Paesano’s Philly Style—Chef Peter McAndrews’ famed sandwich shop—has been revived in a new location in South Philadelphia’s Italian Market.
McAndrews, who now works with his son Aidan, opened Saturday at 943 S. Ninth St.
Peter McAndrews said that, for now, stay away from the Modo Mia trattoria on Fifth Street and Passyunk Avenue in Queen Village. McAndrews, who opened there in February 2020 just before the pandemic, said he was trying to renegotiate his lease.
At Paesano’s, which has bounced around town for a decade, the McAndrewses have revived what former Inquirer food writer Rick Nichols called “great sandwiches, big-flavor, fast food.”
There’s Liverax, with crispy chicken livers, Genoa salami, raw onions, roasted tomatoes, orange aioli, gorgonzola, iceberg lettuce, and spicy sauce. There’s also Gustaio, which is lamb sausage grilled with sun-dried cherries Mostarda, gorgonzola, roasted fennel, and arugula. Lasagna Bolognese, crispy eggplant, seared mortadella, sharp provolone, pistachios, golden raisins, and Marsala. All served in rolls from Karanji Bakery.
He also brought some appetizers and three pastas from Modo Mio, making for an early dinner.
Peter McAndrews hit the radar in late 2007 with Modo Mio, a BYOB trattoria, in a corner space at Girard Avenue and Hancock Street on the Northern Liberties-Kensington line. McAndrews worked as chef for 12 years at the late Rembrandt’s Hotel in Fairmount. (Modo Mio closed five years ago).
McAndrews took the sandwich route with Paesano’s in late 2008 as a six-seat counter across Girard Avenue from Modo Mio. After a few years, he moved it a few doors down for more space; Closed early in the pandemic.
In 2010, he opened Paesano’s on Ninth and Christian Streets in the Italian Market. In 2011 he transformed this Paesano site into a Sicilian trattoria called Monsu, and moved two blocks from Paesano south.
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The McAndrews opened a bar-restaurant called La Torta in Media and a BYOB called Popolino on Fifth Street and Fairmount Avenue on the edge of Northern Liberties. Then came a cruise called Heffe in Fishtown, and the Paesano outpost on the Temple University campus. He still owns Laporta. Other restaurants are closed.
Paesano’s is open at 943 S. Ninth St. It is open from 11 am to 7 pm from Wednesday to Friday, from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday, and from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday.