PHLReview
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Liberty Kitchen
Included In
Liberty Kitchen makes Philly classics new again, like a roast pork sandwich with chianti provolone spread or an Italian hoagie with a tangy red pepper and artichoke spread. And that accomplishment should come with a key to the city. The Fishtown shop is a deli, sure. But it's also the kind of place to hang out with friends for a month straight. There are a couple of tables inside, potted plants on every ledge, and a cartoon Gritty saying "feed me." Gritty's request is reasonable, considering you'll have the same excited expression biting into a slice of olive-oil-drenched tomato pie or maybe an egg and cheese on a kaiser roll. And if Fishtown is just a little too far from your house, go to Liberty Kitchen's University City location inside Two Locals Brewing.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: GAB BONGHI
Food Rundown
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Egg & Cheese Sando
Eating the same food again and again can get tiring. But that logic never applies to Liberty Kitchen's breakfast sandwich with two scrambled eggs, melted cooper sharp, and pepper-relish ketchup on a fluffy kaiser roll. The red hot heat from the relish—not spicy but subtly fierce—makes this a special sandwich.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Tomato Pie
Liberty Kitchen makes one of our favorite tomato pies in Philly. Skip over the toppings like prosciutto, mozzarella, garlic cream, pecorino, honey, and pistachio, and go for the traditional version, instead. This focaccia-like slice with sweet tomato sauce and olive oil should be the offering we give aliens to prove that Philly comes in peace.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Roast Pork
Strips of braised pork shoulder, provolone chianti spread, long hot relish, broccoli rabe—all working together in combination. LK doesn't shy away from the meat portions either and the spread gives the whole thing a creamy, nutty punch.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Ed’s Special Italian
This is our favorite sandwich here. Imagine a classic Italian hoagie went to the dealership and got fully loaded with red pepper and artichoke spread, house dressing, and hoagie relish. The result is a thick, sleeve of cured meats, sharp provolone, lettuce, tomato, and onion with a spicy and tangy boost (without feeling overpowering). Eat 100 Italian hoagies in this city. None of them will taste as earthy or tangy.