One thing you can say about Casey Patten and David Mazza: They are ahead of the curve. On Thursday, March 21, the duo mark the official opening of their seventh—seventh!—Taylor Gourmet sandwich shop, with five locations in DC, one in Bethesda, and another in the new Mosaic District in Merrifield, Virginia. And then there’s their second concept, Taylor Charles Steak & Ice, which debuted on H Street, Northeast, in December.
The Philly friends started selling hoagies inspired by their hometown back in 2008, before celebrity chefs began plotting world domination via haute fast-casual sandwich chains (see Pepe, Lunchbox, G) and neighborhood places such as Bub and Pop’s and New Orleans Po’ Boy Shop arrived.
The new location at 624 E Street, Northwest, takes over the space that once housed the short-lived Meatballs, a restaurant with mysterious ownership and terrible meatballs. Given Patten and Mazza’s track record, Taylor Gourmet should fare way better. It will serve 36 different foot-long “signature” hoagies, plus salads and sides. There will also be breakfast hoagies on Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 11 AM. Breakfast offerings at Taylor include the Jefferson Street—pork roll, caramelized onions, eggs, and aged cheddar—and the Reed Street, with pepperoni, eggs, and sweet provolone. The menu on E Street will be familiar to Taylor fans—“no new items (yet),” a restaurant rep told us via e-mail. Penn Quarter residents will be happy to learn that delivery sandwich service is in the cards, as well. Next up? A store at 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest.
Taylor Gourmet. 624 E St., NW; 202-652-0175.
