Taylor Gourmet’s H Street NE location. (Photo by Houston Ruck)
This post has been updated with a revised opening date from Taylor Gourmet
Nearly eight months after closing for renovations, the original Taylor Gourmet hoagie shop (1116 H St. NE) will reopen in the Atlas District this Friday at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 22 with a new look, feel, and menu.
The changes are way more than cosmetic. The restaurant has snagged a local sandwich master to help retool its Philadelphia-inspired eats. Jacob Hunter, founder of Dirty South Deli food truck and previously executive chef at Matchbox, has joined the local chain as culinary director. Talk about a hoagie dream team.
Hunter is a longtime friend of Taylor Gourmet co-founder Casey Patten and has collaborated with the shop on sandwiches in the past. This time around, he hopes to liven up the existing menu with some fresh ideas while still keeping the core of customer favorites intact.
“We’re not trying to disrupt the apple cart too much,” Hunter says. “We’re just trying to keep food fun and bring some excitement to the menu.”
The upcoming spring menu, which rolls out during the last week in March, will use ingredients like asparagus, watermelon radishes, radicchio, spinach, and roasted lamb—a protein that’s completely new for Taylor Gourmet. There will also be a seasonal take on Taylor Gourmet’s popular risotto balls using green peas, mint, and lemon ricotta.
“We’re just trying to keep food fun and bring excitement to the menu,” Hunter says.
The company sees the relaunch of the H St. NE location in addition with the new menu as a way to stay current after nearly a decade in business. Since opening on H Street in 2008, Taylor has grown to 11 area locations with five more in the works.
In terms of Dirty South Deli, fans need not worry. Hunter says the transition is about new opportunities and spending more time with his family. He says he spent a good six months training the team at Dirty South Deli to ensure a seamless and successful transition and still works with the business on occasion.
