Spataros
Philadelphia - Gourmet Style - 5/10
The Reading Terminal Market is considered by many to be the very essance of food in Philadelphia. It is a shame that the venue's primary seller of hoagies, Spataros, is the epitome of nothing but culinary nondescriptness.
The menu over the Spataros counter, deep in the culinary jungle of the market, reads "Our name is Spataro, of course we know how to make a hoagie". They certainly do know all the steps, as well as the theory (their hoagie conforms well to the gourmet discipline, with its dry, meaty flavor).
However, they come up quite short in the execution. While the hoagie roll is fresh, flavorful and delicious, the meat, while of good quality, is sliced paper thin and the provolone cheese is essentially see-through. While I am certainly a fan of onion, Spataros is overly reliant on them in crafting the flavor of the sandwhich.
Conclusion - Spataros makes a completely edible attempt at the gourmet hoagie, but fouls it up in the proportions: too much onion, not enough meat or cheese and a confused application of lettuce (See image) that leaves every other bite without that essential element. Because the taste of the sandwhich does not unreasonably suffer from its own poor construction, we give Spataros a rating of 5, our of a possible 10. (An "average" score).
Practicalities - Spataros is located at 12th & Filbert Streets in Center City, Philadelphia in the famous Reading Terminal Market. The Italian hoagie costs $6.75. Ample seating is available.
Reviewed May 16, 2009 by David Jacobson