not actual aioli. My buddy's been bitching about this for a while and I kind of agree with him. A bit pedantic, but true.
Anyway, this is one of the few sandwiches I have no qualms paying more than $10 for (but they only charge $10). The owner of Deli Board, famous for its baked-to-order bread and corned beef sandwiches, has started a pop-up out the back of the store called 1058 Hoagies.
Plenty of places in SF have claimed to make an "italian hoagie." Sorry guys, it takes a bit more than just putting Boar's Head on an Amoroso's roll. The bread needs to be soft and toothsome with ends that are almost over-saturated with oil and vinegar. Properly shredded iceberg lettuce. Hot peppers and and italian seasoned onions so aromatic passing pedestrians can smell them through the bag. Tomatoes prepped on an industrial slicer so they're translucently thin. Only a thin layer of provolone as to not over power but give just the right bite. And there needs to be so much meat it would make a nun blush. That's the proper hoagie, and 1058 Hoagies is making a damn good one.
It's an unapologetic monster at 12 inches long. Size is irrelevant unless quality is there though, and it certainly is. 1058 easily passes all tests. Great sesame seed fresh baked roll, well seasoned onions, salt & pepper, oil & vinegar, cherry peppers, shredded lettuce adorably known as "shredduce," and the perfect ratio of thinly sliced provolone to generous helpings of capicola, mortadella, and genoa salami (Italian delis' holy trinity). I have to admit the pictured sandwich is not the Italian Hoagie I speak of, or "the #1" as it's known at 1058. I couldn't make it home to take a picture before devouring the whole thing like a crazy person on the street and bus (passengers definitely noticed the onions, ha). However, they were so kind that they gave me a free hoagie, the #10 on their website. Be it a misfire or just pure generosity, I certainly appreciated it and will be returning soon for a bite into the East Coast's best.
They are open on select nights, listed on their schedule on the website (seems to be in sync with Giants home games). Whether you follow them on Twitter, schedule the dates on your iPhone calender, or camp out on the corner of Russ St. and Folsom St., I highly recommend getting one of these hoagies. I'm sure you'll see me there.
Cheers,
The SF Oyster Nerd/A Hoagie Junkie