Primo Hoagies: Quick, Convenient and Fun

Primo means "first" in Italian, "cousin" in Spanish and has come to mean "first rate" in the US ("I got some primo steaks from the butcher..."). I've been to in Ardmore numerous times to pick up a hoagie for lunch. I love the colorful names for all the sandwiches. It's more fun to order a "schwartzie" than a corned beef special and "pal joey" rolls off the tongue better than "sopressata and fresh mozzarella hoagie".

There are 6 types of sandwiches: specialties, diablos, cutlet combos, healthy choice, meatless delights and classic standards. I don't think I have ever not ordered one of their specialties, I think it's the strongest section of the menu. It's also by far the largest.

In the summer a cured Italian meat and fresh mozzarella hoagie just does it for me. I've had the "pal joey" but that day it was the siren song of the "suprimo" that drew me in. The prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and roasted red pepper hoagie is a perfect blend of savory and sweet with contrasting flavors and textures. The rich and salty slices of fatty prosciutto play off the slightly sweet flavors of the cool and creamy mozzarella. The roasted red pepper is smoky and has some sweetness of its own. The simple bread acts as a great backdrop to the strong flavors of the proteins and vegetables. A nice sprinkling of Italian herbs completes the hoagie. You can order your hoagie in small, primo or whole sizes but I chose the small so that I would have room for other things.

There are plenty of primo sides to choose from but I grabbed a half pint container of the marinated mozzarella. The small mozzarella balls were bathed in olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, red chili flakes and some herbs. They were good but needed an extra pinch of salt. This side is a great low carb, high protein dish which would be ideal for a picnic. It would also be a great starting point for a heartier salad. Adding artichoke hearts, fresh tomato, red onions, olives and maybe even some cooked penne would transform this simple side into an elegant salad.

I added in a deli container of rice pudding because I couldn't resist the cinnamon dusted dessert. When I ate it, it was a bit disappointing. It was very loose and not rich and creamy like I had hoped. It didn't taste bad--flavor wise it was fine but not all that exciting.  The rice had some bite to it which provided great texture. It wasn't very sweet and the cinnamon flavor wasn't that pronounced.

The service is very casual. The girl who rang me up was wearing a pale pink "bada bing" t-shirt and our interactions were terse. Not to say that it was bad, it's just a high volume sandwich shop and she was trying to keep the line moving. She moved quickly and efficiently.

The decor is dominated by pale green, bright lights and a huge window. There is a rack of Herr's products and a 3D display of the different size rolls. Enjoy your lunch with some soda, juice or iced tea. You can grab a seat in the limited dining area or take your food to go. The area in front of the counter is on the smaller side which makes it a bit uncomfortable when the line is very long.

If you're in the Ardmore shopping center and want a quick bite, Primo Hoagies may be just what you're looking for. You can come here first or last, with your cousin or not. I've never had a bad sandwich here and the high volume ensures that ingredients are always fresh.