Two very different casual dining locations in two very different neighborhoods of Philadelphia opened in the last week with handhelds — handcrafted sandwiches at Newbold’s Nipotina, Po boys, gyros, wraps and quesadillas at Brewerytown Food Hall — front and center on the menu.
At West Passyunk’s new corner sandwich salon Nipotina, the names and faces involved with its opening are as familiar (of course, with a twist) as the handheld house’s tasty flavors. Marlo and Jason Dilks have been behind Philly-favored curated burger (P’unk) and pizza hot spots (SliCe) for nearly 20 years. According to Marlo, however this new shop is more about heritage than it is meatballs and cutlets—even though, those meatballs and cutlets are amazing.
“I grew up in and around this whole neighborhood,” said Marlo. Motioning toward every side of the 21st and Wolf streets, she points where her dad Lou Fioravanti, a South Philly fixture, owned the Meat Barn grocery, Cousins’ luncheonette, and the hideaway Little Louie’s Italian social club. Behind the counter at Nipotina’s, there’s a huge sign for Marlo’s Kitchen in Folcroft, another Fioravanti family find.
Marlo Dilks’ history — and what she and husband Jason have learned since their start — is in every bite of every sandwich at Nipotina.
Nipotina’s deli meat-seeded Liscio’s roll sandwiches are packed with prosciutto, soppressata, hot imported capocollo, imported mortadella, sharp provolone and red onion (“The Millie”) or grilled eggplant, zucchini, broccoli rabe, fried red peppers and provolone (“Federal Street”).
Fioravanti family recipes when it comes to tender breaded cutlets and zesty red gravy-slathered meatballs are the way to go for Nipotina’s handhelds – like its namesake chicken cutlet sandwich topped with fried Genoa salami, fried red peppers and chipotle mayo. Want more heat? Try “The Little Louie”—same cutlet, just with some bitter broccoli rabe, some thick juicy long hots and sharp provolone. Meatball sandwiches? Try “Rita’s Meatball Parm” with marinara and fresh mozzarella or “Meatballs My Way,” which is stuffed with mozzarella, horseradish mayo, arugula and no-gravy fried meatballs.
When it comes to all things Philadelphia: yes, Nipotina has great cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks and vegan cheesesteaks with everything from fried onions and portabella mushrooms to their signature P’unk sauce. But, their densely packed and meaty “Everyday I’m Truffling” with tender ribeye steak, black truffle burrata, truffle oil and a gentle touch of truffle honey—it could be the best cheesesteak in Philly… maybe ever.
Across the city, Brewerytown Food Hall on the 300 block of N. 31st Street is a completely different vibe and set of flavors.
An industrial corner hot spot, Brewerytown Food Hall opens up its wide garage/opera doors for a free air hangout. Which is great as, at the front of the BFH, there are table tennis/ping pong tables and foosball games for competitive play, surrounded by a ground bar and lounge seats. Move up one level, and the loud-as-metal, high ceilinged space is surrounded by bars topped by hi-def large scale television screens with table seating in the center, as well as a DJ, and – on Thursday nights – a Bingo game caller.
Mostly, though, there is cuisine of every sort, ethnicity and taste at Brewerytown Food Hall – hence its name to go with the cavernous vibe.
Handheld noshables are the way of the walk at Brewerytown Food Hall – (Mexican) quesadillas with pico and guacamole, (New Orleans) grill crusted Cajun chicken sandwiches and ciabatta bread-cased Po boys filled with jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage and tabasco mayo, (Greek) grilled pita gyros filled with lamb and cucumber dill sauce, ribeye cheesesteak wraps, (Georgia) tempura rice flour-battered Hunnie’s chicken with chipotle aioli on a brioche, battered cod-filled tacos, Applewood bacon and cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches, big burgers on big buns and more.
Like the space itself, every handheld at Brewerytown Food Hall is big and tasty.
