Good Taste: A veggie hoagie by the beach

Don't let the take-out window and shack-like appearance of Ocean City's Sandwich Bar fool you.

This isn't an ordinary fast-food beachside grill.

Everything is made to order, from the excellent hand-cut fries and lobster rolls, to the crisp chicken cutlets and slow-cooked Italian roast pork sandwiches from the D'Alesandro family that once operated Via Giulia in Haddonfield.

If that means a considerable wait, well, their slogan after all is a "long hot summer."

That refers to the kitchen's fondness for long hot chilies, of course, and those peppers are at their spicy best on the surprising "Uncle Charlie," a hot vegetarian hoagie that may well be the best thing on the menu. A double fistful of garlicky greens - broccoli rabe, spinach, and peppers, plus onions and tomatoes - are sautéed and tucked still-juicy with sharp provolone into a hoagie roll from Atlantic City's classic Formica Bros. Bakery.

And yes, it's worth the long hot wait.

-Craig LaBan
Uncle Charlie, $8, Sandwich Bar, 3255 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, 609-741-9888 (call ahead); sandwichbaroc.com.