Paesano’s closes in Fishtown, but there’s a new sandwich shop on the way

Paesano’s, chef Peter McAndrews’ peripatetic sandwich destination, has closed its Fishtown hole-in-the-wall spot at Frankford Avenue and Marlborough Street, but the news is not as grim as it seems.

Rosemarie Montalto is taking over and rebranding as Duke’s of Marlborough and expects to open soon. McAndrews’ sandwiches are not going away entirely. He is offering them at Modo Mio Taverna, his rustic Italian restaurant in Queen Village.

McAndrews said the closing of Paesano’s could be tied to the coronavirus pandemic. In February, he opened Paesano’s within a week of opening Modo Mio, at Fifth and Monroe Streets.

Then a Paesano’s employee tested positive for the virus, “and I couldn’t be in two places at the same time,” McAndrews said.

Since he has personally guaranteed his lease at Modo Mio, “I couldn’t afford to risk being” at Paesano’s, he said. “I have to make sure Modo Mio is doing well.”

Meanwhile, Modo Mio is open for takeout and delivery and is offering some Paesano’s-style sandwiches.

Both Paesano’s and Modo Mio (and McAndrews, for that matter) have bounced around over the years.

Modo Mio launched in late 2007 in a corner space at Girard Avenue and Hancock Street, marking the solo debut of McAndrews, who had been chef for 12 years at the late Rembrandt’s in Fairmount. It closed three years ago, after McAndrews decided to pay more attention to his bar-restaurant La Porta in Media. (The space is now Cadence.)

McAndrews opened Paesano’s in early 2009 as a six-seat counter across from Modo Mio, on the Northern Liberties side of Girard Avenue. Branches in South Philadelphia and on Temple University’s campus followed. He later moved the original location into a larger space a few doors down before closing in December 2019.

McAndrews also owned a Sicilian BYOB called Monsu in South Philadelphia that had a nine-year run that ended in September 2019.