by Third Ave Hooligan
On the corner of First Ave. and Gay St. lies a hidden gem in the Borough of Phoenixville. No, not the funky stucco house that always has some sort of free oddity available to any ambulatory passerby (a computer monitor from 1984 perhaps? Some rain soaked paperbacks maybe?).
It’s just across the way: Wasko’s (223 Gay St)
Known until now only among those curious individuals such as myself who LOVE a good hoagie (zep, grinder or hero or whatever the eff you wanna call it) or those who remember it as D’Antonio’s, Wasko’s dishes up one of (if not THE) best hot pork sandwiches this side of the French Creek. All this rain and cold had me hankering a warm meal, so I stopped in today to get a hot pork sandwich with sharp provolone and hot peppers and get the low down on this quaint local establishment, which not only offers sandwiches, but also catering for special events.
Upon entering the shop, you are immediately greeted 
by the smell of the makings of a great sandwich and Jim Wasko, a Mont Clare native, who opened the shop two years ago. When asked how he happened to open the shop, I was in receipt of an interesting story…
“I used to be the restaurant manager at Sly Fox,” Wasko professed. “Long story short, things didn’t work out.” He went onto explain that he wanted to stay in the food industry but didn’t know how to cook. He also wanted to be his own boss. He purchased the store, equipment and all from D’Antonios and learned the art of sandwich making.
While watching him craft the pork sandwich, I was surprised to note that he first lines the inside of the roll, which is from the Conshohocken Bakery, with a layer of onions. He then dips each slice of pork into simmering au jous before placing it the roll. Next up is some sharp provolone and some long Italian hot peppers, which are made in-house. Then the sandwich goes in the oven until the cheese melts.
The end result is pure deliciousness and cost-effective. A small sandwich, which is more than enough for a meal, is $5.75 (that’s with hots, which cost extra). Although he’s only open til 6, it’s the perfect place to grab a sandwich for dinner or on a Saturday to complement some college football viewing. In addition to the pork sandwich, I also recommend the Ultimate Italian Hoagie, the Hot Italian Hoagie and the meatball sandwich. There’s also a prime rib sandwich that I’ve heard rave reviews about, but have yet to try and other items such as pierogies.
