Taylor Gourmet

After eating one of their sandwiches I couldn't get enough. I went their with my gf and we got two different sandwiches. Well after taking one bite I didn't want to share. I know that's mean but they were so good. I reluctantly did and took a bite out of hers. Now I wanted hers and mine. Grrr more

The hoagies served here are as good as the namesake served in Philadelphia. The 9th Street Italian is beautifully crafted. Ask for hot peppers to give it even additional ooomph. Service is always fast, friendly and efficient. more

Taylor's is as great a sandwich shop as I've ever been to. The sandwiches are fresh and original. They're open nearly every hour of the day and they have some amazing beverage offerings as well... Pros: Hearty and fresh bread, great meats Cons: The mouth-watering wait for the sandwich to be made more

That's the only thing you'll find upsetting about Taylor. The sandwiches are so good that you'll want them at all times - but I guess that the guys need some R more

Like a good man, a delicious sandy can be hard to find. But No Longer! With the opening of two locations and a third on the way, Taylor is serving up a delicious selection of meats n' cheeses on dough that will rock you in the best of ways. My rec? Go with the grilled chicken sandwich with presciutto, pesto, and goat cheese (but I'm kinda fancy like that). Pros: Delicious Sandwiches Cons: A little too good more

If you want something done right, do it yourself. That's what Philadelphia natives Casey Patten and David Mazza realized after searching Washington for the perfect Italian hoagie. If they found the meat, the cheese wasn't right. And the bread? Let's not even talk about the bread. At Taylor Gourmet, the pair's new Italian deli that opened this month on up-and-coming H Street NE, everything is just as it should be. The cured meats and cheeses are imported from Italy. The turkey is roasted in-house, and the marinara sauce is made each morning. The Italian bread, crusty on the outside, light and chewy on the inside, is delivered daily from Sarcone's, a fifth-generation Philadelphia bakery. The menu looks bigger than it is. There are 13 hoagies and 11 chicken cutlet sandwiches, each named for a street in Philly. But most are various combinations of Taylor's staple ingredients. The 9th Street Italian ($6.90 for a six-inch, $8.90 for a 12-inch) is a classic: seeded bread topped with prosciutto, capicola, salami and provolone that has aged for 18 months. It's plenty filling but relies on the quality of the meats and cheeses, not the quantity of them, to make it good. We also liked the Benjamin Franklin Parkway ($6.70, $9), breaded cutlets topped with the house marinara and provolone. The chicken, coated in leftover hoagie crumbs, is juicy and flavorful. Ask for a side of marinara for dunking. Taylor also offers salads, which are named for Philadelphia parks. Each includes greens tossed with vegetables, cheese and baby pasta called pastina, which makes it filling enough to be a meal. Try the Roosevelt Park ($7), an almost meaty mix of arugula, cremini mushrooms, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Taylor is designed for takeout, but the ambiance entices you to stay. The walls are exposed brick with rough-hewn wood, reclaimed from delivery pallets, tacked on top. The market in back is great for browsing. There are about a dozen olive oils and vinegars, plus fresh and dried pastas, sauces, gelato and 30 wines priced under $30. If you can't get there or don't want to stand in what sometimes are long lines, Taylor delivers almost anywhere in the District for a $2 surcharge. -- Jane Black (Nov. 23, 2008) more