Rehoboth Foodie

Just when you think there are just enough subs / heros / grinders / hoagies in town, somebody throws a new twist into the mix. This time that twist comes from the Philadelphia-based sandwich ... oops, Hoagie ...  shop newly ensconced in the last little strip center on the right at the end of Rehoboth Avenue, just before you merge onto Coastal Highway.

The owner has another of these little joints in Exton, PA,, and several young and energetic members of his family have moved to the Rehoboth Beach area just to run the shop.

UPDATE: Well, it's happening even before I thought it would. The bright-eyed and bushy tailed service when PrimoHoagies first opened appears to be falling apart. At first I thought it was just a fluke, but our last three visits have been fraught with off-handedness, unnecessary mistakes and excessive waits. On one visit, we were greeted by a young man who made no effort to stop what was obviously busy-work. Three other employees were joking, high-fiving and watching TV sports by the back door. None took any notice of us. After about five minutes, the original guy finally felt uncomfortable enough to call one of them up to the counter. The server was polite, but where was he when we came in? We were the only customers. I watched that same thing happen with 6-8 more patrons, as 2 employees stood idle while one of them scrambled to wait on everyone. (By the way, this was on a Saturday night at dinnertime.)

On another visit, I tried to purchase something from the deli case that was not marked. It took one of the employees a very long time to futz with their pricing scale to finally come up with a price (which I suspect he finally made up). We stood there as a line formed behind us. The young lady ringing us up was embarrassed and apologized profusely, but the young man just tossed the item on the counter and couldn't have cared less.

Sadly, there does not appear to be anybody in charge there. Their food is good, but unless they can step up to the plate with the assembly-line efficiency of Casapulla's South and the attentive service at Capriotti's Sub Shop in  downtown Rehoboth, I fear for their survival. This is not rural Pennsylvania. This is Rehoboth Beach. We are not a captive audience, and we have LOTS of choices. Ratings have been adjusted accordingly.

Now back to the program already in progress:

Though the theme is obviously Italian hoagies (they have 18 Italian varieties from which to choose), they'll happily whip you up a roast pork, turkey, roast beef, corned beef, ham, tuna, bologna or buffalo chicken hoagie with your choice of a long list of toppings. My favorite area of the menu is The Diablos. If you like spicy, go there. On our first visit I had the Italian Diablo [pictured, right]. Bracing sopresatta (a cayenne-laced soft Italian salami) is paired with sharp provolone cheese, Capicola ham (a dry-aged, spicy Italian ham) and the standard choices of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. Their signature spices will definitely get your attention.

On another visit I ordered the Turkey Schwartzie. This is similar to the regular Schwartzie, but sub turkey for the corned beef. Add swiss, slaw and Russian dressing and you have a reuben-on-a-roll. The Schwartzie features Thumann's brand corned beef. It's lean and moist, with a tiny hint of cinnamon and clove. It's cut razor thin. The Schwartzie is also available with roast beef. Another variation on the theme is the Abruzzi. Broccoli rabe takes you by surprise as you bite into the roast pork and sharp provolone.

One of my favorite Foodies-at-Arms always tests a place by ordering the meatball sub [pictured, lower right]. Now I can't get him to order anything else. He says the meatballs stand up to any restaurant around here, and are made even better by the shredded parm/romano mixture and the particularly nice rolls.

Speaking of rolls, PrimoHoagies' bread is what sets them apart from the other sandwich places here in town. They are not the basic soft sub roll you normally encounter (not that there is nothing wrong with that!). These rolls are a bit firmer, with a lightly crisp crust (coated in sesame seeds) but a light, yeasty interior. Not only do they provide a stable foundation for all the fillings, sauces and stuff, but they taste great. I made the young guy behind the counter promise that the rolls would ALWAYS be fresh. We'll see if he keeps that promise. If he does, then we have a big winner in the bread department here in Rehoboth Beach.

Other choices include the "Cutlet Combos," where chicken cutlets are paired with everything from bleu cheese to buffalo sauce, to ham, to provolone...you name it. I'm sure these are OK, but I'll stick with my Italians, thank you.

There's a little cold case off to the side where they sell their sauces, slaw, salamis, etc. Some of the goodies would make for nice party appetizers. Have you tried any of these? Post your comments below and share your thoughts with us all.

RehobothFoodie.com's eternal veggie-head and official seeker of the perfect Grilled Cheese will love the "Meatless Delights" section. I'll leave it to her to pass judgment on that. Primohoagies also does party trays, sampler trays and catering. A big value-added is that they deliver across the highway and also all the way down to the beach (note the $20 minimum order for delivery).

In the off-season, call them to see if they're open (302) 727-5476. Click here for a look at their basic menu. (L., D) Price range: Inexpensive.