Castellino’s Italian Market

Cara Jo Castellino and Matthew Barrow’s Italian market, which opened in Fishtown in 2016, quickly developed a reputation for being what critic Craig LaBan calls “one of the high practitioners of mindful hoagie art.” Mindful is right: Every item on these sandwiches, created on Liscio’s rolls, is sliced to order, while oil is swiped on the roll side to side, not lengthwise, to minimize sogginess in the roll's hinge. There’s clever flavor play at work, too, like the sweet-and-salty duo of fig jam and prosciutto on the Fig Pig, and an uncharacteristic boldness to the mayo-less spicy tuna salad on the Aunt Lucy. And who’d think to spread bacon jam on the roll for a turkey and cheddar sandwich? There are other top hoagie shops — and you may have your favorite — but we give the edge to Castellino's for its studiousness.