Nichole Checks Out Taylor Gourmet on H St. (NOW DELIVERING)

DC is not a sandwich city. This is a common lament from transplants who remember the delis back home and are looking for a little sustenance on a sub roll. Sure, there’s Litteri’s, So’s Your Mom, breadline, and the Chicken Madness at Wisey’s, but for a city of this size, it can seem like slim pickings.

David Mazza and Casey Patten are Philly transplants who recognized the need for a place to get a decent sub in DC and so they opened Taylor Gourmet earlier in the month. The folks over at Frozen Tropics have been holding their breath waiting for this spot to open at 1116 H St. NE for months now. And now that they have, it seems like a day doesn’t go by that a new positive review isn’t posted on a blog or, most recently, in the Post.

I recently dropped in on Taylor moments before the lunch rush and got to chat a bit with David, and of course, grab a sandwich and some risotto balls. My timing was great because 5 minutes after placing my order, the line was starting to form. I asked David what he recommended and he said that I had to give the 9^th Street Italian a try. Perfect, because I’d been eying the menu for a while and that was precisely what I was thinking. I got a side of risotto balls and a soda from the Boylan’s fountain.

Continues after the jump.

While I waited I browsed the market and although I restrained by urge to spend on pastas, olive oils, vinegars and deli meats, I am sure that I will be back.

I got my food to go and my mouth was watering just from the smell by the time I got home. I worried that the sandwich couldn’t live up to the hype and that I’d end up disappointed. I unwrapped my food, and snapped a few pictures before digging in. I knew from bite one that there would be no disappointment. The meats, the cheese, the oil and vinegar and the amazing bread from Sarcone’s in Philadelphia (brought in fresh, daily) tasted like the Italian hoagies back home and definitely give Litteri’s a run for their money here. (For the record, I remain a loyal Litteri’s fan, and there’s been a lot of blog back-and-forth trying to compare the two since both are located relatively near each other. I think it’s like comparing apples and oranges really, and there is more than enough room for both – and the Italian Store in Arlington.) The risotto balls were deep fried nuggets of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and come with a side of Taylor’s homemade marinara.

As I mentioned in the title, Taylor’s also delivers and caters. I’ve lived on the Hill for years and I can not begin to express my joy at this development. There are so few delivery options over here, that to have one of Taylor’s caliber is truly a blessing. They have a very wide delivery area, and will deliver most anywhere in the city for a $2 surcharge.

In addition to Taylor’s food and market being a welcome and needed addition to the H St. neighborhood, Casey and David have shown a great commitment to the community by not only opening up shop, but by buying the building and living in the units upstairs. The H Street neighborhood is lucky to have them, and so are we neighbors to the south on the Hill.