Favorites List: A Beloved Pork and Greens Sandwich in Philadelphia
John's Roast Pork has been slinging top-tier sandwiches since 1930. (Yes, the cheesesteak is also great.)
Welcome to the weekend! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter.
Favorites List: A destination-worthy stop for roast pork sandwiches and cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia.
The Order: Minneapolis’ Saturday Dumpling Co. puts fun twists on classic dumplings.
Weekend Reading:
Featured Destination: Download your weekend itinerary for wine country in our Field Guide to Napa Valley, a 24-page digital dining guide formatted for your phone. (Free for paid subscribers!)
Signature Sandwiches at John’s Roast Pork
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — The first time we attempted to go to John’s Roast Pork, it was closed for Christmas (finding places to eat on December 26 is always a risk; we got a sandwich that day at Tommy DiNic’s in the Reading Terminal instead, and we also highly recommend this!). So this year, when planning our annual post-Christmas visit to Philadelphia, we added on a second night so we could go to John’s when it reopened on December 27.
Open since 1930, John’s specializes in roast pork sandwiches, Philly’s other iconic sandwich (we’ll get to that in a minute). It consists of thinly sliced roasted pork butt loaded into a roll with sharp provolone cheese and silky, garlicky spinach. It’s a truly inspired combination of rich flavors and textures. Ours came loaded with juice, so it ate like a wonderfully messy Italian beef — be sure to ask for extra napkins if you plan to “dine in” at the picnic tables in the enclosed seating area.
A few days before we went to John’s, chef Zach Engel of Chicago’s Galit, one of our favorite restaurants, was also in town. He used to live in Philly and sent me his order for two: “Split a large roast pork and a large cheesesteak with American.” Sold. We’ve had cheesesteaks in Philly before, but this was easily the best we’ve had, with loads of thinly sliced steak mixed with grilled onions and gooey cheese, all tucked into a sesame seed bun.
A city is lucky if it has one regional sandwich that enters the American sandwich canon. Cities with two top-tier locally invented sandwiches is a very short list — there’s New Orleans for po’boys and muffulettas, and Philly for cheesesteaks and pork and greens (comment below if you can think of any others!). But while the cheesesteak has spread around the country, the pork and greens has remained more localized. If you are in Chicago, however, JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop serves an excellent pork and greens sandwich. They also have a brilliant beans and greens melt, with grilled rapini, white beans, caramelized onions, provolone, and Calabrian chili aioli that is a satisfying lunch whether or not you’re vegetarian.
14 E Snyder Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Dumplings on Demand
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — When planning our trip to Minneapolis, I came across Saturday Dumpling Co., Peter Bian and Linda Cao’s weekend dumpling business. The duo started making northern Chinese-style dumplings based on Peter’s mom’s recipes during the pandemic and selling them in frozen packs of 12 at weekend pop-ups. While our visit did not coincide with one of their pick-ups, Peter and I stayed in touch, and when he came to Chicago over the holidays, he brought us some of his dumplings.
They were worth the wait. Available with fillings like pork and shrimp or chicken and shiitake, they’re super easy to prepare and come with a dipping sauce made with chili crisp, soy sauce, and Chinese black vinegar. While all the filling combinations nailed it, the more unexpected flavors were especially fun — they make Japanese-style curry dumplings with potatoes, carrots, onions, and peas; tingly ma la beef dumplings with Szechuan peppercorn chili oil; and Là Cháng dumplings with Chinese sausage.
Saturday Dumpling Co. also collaborates with local chefs, like Diane Moua of Diane’s Place, who created a Hmong sausage, fish sauce, and Thai chili dumpling. And their menu has expanded a bit beyond dumplings to include dishes like scallion pancake breakfast burritos, which we’ll absolutely be seeking out the next time we’re in Minneapolis.
If you’re based near Minneapolis or staying in an Airbnb where you can whip up dumplings for lunch, head here to order. Orders open on Wednesdays at 10am and pickups are held each Saturday at Dots Gray Kitchen.
208 N 29th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Encyclopedic Knowledge: Ari Bendersky recently interviewed drinks writer
about his new book, The Encyclopedia of Cocktails: The People, Bars & Drinks, with More Than 100 Recipes. In the interview for Bendersky’s newsletter, , Simonson talks about bartenders he admires and notes how he is always impressed when they can create something new from just a few ingredients. “With the complicated cocktails with seven or eight things, it becomes the law of diminishing returns,” Simonson notes. He speaks the truth. Increasingly, I find myself drawn to classics far more often than new creations when visiting unfamiliar bars. We got a chance to pick up a copy of The Encyclopedia of Cocktails at a recent book event hosted by Simonson at Chicago’s Rainbo Club. Bartending legends Charles Joly and Lynn House were on hand mixing up — what else? — Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. Perfect choice.Prognosticator of Prognosticators: Raleigh Magazine recently tapped a group of city magazine editors to help forecast what’s to come in the food world in 2024. In her role as dining editor at Chicago magazine, Amy joined editors at Dallas’ D Magazine, Atlanta, Boston, Austin Monthly, and Washingtonian to try and predict what we will see more of in the coming year. Editors said retro dishes were on the rise, we will see more casual takes on fine dining, and non-alcoholic drinks will find more room on menus. Feels right from what we’re seeing on the road.
Speaking of Classics: Jason Diamond wrote about the enduring fashion of the red jackets worn by bartenders at Musso & Frank in Los Angeles. In his newsletter
, he notes that “the red jackets blend effortlessly into the environment at Musso & Frank because there’s so much brown all over the place (wood, brass, meat) that the red feels like the most vibrant color you see besides the flames coming from the grill. It’s a comforting feeling, especially when you come in from the tourist hellscape that is Hollywood Blvd.” And what’s more comforting than a jacketed bartender pouring you an ice cold martini? The folks at the Los Angeles Times had the same thought. “As much as I enjoyed the food,” writes Laurie Ochoa, “I was reminded that Musso’s is a place where professional service has not gone out of style.”— Compiled by Kenney Marlatt
Download Our Weekend Itinerary for Napa Valley
You can download all of our picks for wine country in our Field Guide to Napa Valley, a 24-page digital dining guide formatted for your phone. During the month of January, paid subscribers can snag a complimentary download on our website using the code they received in this month’s Featured Destination newsletter. (Paid subscribers also get 50% off any other Field Guide they’d like!) Upgrade your subscription today and get your free Field Guide to Napa Valley.
Want more? Chat with us on Substack, download our Field Guides, check out our archives, or follow us on Instagram @americanweekender. We’ll be back next week.
Thanks for including the chat with Robert. It was a really fun and enlightening interview.