The Italian Market branch of Paesano’s, the much-loved Girard Avenue sandwich shop from Modo Mio chef-owner Peter McAndrews and partner Nathan Baynes opened to the public at 11 a.m today with something of a bang. The fire alarm, despite there being no fire, went off just before 11 a.m. and the keys to shut off the system had been misplaced. The fire department came by in full force before the situation got squared away. “It’s Murphy’s Law,” said McAndrews, of the first day craziness - judging from our sampling of the Arista, that craziness had no effect on the extreme deliciousness of the sandwiches. The new Paesano’s, located in the former Butcher’s Cafe at 901 Christian Street, offers a more comfortable setting that its hole-in-the-wall sibling - there are wood tables and chairs and it’s bright and sunny thanks to large windows on both sides. For now, hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.. So will breakfast or brunch ever be a possibility?
Baynes says they’ll wait and see what the neighborhood seems to want. “When we opened up the first Paesano’s, we only had four sandwiches - we waited for our customers to tell us what they wanted.” So is a pepper and egg breakfast sandwich perhaps in their future? Maybe, says Baynes, “But we’re definitely sticking with sandwiches.”
See the menu online here or in chalkboard form below.
Paesano’s, 901 Christian St.; (215) 215-922-2220
