Launching on January 17 and running through February 9, 2024, Di Bruno Bros. will be featuring an exclusive hoagie sandwich developed by Chef Jen Carroll, known beyond Philadelphia for her many appearances on Bravo’s Top Chef franchise over the past decade and more recently lauded for her experience company, Carroll Couture Cuisine and her popular cooking channel.
This epic collab with Chef Jen Carroll has resulted in a creation that’s different than what you might find in other Philly hoagie shops. Elevating the hoagie concept into the stratosphere, this sandwich features Fresh Roasted Turkey, Duck Prosciutto, Winter Pesto (sans Basil), 12-year-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Crunchy House-made Potato Chips, Roasted Peppers, and Olive Oil.
Available at the Rittenhouse, Wayne, Franklin and Ardmore locations for $16.99, the satisfying sandwich (the brainchild of Chef Jen and Di Bruno Bros.’s own innovative mastermind Emilio Mignucci) not only fills bellies but also helps support Chef Jen Carroll’s nonprofit, the Sisterly Love Collective. This well-known local alliance advances women in the food and hospitality space through mentorship, networking, and communal support.
“I love working with Jen because she is such a regular, down-to-earth person and extremely knowledgeable about food. She doesn’t take food too seriously; she just has fun with the process of creating. I firmly believe that everyone should be enjoying all kinds of food, trying new things, and making it fun. I truly love working in this food world every day because of people like Jen,” commented Emilio Mignucci, Jr., VP of Culinary Pioneering, Di Bruno Bros., and hoagie co-creator.
How did the pair build the Winter Pesto Turkey Hoagie you ask? The process began with a casual yet mission-focused tour of Di Bruno’s market with both Philly Foodies contributing to a snappy, ping pong, creative energy, pointing out unusual and delicious ingredients that could differentiate what was bound to be one sumptuous sammie. Both agreed that it should be simple, allowing each ingredient to shine.
“I wanted to lean into something a bit healthy, so we landed on fresh, roast turkey as a protein base. A lot of people love turkey, and Di Bruno roasts their own in-house,” explained Chef Jen. “Pesto is one of my favorite things and relatable to the third-generation Italian specialty store. As a chef, seasonality is so important to me. I wanted to take the freshness and brightness of traditional pesto but put my stamp on it, resulting in something seasonal, fresh and new. That’s how the winter pesto took flight.” she added.
Chef Jen’s winter pesto incorporates fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley—those hardier herbs that you see during the fall and winter seasons. This pleasing pesto also blends baby spinach together with roasted pine nuts, garlic and good Sicilian olive oil.
The roasted garlic has a nuttiness instead of a raw sharp garlic taste. And the special part of this—which got Emilio excited—was that Jen opted for the 12-year-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, which is the motherload of all Parmesans, taking the winter pesto to an entirely new level. The nutty notes are heighted further by the cheese, pine nuts and roasted garlic all showing up to the party.
“Emilio pointed out the Smoking Goose Whole Duck Prosciutto in a way that girls swoon at the Tiffany’s window, and I asked to taste it. One bite and my mind started to think this amazing ingredient could work well with the hoagie because it was silky and decadent without having an overpowering flavor, just welcomed fattiness that could balance other flavors,” added Chef Jen.
As for the potato chips nestled in the sandwich, Chef Jen admitted that hoagies just beg for chips. She also is fond of including crunchable ingredients in sandwiches. No need to rip open a bag. Those crispy, crunchy chips can be found mingling with the turkey inside the sandwich.
The Winter Pesto Turkey Hoagie is an amalgamation of fresh seasonal flavors, a little highbrow decadence and a bit of unexpected playfulness making it an ideal option to chase the winter blues away here in the City of Brotherly hoagies.
Grab yours at the sandwich counter before February 9th. And when you take a bite, know that you’re helping 150 local women restaurateurs and entrepreneurs collaborate, share industry knowledge and provide mentorship opportunities.
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Email: phillygrub@gmail.com
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Marilyn Johnson
Food enthusiast. Travel lover. Social media maven. Independent Journalist. Food marketing/PR. https://sogoodpr.com/ https://original.newsbreak.com/@marilyn-johnson-1587690 https://southjerseyfoodscene.com/ Email: phillygrub@gmail.com
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