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    Restaurant Review: Hoagie City

    Ever heard of the hug of death? That’s typically when an internet destination is so popular, that the wave of visitors overwhelms its server. 

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    It can happen that way for dining destinations (and their servers) too. A new joint makes its debut, excited eaters pile in, and the kitchen and serving staff are overwhelmed. Based on early dining reports, such was the case when Hoagie City debuted in Hilliard. The metro area rejoiced in the news of the arrival of a suburban sub shop. The masses swarmed, and wait times were impacted.

    It’s been a few weeks, which has allowed some time for the first wave of enthusiasm to moderate. That said, there was still a line at Hoagie City at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon: That’s not exactly rush hour in the dining scene. Guests filed down past the deli counter, which itself is lined with full-sized bags of potato chips and covered in hand-drawn signs saying thing like, “We now have hot crushed cherry peppers.” Over the counter and signage, you can see the entire kitchen operation.

    To be honest, the pace started slow, but that turned out to be the fault of a talkative customer. People get excited about their sandwiches. Things moved more briskly as the guests filed ahead. The protocol at Hoagie City is familiar deli-style. You order a sandwich at the cash register, then you stand and wait. 

    Because Hoagie City positions itself as a Philly-styled joint, the house Cheesesteak (with onions and peppers) should probably be the first topic. A full ($20) is huge, essentially two sandwiches and more than a meal for a normal person. So, half orders are probably a smarter path moving forward. 

    Full Cheesesteak with American cheese

    The Cheesesteak itself is officially alright with its freshly-sliced steak piled on the house bun. And they don’t fluff the meat, they pack it in. You pick your cheese, and while there’s an up-charge for Cheez Wiz, American seems like a reasonable free alternative. In traditional fashion, the sandwich comes with soft grilled peppers and onions, and there’s an option to fuss it up with tomatoes and lettuce, but that seems like a violation of basic Philly sandwich law. The meat has a good, basic meaty quality: No real complaints. While it’s a good sandwich, there are other good cheesesteaks in town. 

    So try the Italian Hoagie ($9.50 for a “half”). Again, it’s crammed with provolone, ham, cooked salami, hard salami, capicola and pepperoni. This is the combo that benefits from the crunch of cold shredded iceberg, razor-thin tomato slices and onion. You can get mayo and heavy stuff, but that would be a bad decision. It’s at its absolute best with just oil and vinegar and the little seasoning sprinkle. The little flecks of pepper look like love and the finish adds a fresh lightness that contrasts perfectly with the sheer heaviness of the meats and cheese. 

    Italian Hoagie with LTO

    Following that line of success, the Turkey, Ham & Bacon ($9.50 for a “half”) delivers a similarly likable monster. It’s a little harder to eat, because bacon generally is less cooperative, but it packs lots of homespun flavor. Mayo seems like the right partner this time, although the option to do something odd like add ketchup or sliced pickles is certainly available.

    Turkey, Ham & Bacon with mayo

    Beyond an extensive selection of hoagies, Hoagie City offers a handful of sandwich combos that include liverwurst and corned beef, as well as tuna and chicken salad options. In terms of companion pieces, in addition to the aforementioned chips and a few house side salads (sometimes out of stock), there are giant pickles: Pickles as big as the hoagies themselves. The big pickles are always in stock, and $1.29 is a reasonable price for a conversation piece. 

    You can find Hoagie City at 3870 Main St. in Hilliard. It’s closed Sundays, but open the rest of the week at 10 a.m. for lunch and dinner.

    For more information, follow Hoagie City on Facebook.

    All photos by Susan Post

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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