Honestly Joe had a smile from ear to ear as soon as he saw the sign... Even more so as he hunkered into a booth. That smile never went away as he ordered "halfa regular" and a "halfa cheese steak," adamant that this was no Philly cheese steak! And honestly "halfa" sub is about a foot long!
The White House opened in 1946 by Anthony Basile and his Aunt Basilia and Uncle Fritz. Today their kids carry on the tradition.
Maybe the kids have been serving subs a little too long... There ain't no service with a smile. Half a sub will set you back about 6 bucks but it's about enough to feed a family of 6! The "regular" is jam-packed (and I mean it) with salami, provolone, ham, coppacolla, tomatoes, lettuce and onions plus this spicy hot pepper relish that I couldn't get enough of! And the soft bread is what makes it!
I'd just been at the James Beard Awards where they give five restaurants in the US an American Classic Award. It's always the best part of the Awards. Just that slice of Americana is worth a trip to NY to see the people who receive them! As I tried to wrap my mouth around the sub I thought, this place should get an American Classics Beard Award. As we walked out the door, I noticed the Award hanging behind the cash register right next to the toothpicks!
Joanne - how fun and funny. My husband grew up in Ocean City, New Jersey, and whenever we visited there (not all that often) we went to HIS favorite place, called Voltaco's (pronounced vole-tack-o's) in Ocean City. It's the next island south of Atlantic City. That part of the world is really famous for their subs, but they're altogether different than what you get anywhere else. It's the relish, obviously!! We've even been known to buy one and bring it home in our carry-on.
ReplyDeleteI just ate a huge brunch and the picture and description made me hungry all over again! This definitely sounds like winning sandwich. It's so often about the bread, isn't it?
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