Paesano’s, the sandwich shop, moves to a hole in the wall in Fishtown

Paesano’s, the Italian-inspired sandwich destination that grew out of a hole in the wall, has come full circle.

It’s back in a hole in the wall, having taken the window spot last week at 1427 Marlborough St. in Fishtown, the former Poe’s Sandwich Joint before it moved to Kensington. It’s at the corner of Marlborough Street and Frankford Avenue, across from Heffe.

Peter McAndrews, who used to whip up out-there sandwiches for his kitchen staff while chef at the old Rembrandt’s, launched Paesano’s in February 2009 at 152 W. Girard Ave. in Northern Liberties. At the time, it was a six-stool counter across from Modo Mio, his first solo restaurant, where Cadence is now.

From there, it’s been a game of Follow the Bouncing (Meat)ball.

In February 2010, McAndrews expanded Paesano’s to the northwest corner of Ninth and Christian Streets in Bella Vista. A year later, he moved it about two blocks south to make way for Monsu, which closed last year.

Next up for Paesano’s: Temple University, and a move of the Northern Liberties original into more spacious quarters next door. In 2017, both Temple and the South Philly location closed, and in December 2019, McAndrews shut down Northern Liberties.

(Meanwhile — and not to further muddy the timeline — McAndrews just reopened Modo Mio, going into Fifth and Monroe Streets in Queen Village.)

At Paesano’s in Fishtown, you can get his signatures such as the Liveracce (crunchy fried chicken livers, sliced sopressata, sautéed onions, Bibb lettuce and roasted tomatoes), which was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain. In a twist, arancini is on the menu.

And so far, McAndrews tells me, the most popular sandwich is not some beef, pork, or chicken creation, but a vegetarian jawn: the Portobello Slammer, with mushrooms, sun-dried peppers, broccoli rabe, aged balsamic, and aioli.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., till 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.