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| Girard Avenue |
There was a time when Subway, Jerry's Subs and Pizza (shudder) and Quiznos used to battle for sandwich supremacy in the nation's capital. Thankfully those days are far behind us, thanks to the likes of Taylor Gourmet. Taylor costs a tiny bit more; but the difference in quality is almost mind-blowing. Why "slum around," when an extra buck nets you a sandwich two or three times better?
In addition to tastier food, Taylor Gourmet feels and looks better than its competition. I stopped by their 19th & M Street, NW location on a Sunday, and was surprised to encounter top-notch customer service (sooo nice.) Lucky for me, that was only the beginning; as I placed an order for the Girard Avenue (sans cheese) a steal of a deal at just $6.90 ($9.60 with chips and a drink.) Taylor names all its sandwiches after streets in Philadelphia, PA. Judging by my sammy, Girard Avenue must intersect with Heaven at some point. It holds tons of house-roasted Italian pork, sautéed onions and peppers as well as sharp provolone cheese (not for me.)
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| Chocolate Chip Cookies |
The pork was incredibly moist; and although there weren't as many red peppers as I'd like, the onions were plentiful and packed with flavor. Tucked inside a soft, seeded bun, you couldn't ask for more. Bonus points for grilling the bread too. As I like to say, it's all in the details.
Speaking of, Taylor serves Pucks Sugar Cane Soda, a mile above the standard Coke and Pepsi, one finds at Subway, etc. They also offer incredibly chewy (and tasty) cookies... two of em, in place of chips. Not exactly revolutionary; but I think it's safe to refer to each menu item as uniquely special. Toss in the aforementioned service (really, really nice) a comfortable dining room and good air conditioning (always a plus) and you have before you, the next generation of chain sandwich shops. Best of all, they have more than a dozen more "addresses" worth exploring, including Passyunk Avenue with hot pastrami and cherry pepper dijonnaise. Can you say road trip?
