Casetta Kitchen and Counter has taken over the space that Bluephies Downtown Deli once occupied on West Washington. If you have the time, it’s worth visiting for breakfast or lunch, but Casetta really needs some grab-and-go items, especially for its proximity to so many offices.
Case in point: my average wait time for my freshly prepared items was 14 min., with no one ahead of me in line. That’s too long for most places, but it’s especially long in what amounts to a sandwich shop.
The sandwiches ($6 half, $10 whole) come in focaccia or hero, and I recommend the former, as the latter is too thick. The Sullivan’s hot pepper mixture brightens up the ensemble, which also includes provolone, balsamic vinegar and arugula. The prosciutto was delicious; however, it seems to need another meat like ham or salami so it can stand up to the other components.
I was hesitant to pick up the Hoboken, because it was messy and the juices were dripping out of it. That’s because inside there is both a hot pepper mixture and a vinegar pepper mixture. The two combine with roasted garlic as the predominant flavors, especially because the roast beef was bland.
Despite the pools of grease floating at the top, the tomato and sausage soup (soup of the day, $4 cup, $6 bowl) was a delight. It was rich with flavor, it had the right amount of beans and vegetables, and the sausage was tender with a touch of spice.
Breakfast is the other meal served here. The radish toast ($5) is pretty to look at, but it’s not enough to overcome the fact that you just paid $5 for one slice of toast and a handful of sliced radish. At least the radish was fresh and crunchy, the toast was buttery and the various seeds (e.g. sunflower) gave the dish a little more depth.
The mortadella ($7) was a better deal. The egg is fluffy, the mortadella (sort of similar to bologna) has the right amount of saltiness and the bun is grilled in butter. The plain yellow mustard is a nice touch, and I’m glad the restaurant avoided the temptation to put cheese in this sandwich, as it would have been superfluous.
Casetta Kitchen and Counter is open every day for breakfast and lunch, and it serves as a bar in the evenings.
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See more photos in our Casetta Kitchen and Counter Flickr album.
A long-time Arby’s on Gammon Road closed and turned into 
I was pleasantly surprised by the pulled pork sandwich ($2.99) because it uses a Carolina (mustard-based) sauce. It’s actually quite good–the meat is super moist, and the bread does a good job of keeping its structure.
In honor of National Sandwich Day, I thought I’d take a look at some of the nation’s most famous sandwiches, coincidentally all from the State of Pennsylvania.
In Pittsburgh–as well as in cities east of our state–you can find Primanti Bros. Its crown achievement is its “Almost Famous” sandwiches that are packed with cole slaw, tomatoes and french fries.
